WAEA 27th Annual Conference & Exhibition –
Wrap-up Coverage
 The WAEA 27th Annual Conference & Exhibition –12-15 September in Miami, Florida, USA – drew more than 1,100 Delegates to discuss IFE topics ranging from the latest inflight broadband and wireless solutions to the new strategies for inflight advertising to the latest options for content loading and distribution. Delegates also came to explore the industry's largest Exhibition of IFE products, technologies, content, and services.
In all, 68 Airlines and 192 Vendor Companies were represented. |
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Keynote
In his Opening Keynote Address, Webcast.com founder Scott Klososky campaigned for plug-and-play standardization for IFE hardware and a better understanding of the impact of generation al differences on passenger preferences for IFE.
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Educational Sessions
Education sessions and forums, over the next four days, offered a comparison of the various inflight voice/data connectivity solutions … and presented telling, new research on the high level of pax engagement and recall generated by inflight print, audio, and video advertising. 
Broadband providers revealed their service roll-out schedules and offered a peek into their business models and expected pricing. IFE hardware manufacturers presented their solutions and case-studies on high-end IFE systems for single-aisle aircraft. Delegates also learned the merits and drawbacks offered by the various approaches to inflight data loading and distribution. (See “Session Briefs” below.) |
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Exhibition |
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Among the thousands of products showcased in the WAEA Exhibition Hall, inflight cell-phone, broadband, wireless, and connectivity solutions again took center stage, giving many Airlines their first hands-on experience with these much anticipated systems. Airlines were also able try out the new lines of portable AVOD devices … and the latest enhancements and new interactive features offered by embedded AVOD systems. (See “News Briefs” for a round-up of company announcements made at the show.) Meanwhile, content suppliers on “ Hollywood Boulevard ” and “World of Television” were booked “solid” as Airlines were keen to preview the coming feature-film, short-subject, and specialty programming “avails.” |
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Networking Events |
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The delegation also enjoyed the full schedule of daytime and evening Networking Opportunities … and a number of after-hours events hosted by WAEA-Member Companies at local Miami hot spots.  |
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Awards |
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| The Annual Conference culminated in the WAEA Annual Gala Banquet and the presentation of the 18th Annual Avion Awards … where Qantas Airways and Jet Airways ( India ) earned top honors for “Best Overall IFE.” |
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| WAEA also presented a “Lifetime Achievement Award” to seven-term WAEA Director Kent Harrison Hayes, who received a standing ovation upon his acceptance. |
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More detailed coverage and photos …
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