CCTA 2017 Annual Meeting

PLAN

Sunday Jan. 22* through Tuesday Jan. 24**, 2017
Stay up-to-date with the meeting Schedule on our Calendar Page.
*On-site registration begins January 21
**Closing breakfast: January 25

RESERVE

There’s still time! Call The Atlantis at 242-363-3000,
and ask to speak to Reservations. Be sure to mention the CCTA Annual Meeting.

REGISTER

It’s easy with our online Registration Portal!
Sign up now for Member and Non-Member participation and reserve exhibit space (Booths, Tabletops, or Half Tabletops).

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Don’t miss the 2017 Annual Meeting “Who’s Who and What’s What” List!

Now literally only days away, the Annual Meeting of the Caribbean Cable and Telecommunications Association previews its stellar lineup of “Who’s Who” among cable and telecommunications industry movers and shakers! These experts in their fields will share a broad scope of experience and expertise in presentations, talks and panel discussions designed to enlighten, educate and inspire. See the list here.

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Be Informed and Ready: All Details for the 2017 Meeting

NEW: Download details for Final Agenda, Exhibit Hall Layout and Exhibitors, and List of Pre-Registered Attendees

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All-Participant FAQs

Information for All Attendees.

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Exhibitor / Shipping FAQs

Information and Forms for Exhibiting and Shipping to the Bahamas. 

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CCTA Wavelengths: Issue 11, Summer 2016

Mark your Calendars for the 2016 Training Sessions!

July 26, 27 and 28, 2016

The CCTA’s annual Technical Training Sessions are right around the corner. The sessions will be held at the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino in San Juan on July 26, 27 and 28, 2016. A variety of relevant technical subject matter will be explored by leading experts in the industry. The 2016 program will cover: “Fiber Optics 101”; “Best Construction Practices and Splicing for Fiber Networks”; “System Design”; “Troubleshooting the Fiber Network”; “Understanding the Digital Network”; “DOCSIS 3.1”; “Increasing System Bandwidth”; and more. The final session will be the very popular “Ask the Experts” Panel of all speakers. Special thanks are due to John T. Kurpinski, Sr., who is the mastermind behind the training session, even though he is no longer a member of the CCTA’s Board of Directors.

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 is one of the organization’s primary 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 2016 Technical Training Sessions, the CCTA has negotiated a special rate with the Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel and Casino - $130 per night, single or double occupancy, plus 11% tax and a 16% hotel service fee. There is also a $1.00 per room, per day, maid gratuity and $6.00 per person, one-time bellman gratuity. This special rate is available from July 23 through July 31, based on availability.

For further information on the 2016 training sessions, please contact Executive Director Andrea Martin.

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Welcome to the CCTA’s Newest Members!

The CCTA is proud to acknowledge its newest Active Member (cable and telecommunications company). People’s Television of Turks & Caicos Islands recently joined the association, and we are looking forward to learning more about this company and its activities in Turks & Caicos.

The Board of Directors also unanimously approved the membership applications of the following new Associate Members: Cinemoi, Digital Adware, General Cable Inc., SmartRG and Times Fiber Communications, Inc. We welcome these companies and their representatives to the CCTA.

Listings for these six new members can be found on the the CCTA website’s Membership Page, where you can also find listings for the other fine members of the association.

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The 2017 Annual Meeting at Atlantis on Paradise Island

January 22 to 24, 2017

Next year’s Annual Meeting will be held at the spectacular Atlantis resort in the Bahamas. The CCTA has negotiated a very favorable hotel rate, and the 2017 Caribbean Show will surely be yet another to remember! More details to follow in future Wavelengths newsletters.

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2016 Community Charities Program

Seven exceptional charities will benefit from the CCTA’s Community Charities Program this year. The board of directors unanimously agreed to award $1,400 to each organization that was nominated by a cable system member of the CCTA.

The seven grant recipients and their sponsoring companies are: The Barbados Cancer Society nominated by Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation of Barbados; Queen Louise Home for Children 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; Island Hoops Foundation nominated by St. Maarten Cable TV; House of Deliverance New Testament Church of God nominated by The Cable of St. Kitts; and Fundashon Teatro Pispein nominated by T.V. Distribution Systems of Curaçao. The Community Charities Program was established by the CCTA in 1993. Since then, the program has distributed over $301,000 in grants to more than 120 charities in the region.

Checks made payable to the charities were sent to the nominating cable operators, which in turn presented the checks and brought recognition to their own companies and the regional cable and telecommunications industry. The Community Charities Program is one of the cornerstones of the association's non-profit mandate. The majority of funds for the program are generated by the Annual Meeting auction, which raised nearly $8,600 in 2016.

CCTA Wavelengths: Issue 10, Spring 2016

Annual Meeting attendees gather for the Welcome Cocktail Party, the first official event of the 2016 get-together.

We dove into the 2016 Caribbean Show!

The 33rd Annual Meeting of the Caribbean Cable & Telecommunications Association, held in dynamic San Juan, Puerto Rico, was a fun-filled three days for the 319 individuals who attended. Luckily, very few individuals were negatively affected by blizzard Jonas and the storm's impact on travel arrangements in the eastern United States. The mood of the Caribbean Show was upbeat, friendly and decidedly warm. The Caribbean Salsa Party brought out the "moves" of many attendees, who danced to the very last strains of live music at the evening event.

Individuals came from around the world to attend the 2016 Annual Meeting. Participants represented 146 different companies or organizations from 28 distinct nations or jurisdictions in North America, South America, Europe and the Caribbean. The Exhibit Hall featured 73 companies demonstrating products, services and programming. A complete list of the 319 attendees to the 2016 Caribbean Show can be obtained by contacting CCTA Executive Director Andrea Martin at info@cctanet.com.

With an emphasis on "Exploring the Depths of Cable and Telecommunications in the Caribbean", speakers and sessions followed this theme. A rapt audience listened intently to the discussion on "Merchandising Consumer Content Across Multiple Platforms in the Digital Age". Led by moderator Jeff Kreger, international experts Shahid Butt from Broadshark, Raelene Rydzik from Cable & Wireless Communications, and Jeremy Simon from TELUS discussed marketing and selling video content across numerous digital platforms.

The four other on-target educational sessions also contributed to the success of the Annual Meeting. Aaron Wesley Means of ACTIVATE Business Solutions drew a packed crowd for his presentation on "Super-Charging your Marketing in 2016 with the Newest Trends in Email, Social, and Mobile". The very relevant technical topic "Find and Stop Revenue Losses From Fraud and System Management" was discussed by Stephane Bourque of Incognito. Michael Carrosquilla of Patriot Media brought his unique perspective on "Maintaining Profitability in an Ever-Changing Cable World". Scott Helms of ZCorum reviewed the "Current Challenges and Upcoming Advancements in In-Home Wi-Fi Troubleshooting".

All four presentations can be found on the CCTA website on page 3, under “Training”.

Many of the highlights of the 2016 Annual Meeting were captured in photographs which will be featured by Broadband Library in its Spring edition. Here is a preview of the page dedicated to the Caribbean Show.

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From left to right, back row: Zaira Rivera of Liberty Cablevision of PR, Rollin Nathan (volunteer) and Andrea Martin, CCTA Executive Director. Front row: Angie Rivero of SETAR (Aruba), Chiquita Bowleg of Cable Bahama, and Tita Sambolin and Joanie Romero of Liberty Cablevision of PR.

A Very Big THANK YOU to our 2016 Sponsors and Donors

The CCTA would like to express its appreciation to the companies that sponsored events or provided items for the 2016 Annual Meeting. These generous corporate friends are:

Platinum Sponsors:

• Liberty Cablevision of PR

• Cable Bahamas

Gold Sponsors:

• A+E Networks

• LORAC Communications

• NBCUniversal

• Viacom Media Networks

• HBO

Silver Sponsors:

• Caribbean Cable Cooperative Ltd.

• GulfCom

• REVOLT TV

• BBC World News

• Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP

• AMC Networks

• Fox Networks

Bronze Sponsors:

• Spectrum Engineering Corporation

• TVC Communications

• CommScope

• Toner Cable Equipment, Inc.

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Congratulations to the New Board of Directors

Congratulations to the new Board of Directors, who were elected during the meeting: Chair David Burrows of Cable Bahamas; Vice Chair and Chair Elect Andrew Greene of Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (Barbados); Director and Treasurer Beulah Jonis of St. Maarten Cable TV; Director Veronique Leander of TV Distribution Systems (Curacao); Director Gabriel Palerm of Liberty Cablevision of PR; Director Raul Ponson of SETAR N.V. (Aruba); Director Alan Smith of Bermuda CableVision/Logic; and Associate Director Patrick Harrell of Align Broadcasting. The second Associate Director position remains unfilled after the resignation of John T. Kurpinski, Sr. of Tarpon Communications, who announced his retirement during the meeting. 

John has been a staunch supporter of the CCTA for a number of years and has organized the annual Technical Training and arranged for Annual Meeting speakers. He will be sorely missed for his knowledge, dedication and wit!

Mark your Calendars Now for the 2017 Annual Meeting!

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Mark your Calendars Now for the 2017 Annual Meeting!

Next year’s Annual Meeting will be held at the Atlantis on Paradise Island in the Bahamas from January 22 to 24. Needless to say, the CCTA has negotiated a very favorable hotel rate with the Atlantis, one of the premiere resorts in the world. Further details of the Annual Meeting will be released in future issues of the Wavelengths newsletters, so stay tuned.