Internet Telephony Expo Becomes ITEXPO

For ten years Internet Telephony Conference & Expo has been the one trade show which focused first on bringing buyers and sellers in the communications market together — a surprisingly novel idea in the communications conference market. And what a wild ride it has been as after the show was launched in 1999, the CLEC boom came into full swing and hordes of CLEC and ILEC decision-makers came to the show to buy all sorts of gear.

Then the telecom bubble burst and the carrier market slowed dramatically but the enterprise, SMB and government decision-makers came to the show in force. A few years later Vonage came onto the scene forcing incumbent telcos including rural, wireless and cable companies to look seriously at next generation communications. We knew this was happening as the companies in this space began to come to ITEXPO in force.

All the while, resellers, VARs, integrators and developers came to the show to learn what was next… They wanted to know what they should be developing and buying/reselling.

We have always believed in order to have a successful tradeshow you need to engage your audience year-round. This doesn’t mean hiring an outside company to send newsletters or setting up a simple Facebook or Twitter feed.

It means being very engaged – hiring dozens of editors, reporters and account execs to live in the offices of the movers and shakers in the space you cover. In addition you need to be so close to your audience that you can think ahead of them. You need to plan conference tracks six months before attendees decide to go. In technology, six months may as well be six years!

And this is part of what TMC has done to differentiate itself from the pack. Every year we bring more than 15,000 attendees from over 110 countries to two ITEXPOs located in California and Florida. What separates these events event from others is that they are primarily shows where decision-makers in the communications space come to buy solutions they need today.

In addition we draw our event attendance from over 600,000 readers of our magazines and two million unique visitors to TMCnet each month.

The event has all the next generation visionaries in attendance who can tell you about the future but you will more importantly leave with information which will help you keep your enterprise, or carrier business more productive than ever.

We are so excited about our ten years running Internet Telephony Conference & Expo that we have decided to shorten the name to  ITEXPO – just like the URL itexpo.com. We even have a new logo.

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But rest assured, ITEXPO may have shortened its name but it is receiving more attention than ever from the team here at TMC. This event continues to be solid and we have now had four super-successful shows in a row where we continue to have solid attendance and a slew of testimonials from attendees and exhibitors.

Where are the buyers in the communications market? They are at ITEXPO.

Here is a snapshot of what happened at the last show in Miami this past January. I hope to see you at the next show September 1-3, 2009 in Los Angeles.

Photos/Attendee Comments from our last show — ITEXPO East January 2009

“I’m going to admit that on my flight down to Miami I was worried about what I might find at the Internet Telephony Conference and Expo. What I found was a pleasant surprise. The energy was high, the conference robust and the exhibit hall impressively packed with people interested in VoIP. If the Internet Telephone Conference and Expo is any indication of the health of the VoIP industry, I’d say things are looking pretty darn good.” — Garrett Smith, Director of Marketing, VoIP Supply.

“The show exceeded my expectations in terms of the numbers of attendees and the interest and enthusiasm of the audience for the products and services that were showcased. For Ingate, the SIP Trunking seminar series drew the largest attendance of any of the previous 5; we scanned 393 names — a definite record. And the participants came to each of the seminars that we presented. The first day is always great. But this time, on the third day — which for trade shows is usually a slow day — the audience was quite large right up until the end… From the discussions I had, people are really looking for technology and services that will lower their operating costs as they prepare to weather lean financial times. ITEXPO is the show for people looking for Voice-over-IP solutions that accomplish this goal. And SIP Trunking is a service that presents a concrete opportunity for savings. One of our presenters, Kool Smiles, highlighted that they had achieved a reduction of 40 percent on their telephony bill by converting to SIP Trunking and paid for their phone system upgrade in less than 12 months. And, after a year in service, they are very pleased with the quality of the service and the features of their system. We hear much anecdotal evidence like this from our customers and others. By offering a forum for these type of breakthrough technologies and services, ITEXPO and the SIP Trunking seminars offer businesses an opportunity to learn about these services and plan for their implementation. We look forward to the next ITEXPO in September 2009.” — Steven J. Johnson, President, Ingate Systems Inc.

“ITEXPO East 2009 was a breath of fresh air. Despite beginning to feel suffocated by the endless rhetoric of a worsening economic climate and a decrease in buying power, what VoicePulse experienced at ITEXPO was a real world example that businesses are in fact ready to buy. As a Voice-over-IP service provider, the amount of booth traffic VoicePulse received and the qualified leads generated from ITEXPO only reassured us in our belief that the market is truly ripe for a serious commitment to VoIP. When it comes to IP telephony, what were once only business concepts have now matured into specific business models that are reshaping the communications market. Not suprisingly, VoicePulse was able to witness that first hand at this conference.” — Ravi Sakaria, President & CEO, VoicePulse.

“I want to congratulate you and the TMC team for such an excellent show. This expo as well as the last expo in LA brought together many professionals in the VoIP business. Both shows have been a real success for us both in terms of new contacts and closing major deals.” — Fred Hakim, President, DalCom USA Ltd.

“I must say I too have been listening to such negative news on the streets, TV, media and so on. I did not know what to expect from your show in Miami. I must confess it was probably one of the best shows I have attended for a while. We ran out of magazines by the end of the show, we also met with very quality leads and walking around the floor talking to exhibitors I was told several times they almost pulled out of the show and this is what they told me, ‘What a mistake we would have made. This is turning out to be a super show’. I must agree with them. People who missed this show missed out on a great opportunity to establish themselves in the market. Well done TMC. Great show!” — Berge Kaprelian, Group Publisher, ChannelVision Magazine.

“Yes, there was a grave problem that I want Rich and his team to address immediately. That problem prevented me from visiting the
other exhibitors at ITEXPO. Yes, it was that bad. You see, the attendance of this show was so great that I had meetings booked end-to-end with qualified prospects every single day of the show. Not even enough time to ingest proteins or alleviate basic necessities. So next time make sure that you have less people attending the show. This type of awesome success can be a ‘problem’! Kidding aside: congratulations on a great show. It was way beyond all my expectations.” — Alexandre Hebra, VP Logistics & Operations, Commlogik Corporation.

“A whopping 61.5 percent of the attendees fit our customer profile: Resellers, VARs and Service Providers who provide Hosted PBX services to the SMB market. We went home with piles of solid leads. ITEXPO is the show that brings in real buyers.” — Moshe Maeir, Chief Flattening Officer, The Flat Planet Phone Co.

“For us at Xorcom, it was the best ITEXPO ever!” — Ruth Bridger, Vice President, Marketing, Xorcom.

“I cannot start to tell you how awesome this show was for Zultys. I was doing demos from the second we opened to when the lights went off, and most of the time to 2 and 3 dealers or customers at the same time. We ran out of brochures, cards, price lists, EVERYTHING. I severely underestimated the success — Only 1 day after the show. The only thing I regret about the show is that I did not bring enough people from Zultys to help me manage the traffic. We hope to be a part of that show EVERYWHERE. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you all… P.S. Since we are hiring big time, I was also able to fill a couple of positions — saved me the time and money to advertize — I had people come to ME instead of me go to them. It was truly the place to meet Vendors, Clients, Dealers and seal in relationships that would go well beyond 2009.” — Pierre Kerbage, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Zultys, Inc.

“Digium was thrilled by the excitement and attendance of the many high quality buyers at IT Expo and Digium Asterisk World! In this difficult economy, customers are looking for ways to reduce expenses while improving their business communications systems. This event gave customers and resellers a unique venue to research new, innovative VoIP and open source telephony solutions, available at a fraction of the cost of traditional communications systems. After the show closed and the exhibits were being torn down, Digium and several of our Asterisk ecosystem partners still had customers in the pavilion asking for more information! In this era of doom and gloom, we’re elated with the success of the event and the new opportunities for innovative VoIP and open source telephony solutions!” — Leslie S. Conway, Vice President, Global Marketing, Digium, Inc.

“I just wanted to express our thanks to TMCnet for putting on a wonderful show and for voting STS Telecom the Best Booth at ITEXPO! The number of qualified leads we received surpassed even our highest expectations. The pre-show support was tremendous as was your teams help at the show. We accomplished our goal of reaching new VARs and expanding our brand recognition. We already looking forward to next year’s show.” — Bob Jans, Director of Sales, STS Telecom.

“The qualified leads we received at the show was beyond our expectations. It was the one of the most focused shows we have been at in years! We were also very pleased to see the many companies looking for business from Latin America.” — Greg Hamburg, Director of Sales , Voipswitch.

“We are in the Internet Telephony business and were really pleased by the quality and industry-relevance of the attendees… We’ve already signed up for next year as well as the coming event in California. Companies in this space cannot afford to miss your shows. Keep up the good work!” — Carlos Rodriguez, Technical Sales Manager, Ecocarrier Inc.

“It was a great show with expositors showing the newest technology in our field. I’m sure we’ll start seeing the benefits of having attended in the coming weeks as we develop the leads.” — Jose L Landivar, Commercial Director, Elastix.org.

“Thank you. We really enjoyed the show, organized in a great way and [there was] tremendous interest in our products displayed.” — Fredrik Hörnkvist, President, Konftel.

“I like many went to Miami expecting the worst. I arrived and thought, ‘Wow, there are a lot of people here, but are they buying?’ Our firm had several clients at the show and each where excited about the about the amount of traffic and quality of leads generated. Real money is being spent. Thanks TMC! ITEXPO may be the shot in the arm that the industry very much needed!” — Michael Becce, CEO, MRB Public Relations, Inc.

“I’ll just say we were overwhelmed and pleasantly surprised by the turnout. We’ve exhibited at a number of regional trade shows in the past few months and have found both exhibitors and attendees down significantly. The fact that ITEXPO attendance was up — and that many of the attendees traversed borders and great distances to be there speaks to the prominence of ITEXPO as a key industry event. Many of the attendees we spoke with gravitated to open-source technologies like Asterisk — both for the flexibility and the economic efficiencies they bring to the table.” — Corey S. McFadden, Managing Partner, Infradapt LLC.

“I presented at three sessions: a panel on IP call recording, a co-presentation on VoIP QoS, and a presentation on UC security. All went off without a hitch, but what impressed me most were the people who attended the sessions. Not only was attendance excellent, even for my 8:30 presentation on Wednesday morning, but those who attended seemed to be paying close attention and then asked intelligent, well though-out questions both during the presentations and at their conclusions. This was consistent for each of the sessions in which I participated. I must also say that my co-presenters were all excellent in their own right… I thought the show was well-organized, and from my vantage point, well-attended in spite of the current economic climate.” — Jonathan Zarkower, Director, Product Marketing, Acme Packet.

“The 4G conference in Miami this past week far exceeded my expectation. It was an enriching opportunity to meet top-level communication specialists, CEOs, and telecom visionaries. We shared thoughts on which technologies will become prevalent and how it will impact our day-to-day life. We debated, discussed and shared insight on speculative technologies and how and when they may become a reality. And what preparations will be necessary to leap into the next generation and ensure that we are prepared. It was a privilege and an honor to moderate a panel with Intel and be amongst the top technology thinkers of our time and learn what the communication landscape will look like tomorrow.” — Ari Zoldan, CEO, Quantum Networks, LLC.

“For me, this was probably the best IT Expo I’ve attended over the years. I would echo what many have been saying about the better-than-expected attendance and positive vibe in spite of this being a down market. My sessions were well attended and the traffic I saw on the show floor was brisk. It was great to see Carl Ford and Scott Kargman have full sessions for the 4G tracks, and I hope that’s the start of something big with TMC.” — Jon Arnold, Principal, J Arnold & Associates.

“The show was great and, even with the crazy economy, I believe your attendance was strong. The plenary panels were informative and the location was fantastic.” — Charles “Chip” Spann, Wireless Business Analyst, Connected Nation.

“IT Expo East 2009 – I’m delighted to hear that this was the best IT Expo East, particularly in this uncertain economic climate. Congratulations to you and your staff for planning and executing an excellent event.”

“Participation and Support – I’m confident that I speak for the vast majority of participants in stating that I appreciated and enjoyed the opportunity to play a small part in the event. The TMC staff performed efficiently and effectively and were a delight to work with.”

“The Venue – The Miami Convention Center is a convenient and very good venue for the Event. The area hotels and restaurants were also very good.”

“The Economic Impact On The IT Industry – Clearly, these are uncertain times for all of us. The IT Industry as a whole is encountering economic challenges that have not been experienced in many, many years. End user and carrier budgets have been cut and / or frozen. None of the major players are immune to this economic downturn. Just about all of them have characterized their economic outlook as “cloudy” and ratcheted down their earnings expectations.”

“For me, one of the major takeaways from the Event was the significant number of innovative start-ups and smaller players on the exhibit floor…despite this uncertain economy. I spent time with most of them and was favorably impressed by their entrepreneurial spirit, innovative offerings and upbeat “damn-the-torpedoes” attitude.”

“The Exhibit Area – I wouldn’t categorize all of the attendees walking the Exhibit Area floor as ‘buyers’. I believe that ‘serious prospects’ would be a more accurate description. It’s interesting to see how challenging economic times separate the ‘serious prospects’ from the ‘casual attendees’.”

“One thing that I’m convinced of is that in good or bad economic times, end users and developers have an insatiable appetite for timely, accurate information and networking opportunities. Obviously, IT Expo East provided this to them.”

– Mark N. Ricca.

“The impressive turnout at ITEXPO reinforces in my mind that IP telephony will weather this recession and come out stronger. Communications needs never really contract. As organizations look to IP and open-source technologies to retool their communications and realize long-term savings, there’s a great deal of business to be done in this ecosystem.” — Jeff Gehlbach, Vice President, Software Technologies, The OpenNMS Group, Inc.

“I felt synergy this year that was much greater than last year. Maybe, the economic times has produced a common sense of urgency that overshadows the gloom we face every day in the media. CTD exceeded its expectations this year and appreciates the opportunity to be part of the show.” — George Richardson, CEO, CT Distributing.

“The show for us was absolutely fantastic and the attendance was above expectations. I think we all need to remember and focus on the fact that there are people and companies still working and being productive and in many instances we all have to figure out a better way to do business and this was a great opportunity for that. It was absolutely awesome and we did fantastic at the show. Get me a good spot for September!” — Don Palmer, CEO, SIP Print LLC.

 

 

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