June 10, 2009

Canadian CommTech—the annual two-day trade show and training seminars in Kelowna, B.C.—recently wrapped up, boasting over 80 exhibitors showcasing over 2000 products. NETcommOnline was there to take in the action. Janice Lee, show owner, says that since its beginnings several years ago, the show has tripled in size. “It’s more diverse,” says Lee, “[and] the companies that attend have become more diverse.”

CommTech draws delegates involved with the purchasing, safety, design,
planning, deployment, construction, networking or maintenance of
hardware and/or test equipment for use in the communications
industry—particularly for COs, headends, outside plant and contracting.

Of particular interest to us was the presentation delivered by FortisBC
and Telus, “Safety for Outside plant”. Simply talking about it does not
do the presentation justice, as the presenters—Ed Marback, Rick
Hallding and Eddie Alfonso—came prepared with a scaled-down model of a
city street, complete with tractor, birds, trees, people and, of
course, power lines… which they energized before setting fire to the
aforementioned tractor, birds, trees, people, etc.

Rather than read from a PowerPoint presentation, this group brought OSP safety to life, which is why their presentation remains a popular draw at CommTech.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg! There were plenty more presentations on subjects ranging from FTTP design considerations, implementation and operation to unlocking copper’s high-speed potential. In all, about 20 well-attended technical seminars.

Where has it been, where is it going?
Going forward, Lee says, “We have a couple of associations that are
interested in building their events around the show”. She also expects
more outdoor exhibits, and has been working with academic institutions
who wish to take advantage of the technical information available at
CommTech.

Mark your calendars, as CommTech returns to Kelowna next year, May 19-20.

Referring to CommTech’s exhibitors and delegates, Lee says, “We often see [them] only once a year, so it’s rewarding to see
them get together… to see the networking,” says Lee. “That’s what
really drives us, and makes me feel really good.”

CLICK HERE for photos from the show.

CLICK HERE for Canadian CommTech Show & Seminars.