WiMAX Forum Announces Global Congress Series Of Trade Shows And Conferences

Portland, OR -- The WiMAX Forum and Informa Telecoms & Media announced an exclusive agreement to produce a global series of premier trade shows and conferences. The goal of the new events is to foster a hands-on business experience with meaningful networking opportunities to drive worldwide adoption of WiMAX technology and deliver wireless broadband Internet services anytime, anywhere. The Global Congress series of trade shows is 100 percent owned by the WiMAX Forum and was based upon overwhelming membership interest. The launch of a WiMAX Forum trade show follows the trend whereby not-for-profit industry organizations own their own trade events to better service the needs of their memberships.

The WiMAX Forum has received, with full support of the WiMAX Forum Board of Directors, an overwhelming response from members who plan to exhibit at the events. Major industry players are fully backing this industry initiative, and the following companies have confirmed their intentions to exhibit: Airspan, Alcatel-Lucent, Alvarion, Aperto, ASUS, Fujitsu, IBM, Intel, Motorola, Navini, Nokia, Nokia-Siemens, Nortel, Pico Chip, Quanta, Runcom, Samsung, Sequans, ZTE and ZyXEL. Current membership in the WiMAX Forum is more than 440 members.

The WiMAX Forum Global Congress Events Series will provide international trade show venues with extensive promotion of WiMAX technologies and vision across every aspect of the WiMAX ecosystem value chain. Under the terms of the agreement, the organizations will create and launch global WiMAX Forum branded industry events beginning in 2008 under the WiMAX Forum Congress Events Series moniker which will initially include:

• WiMAX Forum Global Congress: The inaugural global flagship event, WiMAX Forum Global Congress, will be anchored in Amsterdam at The Amsterdam Rai Convention Centre and will take place June 17 to 18, 2008;

• WiMAX Forum Congress Asia: A regionally focused Asian market event will be held in Singapore at Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre on April 9 to 10, 2008;

• WiMAX Forum Congress Americas: A regionally focused Americas market event will be offered in San Diego at The San Diego Convention Center on September 30 to October 1, 2008.

"We are excited that Informa has chosen to partner with the WiMAX Forum and its member companies," said Ron Resnick, chairman and president of the WiMAX Forum. "Informa maintains an impeccable track record with its vision and execution of marquee global technology and telecommunications events that foster acceleration in high-growth markets. Informa's reputation together with the leadership of the WiMAX Forum and its members positions the WiMAX Forum Congress Events Series to uniquely address the needs of the rapidly expanding WiMAX technology market. Furthermore, profits from these events will be used to support our extensive certification and technical work within the WiMAX Forum."

"The WiMAX Forum successfully supports its members to promote WiMAX technology worldwide through programs that cultivate collaboration and action and is evolving as the market nears mass adoption to ensure further acceleration and growth," said Ian Hemming, CEO of Informa Telecoms & Media. "We recognize the WiMAX Forum's strength as a leader with the strongest WiMAX brand in the world, and plan to build upon that brand strength on behalf of the WiMAX Forum and its membership. The confirmed support at this early stage of many leading large WiMAX suppliers, including Intel, Motorola, Nokia-Siemens, Nortel, Samsung and ZTE combined with the total commitment to this series of the WiMAX Forum means that this event series will be the one to participate in during 2008."

SOURCE: The WiMAX Forum®