CCTA Wavelengths: Issue 12, Winter 2017

Thank You to All who Attended the 2017 Annual Meeting!

The month of January 2017 came and went so quickly, that we're still catching our breaths. For those of you who attended the CCTA’s Annual Meeting at the Atlantis on Paradise Island, in The Bahamas, it was great to see you again and start off the new year in a new place with old and new colleagues. The Bahamians welcomed us with wonderful hospitality and friendliness, and the resort was simply breathtaking.

The 2017 Annual Meeting attracted 287 attendees from 132 different companies. It was truly an international event, with 32 different countries and jurisdictions represented. Participants traveled from Canada, the United States, Mexico, South America, Europe and various locales in the Caribbean to be part of the 34th Caribbean Show. If you would like a copy of the spreadsheet that contains the names and contact details for all attendees, please send an email to info@cctanet.com with the subject line: CCTA 2017 Annual Meeting Attendees List.

Your opinions count!

With the 2017 Annual Meeting still fresh in our minds, we are asking attendees to take a moment to complete an anonymous survey about the event. We promise it won't take long, but your feedback is invaluable to the Board of Directors as they look toward 2018. If you have not received the survey form via email, you may participate by clicking the button below:

Thank you again for your support of the Caribbean Cable and Telecommunications Association. Since the CCTA Annual Meeting is one of the last remaining cable shows, your participation and input are very important to the association and the cable industry in the Caribbean.

A special "Thanks" to our speakers.

Thank you to the speakers who brought their wisdom and expertise to the Annual Meeting. Hats off to the following panelists who discussed "The Future of Cable in the Caribbean and Internationally":  Norman Lem of Suite 47 Consulting Inc.; David Burrows of Cable Bahamas; Murali Nemani of ActiveVideo; Jim Riley of Mediamorph; and Jonathan Shrank of Insight TV.  Speakers at the break-out sessions included Bryan Perry of TiVo; David Dockter of Cable Bahamas; and Mark Trudeau of OpenVault.

Congratulations to the new Board of Directors members

For those who were not present during the Annual Membership Meeting, we would like to introduce you to the CCTA's Board of Directors for 2017:
Chair Andrew Greene of Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation of Barbados; Vice Chair and Chair-Elect Gabriel Palerm of Liberty Cablevision of Puerto Rico; Past Chair David Burrows of Cable Bahamas; Director Beulah Jonis of St. Maarten Cable TV; Director Veronique Leander of Television Distribution Systems of Curacao; Director Raul Ponson of SETAR N.V. of Aruba; Director Graciela Rivera of Innovative Cable TV of the U.S. Virgin Islands; Associate Director Larry Foland of OpenVault; and Associate Director Patrick Harrell of Align Broadcasting.

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2017 Sponsorship Recognitions

PLATINUM SPONSORS

Bloomberg L.P.
• FAREWELL COCKTAIL BEVERAGES
• JANUARY 22ND BREAKFAST BUFFET

LORAC Communications Inc.
• OVERALL ANNUAL MEETING SPONSOR
• TOTE BAGS

National Geographic
• JANUARY 24TH EXHIBIT HALL REFRESHMENTS
• JANUARY 23RD AFTERNOON BREAK REFRESHMENTS
• JANUARY 24TH MORNING BREAK REFRESHMENTS

Viacom Media Networks
• JANUARY 24TH BREAKFAST BUFFET

GOLD SPONSORS

A+E Networks
• CARIBBEAN PARTY

Cable Bahamas
• ANNUAL MEETING TEE-SHIRTS

Gulfcom
• JANUARY 23RD EXHIBIT HALL REFRESHMENTS

Liberty Cablevision of Puerto Rico
• LUNCHEON IN EXHIBIT HALL

SILVER SPONSORS

BBC World News
• WELCOME COCKTAIL PARTY

Caribbean Cable Cooperative Limited
• CARIBBEAN PARTY ENTERTAINMENT
• FAREWELL COCKTAIL PARTY HORS D'OEUVRES

HBO
• WELCOME COCKTAIL PARTY 

OpenVault
• WELCOME COCKTAIL PARTY

REVOLT Media & TV LLC
• WELCOME COCKTAIL PARTY

Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP
• CARIBBEAN PARTY ENTERTAINMENT

Spectrum Engineering Corporation
• JANUARY 23RD MORNING BREAK REFRESHMENTS

BRONZE SPONSORS

CommScope
• JANUARY 22ND AFTERNOON REGISTRATION 
REFRESHMENTS

Discovery Networks
• LANYARDS AND BADGE/SCHEDULE HOLDER

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.