BICSI brought the 2012 BICSI Canadian Conference & Exhibition to a close on Wednesday, May 2. More than 1,000 individuals attended the event to gain industry knowledge, take in the latest ITS products and services and network with colleagues.
Wednesday’s Closing General Session began with two technical presentations. Ed Gastle of JDSU in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, covered the topic, “Field Testing Copper for 10G and Beyond,” followed by Alan Skidmore, RCDD, of Skidmore Technologies, Inc. in Winfield, West Virginia, who delivered the presentation, “New Technology Marketing and Old Fashioned Customer Service.”
The morning continued with the BICSI Cares presentation, where donations collected from attendees during the conference were donated to the Tender Wishes Foundation, an organization that seeks out and grants wishes to children in the Niagara area who suffer from potentially life-threatening illnesses.
The Ross G. H. Cotton Award was also presented during the conference’s Closing General Session. Named after a Canadian telecom pioneer that has served the ITS industry for many years, the Ross Cotton Award recognizes an individual in the BICSI Canadian Region who has made significant contributions to the advancement of BICSI, its goals and objectives. This year’s Ross Cotton Award recipient was past BICSI canadian region director Richard S. Smith, RCDD, NTS, OSP, of Bell Aliant in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. Smith was acknowledged for his commitment to the industry and to BICSI, including his work in bringing BICSI Canadian Region Meetings to community colleges and technical schools to encourage the growth of the next generation of ITS professionals.
Finally, those in attendance were able to hear from Closing Keynote Speaker Neal Petersen, a South African-born professional adventurer, solo around-the-world racing yachtsman, global investor and international speaker. Petersen delivered an inspiring address, showing that imagination, coupled with determination to achieve, can break through the toughest challenges.
The next North American BICSI conference will be the 2012 BICSI Fall Conference & Exhibition, September 16-20 in Anaheim, CA.
