by Robustiano Fernandez

With the beginning of a new millennium, much attention will be given towards taking stock of past achievements and setting new goals for the future. The commercial satellite industry will be no different, and for most part this process will begin at Satellite 2000, where a global industry will briefly unite to share insights and make decisions concerning the coming year.

Every year at this time, industry professionals from all sectors gather at Satellite 2000, sponsored by Phillips International and the Phillips Satellite Group and held in the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. Here, they will reacquaint themselves with distant colleagues, catch up on the latest market trends, and forge new business relationships to ensure continuing success.

This past year has been a difficult one for some sectors in the industry, and filled with achievements for others. But executives from all sectors will benefit from this opportunity to review past successes and failures, and take steps to apply these experiences towards a more profitable 2000.

Insightful Analysis

Satellite 2000 panels have been assembled by Phillips Satellite Group editors that reflect the current needs of the industry. Top-level executives from a variety of sectors have been selected to give their insights on the issues and trends that are of foremost concern. As in years past, the conference will begin with the Global Industry Leaders Roundtable, a true gathering of giants from companies such as SES Astra, Eutelsat, Loral Space, GE Americom, Panamsat, Intelsat and New Skies. These movers and shakers in the industry will give attendees their analysis of where the industry is heading, and be available for a dynamic Q&A session for audience questions.

Other sessions on the agenda will cover topics such as regional overviews, launch vehicles, uplinking, DBS, DARS, regulatory issues, Internet, MSS and satellite manufacturing. Each panel will feature executives representing some of the hottest companies active in the topic at hand.

This year will also see the continuation of several of the supplemental tracks that debuted last year, as well as the addition of several new ones. The Satellite 2000 organizers have aggregated panel sessions on satellite broadcasting, military satellite communications, teleports and VSAT technology into convenient one-day forums that are open to all Satellite 2000 general attendees, or can been attended exclusively for a special rate.

Toasting The Accomplishments Of 1999

One of the hidden values of Satellite 2000 is the opportunity to network with industry peers. The conference schedule is designed to allow attendees to take full advantage of networking, with frequent coffee breaks scheduled throughout each day, and a host of other events raging from the informal to the truly opulent.

For those who seek a quiet opportunity to socialize and catch up with far-flung colleagues and business associates, the Phillips Satellite group will be hosting a reception on Tuesday, February 1 from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. This event is open to all attendees and represents an opportunity for early arrivals and exhibitors setting up their booths to take a break and chat with the staff of Satellite 2000 and Phillips.

Those seeking to do their socializing on a grander scale are directed towards the annual Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) Gala 2000, an evening celebration starting with a champagne reception followed by dinner at the National Building Museum. The event will occur on February 2, with the reception starting at 7:00 p.m.

For attendees who want to mix information gathering with socializing, The Washington Space Business Roundtable (WSBR) will host a reception and luncheon on February 2 as well, starting at 11:30 a.m. During the luncheon, an as-yet-undetermined industry speaker will brief the assembly on the state of the industry.

Finally, the crowning event of the entire conference will occur in two stages on February 4. The first phase will take place at the Satellite 2000 Keynote Luncheon, at which Via Satellite will present its Satellite Executive of the Year 1999 award. The festivities will continue later that evening at 6:00 p.m. with the Satellite Executive of the Year Reception. All registered conference attendees are invited to attend and give their congratulations to this year’s winner.

An Industry On Display

Attendees wishing to get a true sense of how the industry has grown and continues to develop can find the answers in the exhibit hall. In this hall, companies spanning the width and breadth of the satellite industry will be on display and more than willing to bring curious colleagues up to speed on recent developments. Frequent special demonstrations will also be scheduled throughout the event. A gathering of so many industry powerhouses represents an excellent opportunity to forge new business alliances and set the groundwork for new contracts and sales.

Satellite Basics

As the satellite industry expands, drawing new talent into the fold that may be unfamiliar with satellite technology, there is a growing need for a basic backgrounder on the fundamentals of our industry. It was for this purpose that Phillips prepared the "Communications Via Satellite: The Basics" one-day event.

Held on February 1, the day before the conference begins, this pre-conference program will bring its attendees up-to-speed on the satellite business, including applications, markets and regulation. A technical backgrounder will also be given, including both the space and ground segment. Conducted by Dr. Mark Chartrand, a respected industry veteran who has been educating the industry for more than 10 years, this informative program even draws experienced satellite professionals that simply want to brush up on the latest technology and developments.

Satellite Finance And Investment Summit

This very popular one-day seminar also takes place on February 1. Designed to meet the needs of the financial community and satisfy their constant demand for information on satellite investment opportunities, this program seeks to answer the questions foremost on their minds.

This year’s summit will address satellite stocks from an investment analyst point-of-view, as well as look at funding from investment bankers. The program will also feature a panel on working together with Wall Street, from the perspective of satellite companies. Finally, the summit will look at satellite insurance and securing celestial assets, a topic that has received considerable attention over the past year.

Space Business 2000

Brand new this year, Phillips is offering a unique one-day seminar on February 1 focusing on a soup-to-nuts discussion of making money through space-related ventures. Scheduled panels will cover all aspects of starting and maintaining a thriving space business, including the protection of in-orbit commercial assets, building a better business plan, legal and regulatory obstacles, financing concerns and future opportunities for in-orbit profit.

Presented by Via Satellite’s sister publications, Space Business News, Launchspace and ISIR, this pre-conference program will assemble several crack panels to elaborate on each aspect of commercializing space.

Registration

The cost for full registration is $979 and includes access to all February 2-4 Satellite 2000 conference sessions; exhibitions; 1999 Satellite Executive of the Year Luncheon and Reception; and the proceedings (to be delivered by April 17, 2000).

The fee for any of the pre-conference seminars is $649 and includes seminar proceedings, lunch, breaks and exhibition access. A special pre-conference program/Satellite 2000 rate of $1,425 is available for those who attend one pre-conference program and Satellite 2000.

The special one-day forums can be attended for $649, which includes access to just that forum’s sessions and the Satellite 2000 exhibit hall.

There are five easy ways to register for Satellite 2000 and the pre-conference seminars: call 888/707-5811 or 301/424-3338; fax 301/340-7136; write to Satellite 2000/Susan Cuevas, 1201 Seven Locks Road, Potomac, MD 20854; go to our Web page at http://www.phillips.com/satellite; or, after January 26, do not mail or fax, simply appear in person at the Satellite 2000 registration area at the Washington Convention Center. Seats for the SSPI Gala may be purchased by contacting SSPI at 703/549-8696 or by fax at 703/549-9728. To reserve a place at the WSBR luncheon ($45 for non-members, $35 for WSBR members), contact WSBR at 202/973-8697, or fax 202/331-0111.

Robustiano Fernandez is the Senior Editor of Via Satellite.