More About Our Annual Meetings
As mentioned in the first quarterly newsletter of the year, attendance at the 2012 Annual Meeting set a new record of 414 participants. On all levels, the meeting was a success. One of the benefits of being a member of the CCTA is having access to the full list of attendees with contact information. If you are a representative of a CCTA member, either an Active or Associate member company, you may receive a copy of the Excel spreadsheet containing this data. Please contact Executive Director Andrea L. Martin via e-mail at info@cctanet.com requesting the list. Please remember that this privilege is reserved for members only.
News about the upcoming 2013 Annual Meeting
Many regular attendees of the CCTA's Annual Meetings are already inquiring about the dates and venue for the 2013 meeting. The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that the 2013 Annual Meeting will be held from January 22 to 24 at the Fairmont Southampton Resort on Bermuda. Active Member Bermuda CableVision will be the host system for our first visit to this beautiful island. Based on a theme of the "Caribbean Meets the Future of Cable TV," sessions and speakers will be selected to provide information on the changing landscape of the industry. Suggestions on specific topics and presenters are always welcome, and can be sent to the Executive Director or any member of the Board of Directors. Registration materials will be available by the end of October, but it’s not too early to book travel to Bermuda. The Fairmont Southampton has extended its unbelievably low rate of $185 to three days before and three days after our Annual Meeting. All you need to bring are some colorful Bermuda shorts!
The CCTA's annual training sessions are right around the corner. Recently the Board of Directors approached the Active Members for subject-matter suggestions for the 2012 training sessions, both Technical and Marketing. Responses came from across the Caribbean, and the majority of suggested topics will be covered during the three-day Technical Training and the one-day Marketing Training. Speakers are being identified and schedules are being developed by Associate Director John T. Kurpinski, Sr., of Tarpon Communications and Associate Director Patrick Harrell of New Frontier Media. As soon as full schedules are available, they will be distributed to all Active Members.
One thing is for sure - the 2012 training sessions will be held at the Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention Center Hotel & Casino in San Juan on August 14, 15 and 16, 2012. The Technical Training modules will take place on all three days, while the Marketing Training presentations will occur on the 16th. A cocktail party for all attendees and presenters of either training session will be held on Wednesday evening, August 15.
The CCTA has provided free annual training to employees of Active Members for many years and the response has always been positive. Bringing information on the current topics in the cable television and telecommunications industries to the region has always been one of the organization’s missions. Although member companies must cover transportation, lodging and evening meal expenses, the CCTA handles the cost of the training sessions and all daytime meals. For representatives of Associate Members or non-members, the training sessions are available for reasonable daily fees.
For the 2012 Technical and Marketing Training Sessions, the Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention Center Hotel has provided a rate of $125 per night, single or double occupancy, plus 11% tax and a $15 hotel fee. There is also a $1.00 per room, per day maid gratuity and $5.00 per person, one-time bellman gratuity. This special rate is available from August 11 through August 19, based on availability. Rooms in the CCTA's block can be reserved by calling the hotel's reservations department at 1-787-993-3500, or by using the Sheraton's dedicated reservations link. The "2012 CCTA Technical and Marketing Training" must be mentioned to receive the special negotiated rate.
For further information on the 2012 training sessions, please contact Executive Director Andrea Martin at info@cctanet.com.
CCTA Awards Grants To 14 Deserving Charities
The Board of Directors of the Caribbean Cable and Telecommunications Association unanimously agreed to award $1,000 each to 14 charitable organizations located in the Caribbean. The grants were made through the Community Charities Program, which was established in 1983. Each individual charity was nominated by a cable system operator that is part of the CCTA. The Community Charities Program has bestowed more than $267,000 during its existence.
The missions of the 14 nominees ranged from programs for orphaned and ill children to assistance with higher education, but each one met the requirements of the Community Charities Program. The board members were impressed with the variety of qualified applications and therefore awarded a grant to each nominee. The CCTA originally established the program to give just 10 grants per year, but the program has generated so much interest among members that the number of applicants continues to exceed the original number. Each nominee will receive $1,000. The board took this action at their meeting on May 31.
The 14 grant recipients and their sponsoring companies are: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bermuda nominated by Bermuda CableVision Ltd.; Anegada Senior Citizens Bus Drive nominated by BVI Cable TV; Harrison College Benevolent Fund nominated by Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation; The Steven Anthony Ayala Rivera Foundation nominated by Choice Cable TV of Puerto Rico; Queen Louise Home nominated by Innovative Cable TV St. Croix; Nana Baby Children's Home, Inc. nominated by Innovative Cable TV St. Thomas-St. John; Colegio de Educacion Especial y Rehabilitacion Integral nominated by Liberty Cablevision of Puerto Rico; National Community Foundation nominated by LIME St. Lucia; Generation New Status STM Drum Band nominated by St. Maarten Cable TV; Clown Dokters Aruba nominated by SETAR; St. Peter's Brownie Club nominated by The Cable of St. Kitts; Siloam nominated by T.V. Distribution Systems N.V.; Special Olympics Cayman Islands nominated by WestStar TV Limited; and St. Maarten Soccer Educational Foundation nominated by Wireless Telecommunication Network.
Each cable company was sent a check made payable to the nominated charity in the amount of $1,000. Hopefully, the publicity generated by each check presentation will promote the cable operator, the CCTA and the industry throughout the Caribbean. The funding for the Community Charities Program comes mainly from Auction proceeds and Raffle Ticket sales at the Annual Meeting.
Congratulations to each grant recipient!