Light Reading Produces the Industry's First Optical Networking Virtual Tradeshow

Light Reading (www.lightreading.com), the leading online publication for the telecom industry, and Heavy Reading (www.heavyreading.com), its prestigious market research division, produced the optical networking industry's first online tradeshow on July 14, The Packet-Optical Transport Virtual Tradeshow, with 1,757 registrants, 881 attendees, and 10 sponsors.

Heavy Reading's leading optical networking experts moderated the Packet-Optical Transport Evolution Virtual Tradeshow conference sessions, led by Conference Chair and Heavy Reading Senior Analyst, Sterling Perrin, with participation from Chief Analyst Graham Finnie. Covering how optical networks bring real value to networks and how they ultimately underpin an operator's success in an NGN world, the Packet-Optical Transport Evolution Virtual Tradeshow was part of a live/virtual event program, with the live event, the Packet-Optical Transport Evolution Conference, held on May 19 in New York City with 14 sponsors.

The Packet-Optical Transport Evolution Virtual Tradeshow sponsors included Gold Sponsors, ADVA Optical Networking, Ciena, ECI, Gridpoint Systems, JDSU, NEC, and TPack; and Bronze Sponsors, Anritsu, Glimmerglass, and Polatis. The Virtual Tradeshow was promoted extensively via Light Reading's network of 300,000 unique visitors. With a registration goal of 1,000 registrants, the Packet-Optical Transport Evolution Virtual Tradeshow tremendously exceeded goals with more than 1,770 registrants from 78 different countries.

The Packet-Optical Transport Evolution Virtual Tradeshow featured keynote speakers Paul Savill, SVP Transport and Data Services at Level 3 Communications, and Glenn Wellbrock, Director of Optical Transport Network Architecture and Design at Verizon Communications. Savill discussed requirements for managing the transition to next-gen optical networks, and Wellbrock covered the transport evolution for medium- and long-haul optical networks.

"This new virtual format is a powerful tool for bringing together the global optical networking industry for education, idea exchange, and networking -- without any of the downsides of physical travel," noted Heavy Reading's Perrin.

"This conference shows how Light Reading can uniquely create a successful industry event that brings together the immediacy and personal relationship aspects of live programs with the reach and impact of virtual events," said Joe Braue, Light Reading SVP and Group Director.

The Packet-Optical Transport Evolution Virtual Tradeshow, which took place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, included all the elements of a live event and more, such as an auditorium with four different panel sessions and one keynote session, as well as video presentations and live Q&A; exhibitor booths on the virtual show floor with chat features allowing suppliers and buyers to interact; downloadable materials from exhibitor booths; and a virtual lounge, the show's most highly trafficked area with 385 visitors, allowing attendees to network with each other.

The Packet-Optical Transport Evolution Virtual Tradeshow will be archived here on Monday, July 20: www.lightreading.com/packetoptical.

For more information on Light Reading's upcoming virtual tradeshows please email events@lightreading.com.

  Contact
  Amy Averbook
  Light Reading
  212-600-3373
  averbook@lightreading.com

  About Light Reading

Founded in 2000, Light Reading (www.lightreading.com) is the leading online media, research, and focused event company serving the $3 trillion worldwide communications market. Lightreading.com is the ultimate source for technology and financial analysis of the communications industry, leading the media sector in terms of traffic, content, and reputation. Light Reading's research arms, Heavy Reading and Pyramid Research, provide the most comprehensive communications research, market data, and technology analysis in close to 100 markets around the world. Light Reading produces nearly 20 targeted communications events including TelcoTV, Ethernet Expo New York and Ethernet Expo London, The Tower Summit @ CTIA, and Optical Expo, as well as focused one-day events tailored for cable, mobile, and wireline executives. Light Reading was acquired by United Business Media in August 2005 and operates as a unit of TechWeb.

About TechWeb

TechWeb (http://techweb.com/aboutus), the global leader in business technology communities, is an innovative business focused on serving the needs of technology decision-makers and marketers worldwide. TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed media brands in the business technology market. Today, more than 13.3 million business technology professionals actively engage in our communities created around our global face-to-face events including Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat, and VoiceCon; online resources like Light Reading, Intelligent Enterprise, InformationWeek.com, bMighty.com, and Financial Technology brands; and the market leading, award-winning InformationWeek Magazine, TechNet Magazine, MSDN Magazine, and Wall Street & Technology magazines. TechWeb also provides end-to-end services such as next- generation performance marketing, custom media, research, and analyst services. TechWeb is a division of United Business Media, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion

  * 13.3 million business decision-makers: based on # of monthly connections

  About United Business Media Limited (www.unitedbusinessmedia.com)

United Business Media Limited is a leading global business media company. We inform markets and bring the world's buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print, and with the information they need to do business successfully. We focus on serving professional commercial communities, from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewellery traders, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organized into specialist teams that serve these communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.

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SOURCE: Light Reading

CONTACT: Amy Averbook, Light Reading, +1-212-600-3373,
averbook@lightreading.com

Web Site: http://www.lightreading.com/