Comms Connect a huge success

A new venue, bigger crowds and a packed program ensured this year’s Comms Connect Melbourne event was a huge success.

This year’s Comms Connect Melbourne once again broke the record for the total number of attendees, with more than 1200 people participating in the exhibition and conference program.

In a break from last year, the speaker sessions, exhibition space and catering were all in the same hall in the Exhibition Centre (the preconference workshops were held as usual in the Convention Centre), resulting in more than double the floor size of previous Comms Connects. This was a very convenient arrangement that helped reduce the to and fro of earlier events.

“Moving down to the exhibition centre this year was always going to be a challenge, especially the acoustics in the theatres, but feedback suggests the effort was worth it,” said WF Event’s director, Paul Davis. “Whilst it wasn’t a perfect arrangement, numbers were solid over the two days with overall attendance up slightly on previous years.”

There were lots of stand-out presentations, but two particularly come to mind. One of them was data scientist Kevin Vinsen’s overview of the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope and associated science projects in Western Australia. As well as impressing the audience with his ‘out of this world’ facts and figures, he also made the point that there will be lots of large technology contract opportunities coming up in the next few years, which would have been music to the ears (or should that be music of the spheres?) of those present.

US visitor and FirstNet senior advisor Bill Schrier gave a compelling presentation on the need for public safety mobile broadband, citing plenty of examples of where better data could have helped, and will help emergency services and first responders in the future.

The final session of the program expanded on this topic with a panel discussion featuring Schrier, Garry Kerr (Project Manager – Frontline Integration, Public Safety Business Agency) and Steven Tsikaris (Executive Manager, Infrastructure Commercial Contracting, Commercial Division, Department of Treasury and Finance). This coincided with a press release issued by the federal Minister for Communications, Mitch Fifield, giving the government’s long-awaited response to the Productivity Commission’s report into the provision of public safety mobile broadband for Australia’s emergency services and other agencies.

There were a record number of vendors in the exhibition area, partly disguised by a floor space that was much larger than last year. A star of the show was a specially fitted-out incident command vehicle, designed by UK company Excelerate, which arranged to have one of its vehicles on hand — borrowed for the occasion from the Victorian Country Fire Authority — and it’s fair to say it was a big hit with the attendees.

“This year saw the 10th anniversary of Comms Connect and it was fitting that we made the move down in to the exhibition halls,” said Davis. “There was a real buzz about the place, partly due to having the three lecture theatres in the hall with us, but mainly due to the large number of delegates, visitors and exhibitors.

“Feedback has been great and we’re looking forward to returning in 2017, when we will again run everything together in the Exhibition Centre.”

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Comms Connect in 2017

Comms Connect Wellington

Held in association with the RFUANZ

11–12 April

Te Papa Museum, Wellington

www.comms-connect.co.nz

 

Comms Connect Sydney

7–8 June

Sydney Olympic Park

sydney.comms-connect.com.au

 

Comms Connect Melbourne

21–23 November

Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

melbourne.comms-connect.com.au

 

One-day events held in association with ARCIA’s state industry days/dinners:

Perth — The Duxford, 16 March

perth.comms-connect.com.au

Brisbane — Rydges South Bank, July date TBC

brisbane.comms-connect.com.au

Adelaide — venue and date TBA (usually September)

adelaide.comms-connect.com.au