WISPAPALOOZA Fall 2017 - Day 2 Show Daily

www. WISPA .org 1 www.bekabusinessmedia.com “No better time to be a WISP” ShowDaily DAY 2 By Martin Vilaboy L Z OO 2 “W ow,” said Nathan Stooke, agenda committee co-chair for WISPA and CEO of Wisper Internet, as he took the stage at the WISPAPALOOZA welcome breakfast yesterday morning in the Amazon Ballroom. Stooke expressed the feel- ings of many as they walked into a packed room filled with hundreds of event attendees and exhibitors enjoying a fully loaded breakfast buffet around several dozen large tables. The buzz of the room was an indicator of the growth of the WISP industry and its premier event, WISPAPALOOZA. Stooke spoke to the growth and change since the show’s early days in St. Louis and the recent track of record- breaking years in terms of participation and size of the event. Sold out since July, the 2017 edition of WISPAPALOOZA hosts nearly 1,800 attendees, 36 sponsors, 131 unique speakers and 91 sessions. When Stooke asked first-time attendees to WISPAPALOOZA to stand up, nearly a quarter of those at the breakfast came to their feet. “It’s a testament to what we are doing and how we are coping with the challenges we face,” said Stooke. All in all, 51 U.S. states and territories (c’mon Rhode Island) were represented at WISPA- PALOOZA, and conventioneers came to the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas from 31 different countries, including 109 representing WISPs in Canada, and solidifying WISPAPALOOZA as an international event. (See WISP Story, page 4) Nathan Stooke offers attendees a warm welcome.