WASHINGTON, D.C. – Diversity, technology, industry leadership, and recognition all take center stage next month, when the cable industry jets to the Rockies for “Cable Connection – Fall,” several days of industry meetings, educational sessions, events and conferences, with highlights chronicled below.

Cable Connection – Fall is set for October 25 – 30, 2009, in Denver. A complete schedule and registration information are available at www.cableconnectionfall.com.

In addition to easy registration online, registrants can save up to $350 when purchasing multiple registration passes for Cable Connection - Fall events.

While registering, attendees also should arrange their hotel plans, as the deadline for hotel registration is September 28, 2009. Those registering with SCTE should note the hotel registration deadline is September 25, 2009.

“There is no better place for cable executives to be this October than Denver. With more affordable airfare and hotel rooms than most other cities, Denver provides a great place for cable executives to network, enhance business relationships, and take advantage of great professional development opportunities – all in one city, at one time,” said Barbara York, Senior Vice President, Industry Affairs, National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA). “With so many exhibits, sessions and events, Cable Connection Fall has something for everyone in cable to learn and celebrate our industry.”

Cable Connection - Fall Highlights

Many feature-filled conferences and activities span six straight days in Denver in the Cable Connection – Fall schedule. Here are some of the highlights:

ACC Forum’09
October 26-28, 2009
Colorado Convention Center

  • The annual Beacon Awards Gala & Ceremony open Forum ’09, followed by two days of sessions ranging from a Keynote Address from Rob Katz, CEO, Vail Resorts, to presentations on Web 2.0, public policy, social media and much more.
  • This year’s afternoon General Session features NCTA President & CEO, Kyle McSlarrow, followed by a CEO Roundtable with Robert B. Clasen, Chairman & CEO, Starz; Jerald L. Kent, Chairman & CEO, Suddenlink Communications; Paul Liao, President & CEO, CableLabs; and Josh Sapan, President & CEO, Rainbow Media.
  • For more information, contact Prasana William, services@cablecommunicators.org or 202-222-2370.

Cable Center Hall of Fame Celebration
October 27, 2009
Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center

  • As one of the industry’s most exclusive and highest honors, this year’s induction ceremony will honor seven of cable’s brightest stars, including: Char Beales, President and CEO, CTAM; Matthew C. Blank, Chairman and CEO, Showtime Networks; James S. Cownie, Co-Founder and past President, Heritage Communications; Robert W. Hughes, Founder, Prime Cable and Chairman, Prime II Investments; Tom Rutledge, COO, Cablevision; Bernard Shaw, CNN Anchor Emeritus; and Tom Wheeler, Managing Director, Core Capital Partners.
  • Brooke Anderson, Hollywood co-host of HLN's Showbiz Tonight and entertainment correspondent for CNN, will act as master of ceremonies for the ceremony.
  • For more information, visit www.cablecenter.org.

CTAM Summit
October 25-27, 2009
Colorado Convention Center

  • This year’s Summit offers attendees sessions on the latest in consumer marketing, product management, advanced advertising, business services, and mobile broadband. To foster collaboration, CTAM is hosting sessions with CableLabs and ACC on issues of relevance to audiences that cross the disciplines.
  • Sunday’s main event will be a conversation between Comcast’s Steve Burke and Starcom MediaVest’s Laura Desmond on The Future of Advertising, led by Harvard Business School’s Tom Eisenmann.
  • The annual Mark Awards will be hosted by Evan Shapiro, President IFC tv and Sundance Channel. Following the Awards, the Chairman’s Reception will recognize the Summit’s Honorary Co-Chairs Glenn Britt, President and CEO, Time Warner Cable and Tony Vinciquerra, Chairman and CEO Fox Networks Group.
  • Marketing advice and inspiration will be provided by Paul Lavoie, Chairman of the hot international agency, TAXI.
  • For more information and to register, contact Krystal Wilson at krystal@ctam.com. Press should contact Diana Cronan at diana@ctam.com.

23rd Annual NAMIC Conference
October 26-28, 2009
Grand Hyatt Denver

  • “Diversity Rules” and knowledge is king at the 23rd Annual NAMIC Conference, the premier diversity forum that delivers actionable strategies to bridge the opportunities between workforce diversity, technology, content and the increasingly lucrative multi-ethnic consumer base.
  • The three-day agenda will feature industry thought leaders in the areas of corporate diversity and inclusion, digital media, leadership development, and multi-ethnic content/programming.
  • Technology superstar Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook and founder of My.BarackObama.com, will be the keynote speaker for the NAMIC Conference on Tuesday, October 27.
  • CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta will be presented NAMIC’s highest honor, the Mickey Leland Humanitarian Achievement Award on Wednesday, October 28. Other NAMIC Conference highlights include: the Excellence in Multicultural Marketing Awards (EMMA), which honors the best and most innovative campaigns targeting ethnic markets, the annual L. Patrick Mellon Mentorship Luncheon and inaugural NAMIC and CableFAX: The Magazine's 2009 Most Influential Minorities in Cable awards breakfast.
  • For more information and to register, contact the NAMIC national headquarters, 212-594-5985 or visit www.namic.com. Press should contact Daphne Leroy at 212-594-5985 or daphne.leroy@namic.com.

SCTE Cable-Tec Expo® 2009
October 28-30, 2009
Colorado Convention Center

  • As the cable industry’s premiere engineering show, attendees can “Touch the Technology” in hundreds of exhibits on the Expo show floor. The floor also includes the NEW Expo Cable Technology Spotlight, this year featuring energy efficient technologies and solutions displayed in the Green Pavilion.
  • Over 25 technical workshops are organized in five specialized tracks focused around the “Extensible Competitive Fiber Network.”
  • Expo’s bold Opening General Session features a Technology Leadership Roundtable led by Leslie Ellis, and “Engineering the Extensible Network,” a discussion of local, regional, and national fiber networks led by John Schanz.
  • For more information, visit www.scte.org. Press should contact Joe Madagan at 800-542-5040 or jmadagan@scte.org.

Walter Kaitz Foundation Annual Dinner
October 28, 2009
Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center

  • Comcast Corporation and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. will be honored as Diversity Champions at the 26th annual fundraising dinner.
  • This annual event is the cable industry's preeminent fundraising event for diversity, typically raising more than $1 million to fund diversity-oriented programs and initiatives for three industry-based diversity organizations.
  • For more information and sponsorship inquiries, contact the Walter Kaitz Foundation at (202) 222-2490.

WICT Tech It Out Breakfast & Panel Discussion
October 28, 2009
Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center

  • While networking with industry executives at breakfast, an educational panel, moderated by Sherita Ceasar, VP, Product Engineering at Comcast, will answer the question, “What drives the best technology teams in cable?”
  • Participating in the panel will be: WICT's 2009 Women In Technology award winner Barbara Jaffe, SVP, Advanced Technology and Operations, HBO; Jenifer Cistola, VP, Cable Information Services, CableLabs; Marwan Fawaz, CTO & EVP, Charter Communications; Charlotte Field, SVP, Systems Engineering, Comcast; Rebecca Rusk Lim, Senior Director, Internet & Interactive TV, Starz; and Stephanie Mitchko, VP, Interactive Platform Development, Cablevision
  • For more information, contact Mary Busby (press inquiries) and Lisa Vega (general information) at 703.234.9807 or visit www.wict.org.

In March 2008, NCTA’s Board of Directors approved a plan to realign the national industry meetings and events produced by cable associations and professional societies into two weeks – one in the spring and one in the fall. While the overall schedule for Cable Connection – Fall has been cooperatively coordinated by the various organizations involved, each sponsoring organization is planning and executing its respective events.

For more information on each of these activities, visit the Cable Connection website at www.cableconnectionfall.com or call NCTA's Department of Industry Affairs at (202) 222-2430.