Los Angeles, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/24/2018 --Multifamily Broadband Council ("MBC"), the only trade association dedicated to representing and serving broadband vendors, independent service providers and property owners/managers with the deployment of competitive broadband video and IP services at multifamily communities, is pleased to announce that they will be partnering with the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association ("WISPA") to host a dedicated Multifamily track on October 10, 2018 at the upcoming WISPAPALOOZA 2018 at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, NV.
WISPA and MBC started conversations last year about the synergies between their two organizations. As trade organizations, both WISPA and MBC represent their members in front of the FCC, ensuring that smaller business owners and independent providers have a voice in DC when important policy issues are being decided. Both organizations also provide resources to their membership that allow those in their respective industries to work together more effectively, network, stay informed and learn.
WISPA has hosted its WISPAPALOOZA conference for the past six years, promoting the development, advancement and unification of the wireless Internet service provider industry, serving both residential and business customers, including rural areas.
Multifamily Broadband Council has also hosted its MBC Conference for the past six years (including four years as its previous long-standing entity, IMCC), helping non-franchise providers enhance their broadband technologies knowledge and systems to better serve their specialized multifamily clients.
"As we explored how we might align, we saw some distinct areas of potential overlap. We realized that WISPA members had a desire to learn more about working within the MDU environment. As the experts representing non-franchise providers working with multifamily clients, we realized we had a unique perspective to offer interested WISPA members and potential MBC members," stated Dan Terheggen, the President of the Board of Directors for MBC. "Our members have already been in their shoes, and we can help cut their learning curve. We have the relationships within the multifamily market, along with best practices that help ensure smart approaches to securing business in the MDU space."
Chuck Hogg, WISPA's Chairman of the Board, said about the upcoming event, "After attending Multifamily Broadband Council's conference last year and our subsequent calls and conversations with them afterward, both organizations found there was indeed synergy where we could align and be a resource for one another."
Hogg expressed appreciation and excitement about adding the MBC track dedicated to serving the MDU/Multifamily environment to this year's WISPAPALOOZA 2018.
"The majority of WISPA members, except some serving exclusively rural markets, have some sort of competition with large cable companies and telcos, similar to MBC members. Currently there are only a small percentage of members that are installing satellite or delivering Over-the-Top solutions. There is definitely some interest among our members about cracking into the video side of things, and the multifamily environment is a very appealing market," said Hogg.
Trina Coffey, Vice President of Events & Operations for WISPA, stated, "Coming off the heels of WISPAMERICA this Spring, we are now looking forward to another fantastic WISPAPALOOZA in the Fall. We are pleased to have dedicated an entire track for Multifamily Broadband Council to host, and attendees may attend everything with the WISPAPALOOZA one-day pass. They may instead choose to attend the MBC track and other sessions as part of the entire weeklong agenda and programing for WISPAPALOOZA. For either, MBC members will receive the same member rates that WISPA members enjoy."
Executive Director for MBC, Valerie Sargent, points out WISPA's effectiveness at putting on a successful conference. "WISPAPALOOZA is a well-oiled machine, and we are confident that our attendees will be well taken care of at this event. We are looking forward to partnering with them and bringing education on the multifamily environment to WISPA attendees. Trina is extremely competent, and our MBC team is skilled at putting together a comprehensive agenda with diverse learning opportunities for those interested in working with multifamily communities," said Sargent.
New President & CEO for WISPA, Claude Aiken, stated, "We are excited about having a Multifamily track for our members to understand the multifamily market, and discover potential business opportunities there."
"We want the event to be useful to the WISPA members who are just learning about the MDU space – helping them understand who the players are, what types of companies are being served, and why you can or can't get into different properties. We also want to serve our MBC members, and we will be covering the latest technology, regulations and business needs in the more advanced sessions," Terheggen said.
Sponsorships for the WISPAPALOOZA Multifamily Conference, hosted by Multifamily Broadband Council, will be separate from the WISPAPALOOZA main sponsorships, and these sponsors will be handled directly by MBC. Multifamily Conference sponsors will be dedicated specifically to the MBC education track and location, so those vendors may have dedicated time with their current customers and new players can recognize which vendors serve the MDU market.
"We will also host a small networking session at the end of our day prior to the opening of the WISPAPALOOZA trade show floor, so attendees can get to know those companies that can help them grow their business," Sargent concluded.
Sponsors and session details for the event will be added in the weeks ahead, and both MBC and WISPA are anticipating a fantastic conference in the Fall.
For information about Multifamily Broadband Council, please contact Valerie Sargent at vsargent@mfbroadband.org, 949-274-3434 or http://www.mfbroadband.org.
For information on WISPA, please contact Trina Coffey at tcoffey@wispa.org, 260-622-5775 or http://www.wispa.org.
Multifamily Broadband Council Joins Forces with WISPA to Host Multifamily Track at WISPAPALOOZA 2018