IWCS Reports a Successful 73^rd Annual Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum

IWCS Press Release
October 22, 2024 

Burke, Virginia, USA [October 22, 2024] – IWCS welcomed attendees to the 73^rd annual Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum, the premier event for new technologies in cable and connectivity products, processes, and applications, in Providence, Rhode Island, USA on October 14–17, 2024. The past three events took place in person and were highly successful, after holding virtual events in 2020 and 2021 due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Attendees and event organizers reported the 2024 rendition is the first time the atmosphere and program felt truly back-to-normal since the pandemic. The quantity and quality of presentations was strong, the exhibition hall was energetic, and networking and comradery was unmatched.

“Overall, the 2024 IWCS Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum was one of the most dynamic and intriguing conferences we have ever produced,” says David Kiddoo, IWCS CEO/Director. While the content of the papers and presentations in the 14 Technical Sessions were of extremely high caliber over the four days of the conference, the addition of two in-depth supplemental break-out programs — highlighting the energy transition and advancements in sustainability and recycling — really stole the show. These sessions were created to provide further context and expert commentary for each of the detailed innovations presented during the Technical Sessions.

The total number of attendees, representing an international audience from 24 countries, was also increased this year. With a high amount of turnover and retirement in the wire and cable industry, it is important to note IWCS is appealing to a broader range of attendees, including academics and professionals who are early in their career. In fact, IWCS reports that 35% of this year’s attendees were new to the event, and 12 companies participating in the Supplier Exhibition were also new. Becky Dippel, IWCS Marketing Manager comments on these growing numbers, “It is evident IWCS is gaining traction and is appealing to a wider demographic.” In recent years, IWCS has reported an uptick in young professionals, women, and attendees and exhibitors from new industry sectors and international regions. Dippel continues, “The growth of IWCS has not happened by chance. We have been deliberate in our efforts to spread the critical exchange of technical innovations.”

Increased overseas participation was evident at this year’s event, thanks to lessened travel restrictions as the world continues to rebound from the pandemic. Attendees from Japan traveled nearly 7,000 miles to attend the event, while Thomas Knychalski, Legrand — who presented a technical study in the Codes and Standards session — coincidently traveled less than 1 mile to attend the IWCS Forum. Knychalski, a first-time presenter at the IWCS Forum, comments on his short commute to this year’s event, “I would absolutely travel further for this event in the future.” He continues, “It was a great tradeshow and I enjoyed watching the other presentations and learned a lot.”

IWCS was honored to host students from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Virginia Tech, and the University of Delaware to experience expert instruction during the courses and enjoy the technical symposium and networking opportunities with industry professionals. Multiple academic researchers contributed technical papers to the event. John Ballato, professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Clemson University and Peter Dragic, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana, collaborated on a technical study of optical fiber advancements.

Alison Shapiro, a PhD candidate in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Delaware, participated in the poster session with a research paper on the circular lifecycle of crosslinked polyolefins. Alongside the other poster presenters, Shapiro stood beside her research poster on display to answer questions from attendees in a 1-on-1 format. “I received a lot of great questions about my poster and corresponding research paper, and they turned into very interesting discussions,” says Shapiro. “I like how the event was organized, allowing presenters the choice of a formal technical presentation or a slightly more informal conversation like mine during the poster session.”

This year’s schedule was revamped, resulting in increased time for valuable in-person networking during the Supplier Exhibition and an enhanced technical program with additional panel discussions and sessions. Scott Wasserman, chair of the IWCS Board of Directors, commented on the enthusiasm reflected by attendees, presenters, and exhibitors, “The new schedule was critical to expanding the IWCS program.” He continues, “This year we introduced a day-long program to bring focus to cutting edge smart grid technology critical to the cable and connectivity industry. This intersection between data and power distribution is a strategic growth opportunity for IWCS as we approach our 75^th year.”

The event kicked off on Monday with 100-level introductory Professional Development Courses on the topics of materials, optical fiber, copper, and extrusion. The courses were well attended by students and professionals who wrote copious notes and asked the experienced instructors engaging questions. The courses picked back up with more advanced 200-level courses on Tuesday.

On Monday afternoon, attendees gathered for the Plenary Luncheon which was followed by opening remarks, recognition, and 2023 technical paper awards presented by IWCS representatives David Kiddoo, CEO/Director; Scott Wasserman, Chairman of the Board, and Mike Gurreri, 2024 Symposium Committee Chair. Dr. Massoud Amin, recognized as the “Father of the Smart Grid”, took the stage for a keynote presentation titled, “The Convergence of Energy and Data: Powering and Connecting the Grid of the Future.” Amin captivated the audience, moving purposefully from the stage to where attendees were seated, to offer thought-provoking insights on technological advancements that are fundamental to our social and professional lives.

The Technical Symposium, which is the cornerstone of the event, featured over 85 technical research papers and posters over the course of four days. Technical innovations included copper and fiber optic cable design, materials and additives, optical connectivity, cable manufacturing, codes and standards, power delivery, and specialty applications. Authors presented their research in one of 14 technical sessions categorized by topics or as poster displays. As always, audience members had the opportunity to ask the presenting authors questions about their research at the conclusion of each presentation.

Day one concluded with an unforgettable “Eerie Evening with PoE” welcome reception, during which IWCS surprised attendees with a clever double meaning shared between Edgar Allan Poe—the famous author who made his mark on the city of Providence—and the Power Over Ethernet (PoE) topic presented during Technical Session 2 earlier in the day. The reception featured eerie décor, music, libations, a magician, photo booth, and of course a taste of the delicious food in which Providence is well known.

Featuring award-winning economist, Robert Fry of Robert Fry Economics, Tuesday’s Executive Session included five back-to-back presentations related to opportunities, supply challenges, economics, and policy impacting our industry on a global scale. Natalie Noor-Drugan and Aisling Hubert, analysts at CRU, kicked off the Executive Session with demand projections and risks to be aware of for fiber optic and metallic cables. Discussion points included examples of increased demand due to new applications such as artificial intelligence, data center advancements, electric vehicles, and offshore wind.

John Gross, a metals consultant and publisher of the Copper Journal, took the stage to discuss how emerging global trends, such as the green energy transition, are impacting copper demand. Gross summarized, “We have moved into a new era that’s going to be with us for a very, very long time.” Of course, with an increase in demand comes a degree of risk. As a result, the industry is noticing a degree of substitution for copper, steel, aluminum, fiber optic materials.

Kate Fegley-Lummus of Superior Essex concluded the Executive Session with an introduction to the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) initiative, Internet for All program, and the Build America, Buy America (BABA) act. These concepts picked back up the following day during the new breakout program.

After the Executive Session, attendees moved to the Supplier Exhibition™, which was filled with more than 85 exhibitors, many of which are long-time exhibitors at IWCS, as well 12 new participating companies. As an intentional result of the adjusted schedule for this year, the first day of the two-day exhibition offered no conflicting event elements, allowing attendees ample time to visit with suppliers. Exhibitors shared their company’s newest product developments during the Supplier Spotlight Session, which took place on stage in the exhibition hall. Exhibitors shared sentiments about the tremendous value of efficiently organizing on-site meetings with current and prospective customers from around the world, in addition to exhibiting their products and services to attendees. Many of the suppliers have already reserved their booth for the 2025 edition of the IWCS Forum.

Presenters and panelists featured during the new breakout program, “Navigating the Energy Transition: Smart Grid and Broadband Connectivity” represented cable, utility, and telecom leaders such as: Panduit, Prysmian, Superior Essex, Google Fiber, and Alabama Power. Additionally, attendees had the opportunity to hear perspectives from government, regulatory, and research organizations including: EPRI, UL Solutions, Energy Policy & Security Associates, Renewable Energy Partners, CRU, The Copper Journal, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA).

Presentations and panel discussions were organized into four topical sessions focused on 5G trends, cable innovations, supply chain impacts from the transforming energy grid, and utility reliability and resilience. Wasserman confirms IWCS’s intent to continue a similar supplementary program at future events, “We are excited to build upon this year’s momentum and continue fostering discussion on critical trends impacting the technical developments happening within our industry.” He continues, “The Executive Session offers an economic outlook on business decisions and now these new panel discussions allow us to highlight additional key trends and market drivers.” In the coming months, IWCS plans to invite industry experts to participate in next year’s trend sessions in conjunction with the traditional technical paper solicitation for the 2025 IWCS Forum.

Thursday’s “Sustainability and Recycling” technical session offered unique bonus content in the form of back-to-back panel discussions. The first featured representatives from the six founding companies of the newly formed Sustainable Optical Fiber Industry Alliance (SOFIA). Participants explained the intent of this new initiative, which is focused on promoting sustainability throughout the optical fiber and cable value chain through increased collaboration. The second panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Bianca Hydutsky, featured representatives from eight material and chemical suppliers and associations focused on sustainable solutions. Panelists discussed challenges and opportunities for cable manufacturers and suppliers as our industry strives to achieve a circular economy. “We acknowledge sustainable solutions come with a cost. It requires a lot of resources to develop safe, sustainable materials and products,” said Hydutsky. As the Global Technology Director of Advanced Performance Materials for The Chemours Company, Hydutsky is an advocate for overcoming challenges that allow materials suppliers and manufacturers to deliver sustainable products while balancing key attributes of performance, reliability, quality, and safety.

In conclusion, the success of the 2024 IWCS program was built on the enthusiasm and contribution of our industry’s suppliers as well as transformations within the energy and broadband sectors that require innovative change throughout the supporting cable and connectivity industry. Kiddoo commented, “We look forward to continuing these program concepts and momentum in Pittsburgh at IWCS 2025 and Orlando at IWCS 2026!”

IWCS deeply appreciates the support from its annual sponsors, Board of Directors, Symposium Committee, exhibitors, authors, presenters, and attendees who are critical to the success of the Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum. The next IWCS Forum will take place Monday, October 27–Thursday, October 30, 2025, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. IWCS encourages international travelers to secure a valid VISA for USA travel as wait times for VISA applications may be lengthy. Visit iwcs.org for more information.

About IWCS

IWCS is a not-for-profit organization that has hosted the premier event for new technologies in cable and connectivity products, processes, and applications for the past 73 years. The Cable & Connectivity Industry Forum is the leading worldwide event to explore topical issues, learn about new technologies, and network with colleagues from the communications, data, electronics, power, industrial, automotive, and aerospace industries. In addition to the Forum, IWCS is committed to the development of industry professionals and scholars by hosting educational webinars, publishing research, and awarding scholarships.

The IWCS Technical Symposium Committee generates an extremely high-caliber program for each year’s Forum. Peer-reviewed papers presented during the Technical Symposium and recordings from the IWCS Webinar series remain archived for ongoing research and education.

IWCS, Inc. is headquartered at 9618 Villagesmith Way, Burke, VA 22015-4170 USA. For further information, visit the IWCS website at www.iwcs.org or contact David B. Kiddoo, CEO, at [email protected]. Follow IWCS on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

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