WASHINGTON, D.C. – An unparalleled list of top industry executives and a stimulating lineup of management sessions headline the final schedule of sessions for The 2006 National Show, released today by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA). The 2006 National Show, NCTA’s 55th Annual Convention and International Exposition, is scheduled for April 9-11 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
General Session Topics and Speakers
Leading off this year’s conference, on Sunday, April 9, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, delegates will be welcomed by Convention Co-Chairs Geraldine Laybourne, Chairman, Founder & CEO, Oxygen Media, Inc.; and Thomas Rutledge, Chief Operating Officer, Cablevision Systems Corp. Kyle McSlarrow, NCTA President & CEO, will offer his look at the state of the industry as well.
The opening general session panel, “Cable: A Great American Success Story,” includes luminaries that have made enormous contributions to the cable industry throughout its history. Moderated by Geraldine Laybourne, the panel features:
- John S. Hendricks, Chairman, Discovery Communications, Inc., and
- Ralph J. Roberts, Chairman of the Executive and Finance Committee of the Board of Directors, Comcast Corporation.
Also appearing on this panel will be renowned writer Malcolm Gladwell, Author, The Tipping Point and Blink, and other participants may be named later.
On Monday, April 10, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, “View from the Top: Leadership Perspectives” will shift the conversation to a discussion of the future of converged communications. Moderated by CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo, the panel includes:
- John Chambers, President & CEO, Cisco Systems
- Gary Forsee, President & CEO, Sprint Nextel Corp.
- Richard Parsons, Chairman & CEO, Time Warner, Inc.
- Brian Roberts, Chairman & CEO, Comcast Corporation
- Anne M. Sweeney, Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks & President, Disney-ABC Television Group, and
- Edward J. Zander, Chairman & CEO, Motorola, Inc.
On Tuesday, April 11, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern, the panel session “Add Cable and Stir: A Recipe for Business Success” will be moderated by former FCC Chairman William Kennard, Managing Director of The Carlyle Group, and will take a look at how cable is positioned to prosper in a fiercely competitive environment. Panelists include:
- Glenn Britt, President & CEO, Time Warner Cable
- Mark Cuban, President & Chairman, HDNet, LLC.
- Patrick Esser, President, Cox Communications, Inc.
- Tom Rutledge, Chief Operating Officer, Cablevision Systems Corp.
- Tony Vinciquerra, President & CEO Fox Networks Group
- Michael S. Willner, President & CEO, Insight Communications, and
- David Zaslav, President, NBC Universal Cable
Rounding out the General Session slate on Tuesday, April 11, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern, is “Converging on Change: What’s In Store... And Who’s Behind It.” This panel will take a look at how the rapid rise of new delivery pathways will affect the industry. Panelists include:
- Jeffrey L. Bewkes, Chairman, Entertainment & Network Group, Time Warner, Inc., and
- Stephen B. Burke, Chief Operating Officer, Comcast Corporation.
This session will be moderated by CNN’s Paula Zahn, and other participants may be named later.
Breakout Sessions and Key Metrics
Complementing the exciting general session lineup will be a slate of 31 additional sessions focusing on:
- Advertising
- Finance
- New Business (Games, Portability, Voice)
- New Technology & General Management
- Programming
- Public Policy
- NCTA Technical Papers™
NCTA also said that exhibition floor sales are tracking ahead of last year’s pace, with all indications that 2006 will surpass the 190,500 square foot exhibit floor at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
Attendance pre-registration also is tracking with attendance figures from last year. National Show attendance during the past three years has been in the range of 16,000 to 17,000.
Additional, up-to-the-minute information for The 2006 National Show is available via the official website (www.thenationalshow.com).
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