Five essential reasons to be at Comms Connect

Comms Connect Melbourne is less than three weeks away and, once again, it promises to be the event of the year for the region’s critical and converged communications industry.

If you haven’t registered yet - if you’re a bit unsure about whether it’s worthwhile attending - here are five essential reasons that will convince you to be there.

1. Hear from the experts

The Comms Connect Melbourne organisers have assembled probably the best line-up of local and international experts our region has ever seen. There’ll be representatives from industry, government, academia and public safety agencies (both local and international), all discussing the very latest technologies, business models, regulations and more. There’ll also be speaker sessions, panel discussions and industry training workshops. This is a great chance to be exposed to new ideas and the latest in international best practices, plus the ability to meet with and ask questions of all those experts. If you’re serious about staying in touch with the latest developments, you really need to be at Comms Connect.

2. All the vendors under the one roof

With more than 90 vendors and suppliers displaying their wares in the convention centre’s huge exhibition hall on level 2, you’ll have the opportunity to see first-hand all the latest and greatest technologies from across the spectrum - DMR, TETRA, P25, LTE, backhaul, software, antennas, microwave and lots more. This is your best chance all year to compare technologies, compare vendors, get hands-on demonstrations of the latest gear, kick the tyres and buttonhole all the technology experts. We’re reliably informed that there will be some great new gear on display this year - we’re not allowed to tell you ahead of time what you will see, but we know it’ll produce quite a buzz.

3. New public safety stream

By popular demand, the organisers have introduced a whole new series of presentations and panel discussions in a third stream, Public Safety & Emergency Management. A whole range of topics will be discussed: from Next Generation Triple Zero to BYOD; hospital wireless comms to surf-lifesaving radio networks; wireless broadband to body-worn video; and lots more. The list of speakers and participants is impressive, with representatives from public safety agencies from Australia, the US, Canada and New Zealand.

4. Number 1 networking event

There’s no better place to meet other industry professionals than Comms Connect - it’s the ideal venue to make new connections and renew old connections. With more than 1000 people expected to attend over the three days, you’ll have the chance to connect face to face with colleagues from around the nation. And we all know that there’s nothing like personal contact to spark new ideas and develop new collaborations.

5. Generate new business

Finally, and most importantly, Comms Connect is your once-per-year, not-to-be-missed chance to generate new business. Whether you’re a vendor looking to sell hardware or services, a consultant aiming to pick up new contracts or a consumer of products and services, Comms Connect is a goldmine of opportunities. Nowhere else in our region do you have the whole spectrum of the critical communications field under the one roof. If you’re on the lookout for new business in 2014-15, you really have to be at Comms Connect.

Comms Connect Melbourne is being held from 30 September to 2 October at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre in the heart of the city. Great registration and accommodation packages are available. Make sure you go to the Comms Connect website today and sign up for this essential once-per-year event.