cablecongress_1 28/02/2014 12:57 Page 1
PREVIEW
Organisers of Cable
Congress suggest that
European Cable is
bringing Olympic spirit to
the event in Amsterdam.
itius, Altius, Fortius, Latin for
Faster, Higher, Stronger, has
long been the motto to describe
the great feats of athleticism seen at the
Olympic Games. With the Winter
Olympics recently finished, in Sochi,
and ahead of its annual flagship
gathering, Cable Europe, the trade
association for the European cable
industry, is proud to celebrate its role
in driving faster speeds, access to
higher-quality content and services,
and a stronger competitive
environment for European consumers.
With 69% of attendees at C-level, Director
and Board Level, Cable Europe’s Cable
Congress, taking place in Amsterdam’s RAI
from 12-14 March, is recognised as the leading
conference dedicated to the cable and media
industries in Europe. According to Cable
Europe, cable’s multi-screen products are
bringing all of the Olympic excitement to fans
whenever and wherever they want it.
Cable Europe executive chairman Matthias
Kurth commented: “Like Olympic athletes,
cable is always looking for an edge on the
competition. Following years of investment in
fibre-rich high speed networks, cable
operators turned a long-standing speed
advantage into a major driver of growth for its
core product bundle – digital television,
internet and telephony. Cable is now, as the
established leader in connectivity, embracing
its role in delivering high-quality
programming to consumers on demand and
on multiple screens. In Amsterdam, we’ll hear
more about cable’s enviable position as the
bridge between entertainment and consumers,
and how content and competition are driving
growth and strategic change in the years to
come.”
HIGHLIGHTS. The 2014 Cable Congress
programme will feature the launch of new
industry data and trends, including new
statistics from IHS Electronics and Media, the
presentation of the Cable Europe awards
recognising industry innovation and
achievement, and an top line-up of executives
across cable, content, technology and new
media. Highlights include:
C
l BBC World News Presenter Babita
Sharma as Master of Ceremonies
l Keynote speech by Josh Sapan, president
and CEO of AMC Networks
l CEO panels featuring Michael Fries,
Liberty Global, Rosalia Portela, ONO,
Andrew Barron, Com Hem, Carsten
Dilling, TDC, Rene Obermann, Ziggo, and
Manuel Cubero, Kabel Deutschland
l Views on technology from leading CTOs
Paul Hendriks, Ziggo, Balan Nair, Liberty
Global, and Lorenz Glatz, Kabel
Deutschland
Elsewhere in the Congress programme,
delegates will be able to hear from key
industry technology executives as they engage
on a variety of topics from all IP to network
evolution and television platforms. What
drives – and what will drive – cable’s very
own wheel of fortune? It’s all about the
technology but not for technology’s sake.
Come give the session a spin and see for
yourself why cable occupies the enviable space
between entertainment and technology.
With recent deals in the foreground, big
deals in the future would appear to remain on
cable’s agenda. With opportunities for growth,
consolidation and continued competitiveness
vis-à-vis incumbent operators, finance is at
the heart of cable’s growth strategy. The state
of finance in cable will continue to play a
crucial role in the future of a business
increasingly seen as competitive given the
strategic nature of its investment choices
which are yielding positive results. Delegates
can join the very few people in the finance
world with a both a high level and coal face
view of the dynamics of deal making.
IHS’s Guy Bisson will provide his annual
data-driven overview of where cable is today
and where it’s going tomorrow. Whether it’s
looking at ARPU, RGUs, EBITDA or the role
of OTTs in relation to the international
community of DOCSIS-ready ISPs, Cable
Congress delegates will be sure not to miss a
must-see presentation laying out fresh panEuropean numbers for the cable business.
In a world where the length of the sound
byte seems to be shrinking every year, why are
cable customers tuning in more than ever for
long-arc, slow burning TV? It’s no wonder that
the magic that is grabbing and expanding
viewers’ attention is something attractive not
just to cable customers but also its
competitors. Moving into a world where TV is
shorthand for TV everywhere with the
consumer calling the shots, the partnership
between content providers and the cable
industry has never been more vital – or
fruitful. Conference sessions will look at the
unseen role of technology and what it enables
for cable customers today and how cable
wants to enable viewers in the future.
Cable Media 15