Guest Columnist: Sean Cunningham
The Cable Show 2007: A Three-Day Immersion With No Limits With the Cable Show upon us, the entire industry will be coming together for several days of learning that for the first time will include an expanded look at the exploding world of cable advertising. For years, the CAB hosted its stand-alone event, and we’re thrilled to be bringing our content to the broader cable marketplace. An all-industry "Immersion" best describes the opportunity for the top ad sales pros that will be out in force at the 2007 Cable Show. Those who attend will quickly realize the competitive advantages that will come from seizing the three-day opportunity to get neck-deep in all that is transforming the cable and video businesses. That isn’t speculation—it’s a promise. The sheer size of the Cable Show and the obvious "who’s who" in attendance will generate a buzz for the general sessions like no other conference. The energy coming from endless "firsts" and "fastest" demos in the exhibitor rooms, and the sheer number of new industries within the cable industry is a strong combination. Every ad sales attendee will have many chances to exponentially increase their mastery of the full cable business and the full suite of advanced video applications affecting their markets. Part of the cable immersion experience for ad sales pros is the "best of both worlds" feel attendees will get from the CAB’s integration into the Cable Show. The annual highlights that CAB attendees have come to expect from our event will still be there: the always-intriguing President’s Panel, a keynote address from an elite U.S. advertiser, the latest findings from our acclaimed Which Screen research fresh out of the field. Also on tap are sessions dealing with the most cutting edge advertising applications driven largely by cable technology. And there will be practical discussions with bottom-line implications today, such as our political adverising panel. Of course we’ll also be hosting our silver anniversary Cable Advertising Awards gala celebrating local cable advertising excellence on Tuesday May 8th. As the cable industry has grown in size and scope, new players have also entered the video marketplace. Meanwhile, the targeted and passion-driven value cable advertising can deliver is more important than ever to advertisers. In addition, the new VOD and ITV applications enable the industry to activate higher sales volume not previously available to companies just a few years earlier. Cable advertising is a $22 billion industry growing every year. As the competition for delivery continues, it will be our brands and delivery infrastructure that will help grow cable’s bottom line. We believe our integration into the Cable Show comes at a time when cable advertising is more important than ever to the industry. We’re confident the program we’ve assembled will be beneficial to anyone in the business. We encourage everyone to visit our sessions, and I look forward to seeing and meeting as many of you as possible. As the show’s moniker provides, cable’s success has no limits. We’re thrilled to be a larger part of it. (Sean Cunningham is pres/CEO of the Cable Advertising Bureau)