By Jason Bates

Welcome to the SATELLITE 2010 pre-conference, a day that offers attendees a variety of options to discuss satellite-related subjects concerning “New Faces, New Content and New Opportunities.”

The pre-day schedule will kickoff SATELLITE 2010 with a look at some of today’s most pressing issues. One of the new tracks at the show is Engineering 2010, a day-long gathering of professionals to discuss the technical challenges facing the satellite communications sector and exchange ideas on how to meet the needs of customers.

The track kicks off with a gathering of CTOs to provide an overview of satellite communications technology and moves on to panels that will drill down to more specific areas of interest: combatting interference, meeting the needs of military customers, securing networks and higher order modulation schemes.

The Engineering track was created to meet reader/attendee demand for more discussion-based forums, and we look forward to your feedback.

The Satellite Finance Forum returns, and is a must-attend event for satellite communications providers looking to get a handle on the state of today’s economy and how to navigate what looks to be long recovery period.

Attendees will hear experts discuss the financial state of the industry, bankers discuss creative approaches in a challenging market and enjoy discussions on balancing risk and where investors may be looking in the future. The track wraps up with a roundtable featuring CEOs from Astrium Services, AsiaSat, GeoEye, EchoStar Satellite Services and CapRock Communications.

The keynote lunch will feature perspectives on the satellite sector from Philippe-Olivier Rousseau, senior banker, BNP Paribas; Régine Schapiro, head of Energy, Telecommunications and Space, Coface; and John L. Schuster, director, Power Sector, Export-Import Bank of the United States.

On Tuesday, Via Satellite editors and columnists will be conducting interviews and providing commentaries on the latest in the satellite sector. Please visit us on the show floor Booth 553 to check out the event.

And join us for the SATELLITE 2010 Welcome Reception at 5:30 p.m. in the Lower Atrium as we kickoff a week that will bring together the best of what the satellite sector has to offer.