Two Optical Fiber Communications Tradeshows to Merge in 2005
Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 6/21/2004
The Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition (OFC) and the National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (NFOEC) will merge into one conference and tradeshow, OFC/NFOEC, beginning March 6 – 11, 2005 at the Anaheim Convention Center.
According to Elizabeth Rogan, executive director of the Optical Society of America, which manages OFC, Telcordia Technologies turned over NFOEC's assets and management to OFC. Financial details were not released.
Now owned and managed by OFC, the combined event will offer communications-industry attendees and exhibiting companies a comprehensive view of optical technology, Rogan said.
The stand-alone NFOEC, planned for Sept. 12–16 in Anaheim, will not be held. Telcordia, NFOEC's former owner and sponsor, will continue to recommend programming content and audience outreach with OFC management.
Rogan said showfloors will be commingled and both former events' technology sessions, workshops, conferences and plenary sessions will be featured.
Last year's OFC attracted 640 exhibitors; NFOEC had 150. There was some overlap in exhibitors and attendees between shows, so it will be six months before projections are made for the combined event. OFC attracted nearly 16,000 attendees in 2004 and NFOEC more than 3,000 in 2003. Combined attendance will probably be 18,000 to 20,000.
Craig Thompson, marketing director for Intel's Optical Group, which exhibited in both shows, said the merger would make marketing easier. "It's a positive change. The industry has been in a state of consolidation, and two shows were starting to be too much," he said. "This combines the NFOEC's strengths in technology and education with OFC's in sales, marketing and product introduction. It's the best of both worlds."
