Conference Schedule

Online Registration

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PRE-CONFERENCE MASTERCLASSES

Sunday, 28 February

Monday, 1 March

CONFERENCE SESSIONS

Tuesday, 2 March

Wednesday, 3 March

Thursday, 4 March

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Jeremy Witikko

Doug Mouton

Jessica Holmes

Winter Pre-Conference Masterclasses

Sunday, 28 February

TIMES	SESSION		Credits
9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.	MASTERCLASSES If you are having trouble logging into your Pre-Conference Masterclass, please contact our Meeting Services Team at -> bicsiwinter@bicsi.org.
	9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.	“Fundamentals of Passive Optical LAN” - Day 1 of 2 Matt Miller – AECOM – Baltimore, Maryland, USA Chad Hines – ITConnect Inc. – Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA Thomas Ruvarac – Association for Passive Optical LAN – New York, New York, USA This two-day seminar will provide an overview of the value, architecture, design, and powering considerations for a passive optical LAN technology. Specific focus will be given to system components, benefits, design methodologies, power survivability using AC and DC methods, planning and commissioning of electronics, infrastructure testing, and closeout package deliverables. Topic: \| Optical Fiber & Passive Optical Networks (PON) \|	*12 CECs* *Member* *$400* *Non-Member* *$600*
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	9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.	“Transforming Team Communication: Discover Your Leadership Voice” Skot Waldron – Buford, Georgia, USA Most teams operate at 60% of their potential. Better communication is the answer. In this masterclass, you will learn the behaviors and value of each of the five voices and identify the natural voice you use in the team. Topic: \| ICT Professional Development \|	*3 CECs* *Member* *$100* *Non-Member* *$150*
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	2 – 5:30 p.m.	“Data Center Risk Assessment 101” Moises Levy – DCMETRIX – Boca Raton, Florida, USA Risk assessment and risk management are challenging tasks for data centers, due to their mission critical nature. This masterclass covers data center risk assessment as an important tool for decision-making. Related standards and best practices will be discussed. The risk assessment contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the risks that the data center location is exposed to, comprising risk identification, analysis, and evaluation. A novel methodology for data center site risk assessment will also be presented. Topic: \| Data Center \|	*3 CECs* *Member* *$100* *Non-Member* *$150*
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	2 – 5:30 p.m.	“The World’s Focusing More Than Ever on Sustainability—and Here’s Why RCDDs Should, As Well” Annie Bevan – Superior Essex Communications – Atlanta, Georgia, USA Jason Finnegan – Legrand – New London, Connecticut, USA Patty Lloyd – Leopardo Companies – Hoffman Estates, Illinois, USA Annalise Dum – JLL – Chicago, Illinois, USA With a global market projected to hit $960 Billion by 2023, fulfilling the structured networking needs of Sustainable Intelligent Buildings will heavily drive the future of work for RCDDs. However, with stricter sustainability requirements than buildings of the past, you will need to know how to spec and design for them to win decades of work. Listen in as ICT and sustainability experts address green-building certifications, materials transparency, sustainable sourcing, and how IoT makes buildings greener. Topic: \| ICT Professional Development \|	*3 CECs* *Member* *$100* *Non-Member* *$150*
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	2 – 5:30 p.m.	“Fiber’s Role in Smart Buildings – Considerations for Deployment and Testing” Jim Davis – Fluke Networks – Everett, Washington, USA Rodney Casteel, RCDD, DCDC, NTS, OSP – CommScope – Shakopee, Minnesota, USA Rob Gilberti – AFL – Duncan, South Carolina, USA Romain Tursi – EXFO – Quebec City, Quebec, Canada Tyler Vander Ploeg, RCDD – VIAVI Solutions – Bothell, Washington, USA Intelligent Buildings/Smart Cities/IoT An extremely interesting presentation team made up of four leading test equipment manufacturers and the Chair of the FOTC. During this masterclass, the FOTC will examine the role of fiber for Smart Building automation to support applications such as IoT, 5G, and Edge data centers. The group will look at fiber and connector choices, as well as testing considerations. This masterclass offers a mix of panel style discussion and small group activities providing an opportunity for discussion on the latest industry topics including the use of fiber to support smart building initiatives. Topic: \| Intelligent Buildings/Smart Cities/IoT \|	*3 CECs* *Member* *$100* *Non-Member* *$150*
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Monday, 1 March

TIMES	SESSION		Credits
9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.	MASTERCLASSES
	9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.	“Fundamentals of Passive Optical LAN” - Day 2 of 2 Matt Miller – AECOM – Baltimore, Maryland, USA Chad Hines – ITConnect Inc. – Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA Thomas Ruvarac – Association for Passive Optical LAN – New York, New York, USA This two-day seminar will provide an overview of the value, architecture, design, and powering considerations for a passive optical LAN technology. Specific focus will be given to system components, benefits, design methodologies, power survivability using AC and DC methods, planning and commissioning of electronics, infrastructure testing, and closeout package deliverables. Topic: \| Optical Fiber & Passive Optical Networks (PON) \|	*12 CECs* *Member* *$400* *Non-Member* *$600*
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	9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.	“Designing for PoE Lighting and Automation” Tyler Andrews – PoE Texas – Austin, Texas, USA Luis Suau – Luis Suau Consulting – Plantation, Florida, USA Hannah Walker, RCDD – Sinclair Digital LLC – Fort Worth, Texas Donald Walker – Newcomb & Boyd – Atlanta, Georgia, USA Larry Jones – Baird, Hampton & Brown Inc. – Fort Worth, Texas, USA Andy Rittenhouse – Somfy Systems – Dayton, New Jersey, USA Joseph Herbst – PoE Texas – Austin, Texas, USA Top design professionals and subject matter experts with experience in designing and constructing Power over Ethernet intelligent buildings share their best practices and lessons learned. This masterclass covers quantifying the value proposition; defining scope, roles, and responsibilities through design, construction, and operations; presenting system architecture; and strategizing how to take advantage of PoE automation for LEED and Wellness standards. Attendees gain crucial skills and knowledge essential to delivering better intelligent buildings for developers and owners. Topic: \| Power over Ethernet \|	*6 CECs* *Member* *$200* *Non-Member* *$300*
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	9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.	“Installing AV Learning Spaces for Streaming and UC Platforms in the New Normal” Karl Rosenberg – Extron – Anaheim, California, USA AV technologies in learning spaces has been evolving, but the “New Normal” has accelerated its evolution. Phrases such as “Hybrid Classroom” and “Distance Learning” have taken over the roadmap for audiovisual environments. This interactive workshop provides the foundation for installing and designing AV into the Next Generation Classroom. This masterclass will identify “New Normal” classroom-conference room requirements including simple methods to record and publish to UC platforms such as Microsoft Teams™, ZOOM™, or Cisco WebEx™. Topic: \| Audiovisual \|	*3 CECs* *Member* *$100* *Non-Member* *$150*
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	9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.	“Evolving ICT Practices for Smart Buildings” Henry Franc, RCDD, OSP – Belden Canada LLC – Mississauga, Ontario, Canada F. Patrick Mahoney, RCDD – Direct Supply Inc. – Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA Smart building and IoT technologies provide revolutionary opportunities to building owners, managers, and tenants can capitalize for their success. We will explore how these technologies affect the core practices of the ICT professional, and what we need to do to evolve those practices. Participants will learn with real world examples how to smart building and IoT technologies affect various activities within their practice and how to ensure they and their projects are successful. Topic: \| Intelligent Buildings/Smart Cities/IoT \|	*3 CECs* *Member* *$100* *Non-Member* *$150*
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11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.		“Exhibitor Experience Day” – Virtual Exhibit Hall Open

	MASTERCLASSES
	2 - 5:30 p.m.	“High-Density Optical Infrastructure Challenges of Tomorrow’s Modern Data Center” Sean Adam – AFL – Westford, Massachusetts, USA Lucas Mays – AFL – Duncan, South Carolina, USA Kevin Clayton – AFL – Duncan, South Carolina, USA An in-depth look at the key challenges to designing and deploying the optical infrastructure within today's fast-moving Data Center environment. Beyond bandwidth and data rate, today's Data Center market requires speed-to-service and ease-of-support. This masterclass will provide both information and an opportunity to understand the options and choices to be made in the areas of optical cable, fiber management and infrastructure, achieving low-loss connections, and test and measurement of the final deployment. Topic: \| Data Center \|	*3 CECs* *Member* *$100* *Non-Member* *$150*
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	2 - 5:30 p.m.	“From Smart City to Smart Community: Bridging the Digital Divide for Safer, More Intelligent Communities” Carrie Goetz, RCDD, NTS – StrategITcom, LLC – Brandon, Mississippi, USA Based on case studies and real-life examples, this masterclass looks at efforts, protocols, connectivity, and funding opportunities for smart cities and rural smart communities. This masterclass also covers some of the applications that enable the residents and the city/community to enhance public safety, lower costs, increase connectivity, and enable autonomy and life safety. Topic: \| Intelligent Buildings/Smart Cities/IoT \|	*3 CECs* *Member* *$100* *Non-Member* *$150*
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Winter Conference Sessions

Tuesday, 2 March

TIMES	SESSION
9:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.	OPENING GENERAL SESSION
	9:15 - 9:30 a.m.	Conference Call to Order and Opening Remarks
	9:30 - 10:30 a.m.	OPENING KEYNOTE SPEAKER: "The World is Flat…Well, at Least the Building Network Is!" Jeremy Witikko – Global Director of Smart Buildings, Cisco – Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Now more than ever, sustainable building designs are at the forefront of every developer’s, constructor’s, and owner’s next big project. The return on investments for creating dynamic, intelligent spaces can be “funded” by net-zero, or even net-positive designs that are easier to spec, deploy, and commission with a DC-Micro grid and structured cabling. You cannot automate that which is not connected, and it is exponentially easier to connect tens of thousands of things using the same design than it is to keep track of duplicate and disparate materials and procedures. A single converged network can power, connect and secure buildings systems with PoE in ways never previously imagined, driving complexity and cost out of projects and simplifying the on-going operations while creating the smartest and most agile spaces to keep up with the changing world.
	10:30 - 11:30 a.m.	GENERAL SESSION PRESENTATION: ICT Field of Vision Presentation “Next Generation Networks” Joshua Seawell – Sumitomo Electric Lightwave – Raleigh, North Carolina, USA This presentation provides a high-level review of driving factors behind Next Generation network builds from a private owned Data Center to a juggernaut Hyperscale. From there a list of demands will be derived and then an overview look at the solutions that are the result of innovation or just completely new that have and are being developed to address these demands. This review will provide a good glimpse at new developments in fiber, fiber optic cables of both low and ultra-high count, connectivity and even to the tools that are key to put it all together. Topic: \| Optical Fiber & PON \|

11:30 a.m.-Noon	BREAK/EXHIBIT VIEWING

11:30 a.m.-5 p.m.	EXHIBIT HALL OPEN

Noon-1 p.m.	CONCURRENT SESSIONS
	“10Mb/s Single-Pair Ethernet for Building and Industrial Automation” Ronna Davis – CommScope – Henderson, Nevada, USA Bob Voss – Panduit Corp. – St. John, Indiana, USA Todd Harpel, RCDD – Berk-Tek – a Leviton Company – New Holland, Pennsylvania, USA Theo Brillhart – Fluke Networks – Everett, Washington, USA 10Mb/s single-pair Ethernet delivers data and power on a single cable pair for building and industrial automation. In this session, a panel of experts will discuss the technology and possible applications, as well as the migration to modern control systems and deployment considerations. Topic: \| New & Emerging Applications \|
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	“Implement, Adopt and Effectively Use Data Intelligence in the Built Environment” Todd Boucher, RCDD – Leading Edge Design Group – Enfield, New Hampshire, USA Bill Moten – Leading Edge Design Group – Enfield, New Hampshire, USA This presentation will provide an overview and steps to create a data intelligence strategy for the built environment and what it takes to implement, adopt, and effectively use integrated systems and data to improve building performance and occupant experience. The presentation will discuss data sources, systems, mapping, reporting, and visualization. The presenters will also share how a well-planned data intelligence strategy and implementation prepares organizations for machine learning and artificial intelligence in the built environment. Topic: \| Intelligent Buildings / Smart Cities / IoT \|
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	“An Examination of Compensation Trends Among ICT Professionals” Patrick McLaughlin – Cabling Installation & Maintenance – Nashua, New Hampshire, USA Mark Mullins – Fluke Networks – Everett, Washington, USA For three consecutive years, Fluke Networks and Cabling Installation & Maintenance have partnered to collect salary and wage information from cabling professionals employed in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry in the United States. This first-of-its-kind comprehensive compensation study reveals trends in total compensation across characteristics that include geographic regions, industry experience, working environments, technical expertise, education levels, and professional certifications. Among the questions we asked respondents was their primary job function; options included general management, designer, engineer, project manager, technician, lead technician, and other. We also asked participants’ age and number of years they have been working in the industry. Other questions included education level (from less than a high school diploma to a graduate-level college degree) and membership in a labor union or guild. Additionally, we asked participants to self-identify their respective levels of expertise in the technology areas of outside plant, security, data center installations, the Internet of Things, fiber optics, and wireless systems including Wi-Fi, DAS, and small cells. We also asked them to identify which professional credentials they hold. And of course, we asked them to identify their compensation—including whether they are paid by annual salary or hourly wage, and how much if any compensation they received in the form of a bonus over the previous twelve months. Topic: \| ICT Professional Development \|

	“Green Building Codes, Standards, Rating/Certification Systems and Metrics” Kevin Cheong, RCDD, P.Eng., LEED AP – Powertech Labs Inc. – Surrey, British Columbia, Canada LEED, Passive House, Green Globes, Net Zero, etc. are required for many projects. Learn about several of them and how they compare to help determine which is suited to your priorities. Topic: \| ICT Professional Development \|
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1-1:30 p.m.	CONVERSATION STARTER “COVID’s Impact on the Future of the Workplace Environment and ICT Design”
1-2:30 p.m.	LUNCH/EXHIBIT VIEWING

1:30-2:30 p.m.	Women in BICSI Event "Career Wisdom for Women, and Those Who Support Them" Carrie Goetz, RCDD, NTS, D.MCO, CDCP, CDCS, CNID, Master IM, AWS CCP, PSP, Certified SCRUM Master - StrategITcom, LLC – Brandon, Mississippi, USA

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.	CONCURRENT SESSIONS
	“Analytics: Discovering a World of Possibilities” Geoffrey Bauer, ESS – Axis Communications, Inc. – Rockford, Illinois, USA The ability to recognize and analyze specific physical activities and sounds to trigger alerts impacts both the safety and security of businesses today and helps improve business efficiencies, customer service, sales, and profits. In this session, we will discuss how to leverage current technology with modern analytics, sharing specific examples of applications that ICT professionals can use to solve real-world challenges for their clients. Topic: \| New & Emerging Applications \|
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	“Your Intelligent Building is Only as Smart as the Physical Layer Infrastructure That Lies Beneath” Steven Bornfield – Chatsworth Products, Inc. – Agoura Hills, California, USA Bree Murphy, RCDD – Oberon, Inc. – State College, Pennsylvania, USA The race to capitalize on the opportunities presented by intelligent buildings is on but joining the lead pack starts with understanding how important a reliable physical-layer infrastructure is to any intelligent building's efficiency. Join the presenters as they discuss how the evolution of Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication and IoT is driving the design of new technologies deployed within buildings and examine the wireless technologies present in modern designs. Topic: \| Intelligent Buildings / Smart Cities / IoT \|

	“Practical Lightning Mitigation” Jerry Hogan – Solara Technical Sales – Spearfish, South Dakota, USA Lightning can affect electronic systems, often in catastrophic ways. This presentation will review some of the problems and suggest practical mitigation methods to reduce system susceptibility. The discussion will concentrate on radio antennas feeding into small shelters or enclosures, along with proper grounding, inductance effects, soil quality, and multi-point grounding. Topic: \| ICT Professional Development \|
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	“What You Need to Know About Single-Pair Ethernet” Konstantin Hüdepohl – Softing, Inc. – Haar, Germany Presented in both German & English As a member of the Single-Pair Ethernet (SPE) group, the presenter will share the status of the Single-Pair Ethernet technology and the standardization of SPE cable testing. The presenter will also cover the status of measurement methods for single-pair Ethernet cabling, new challenges that will emerge, and look at various standardization efforts within the U.S. as well as internationally in ISO/IEC. Topic: \| New & Emerging Applications \|

3:30-3:45 p.m.	BREAK/EXHIBIT VIEWING
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3:45 - 4:45 p.m.	CONCURRENT SESSIONS
	“What is CBRS, and How Can I Seize the Opportunity at Hand?” Mark Niehus, RCDD – Connectivity Wireless Solutions – Duluth, Georgia, USA Scott Rahim – Connectivity Wireless Solutions – Duluth, Georgia, USA CBRS is one of the most exciting developments in enterprise wireless today. A huge new swath of frequency is available to meet the demands of tomorrow’s wireless devices and applications. Kind of like Wi-Fi, and sort of like cellular, CBRS offers the ICT Community a significant opportunity for installation and integration services. Topic: \| New & Emerging Applications \|
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	“The Last Hurdle: Overcoming Cost Objections for IoT Smart Buildings” Kim Johnson – Igor – Des Moines, Iowa, USA Hannah Walker, RCDD – Sinclair Digital, LLC – Fort Worth, Texas, USA McKenzie Hughes, RCDD – The Siemon Company – Canton, Georgia, USA Shelley Hurtig – SAS – Woodbridge, Virginia, USA Carol Everett Oliver, RCDD, DCDC, ESS – CEO Communications – Cape Coral, Florida, USA With the advancement of PoE and digital building technologies, intelligent buildings have found their way into the spotlight. Now, with the rise of COVID-19, intelligence and sustainability is becoming increasingly important. But are intelligent buildings cost effective? Does a developer have to sacrifice amenities to afford that intelligence, and what kind of return on investments are possible? In this presentation, a panel of experts will discuss the economics and rationale of IoT Smart Buildings. Topic: \| Intelligent Buildings / Smart Cities / IoT \|
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	“Grounding System Design and Testing for Critical Facilities” Roy Whitten – Lyncole XIT Grounding – Torrance, California, USA A ground system is critical for the protection, reliability, and performance of sensitive electronic equipment. This session will describe what constitutes an NEC compliant grounding system; methods of testing, including clamp-on ground resistance meters and the 3-point fall of potential test, with details on factors that may invalidate a test. Also discussed will be grounding's relationship to surge suppression and lightning protection. Topic: \| ICT Professional Development \|
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	“Getting Ready for Present and Future Bandwidth Needs: How to Deal with Legacy Multimode Fiber” Kevin Lengle – CAILABS – Rennes, France Presented in both French and English Wi-Fi6, 5G, IoT, XGPON, ...how is the existing campus backbone cabling infrastructure handling the bandwidth-intensive applications and latency-aware traffic types, especially when it is composed of legacy multimode fibers? In this presentation, you will learn about why MMFs have limited capacity and the various techniques to deal with them. Uncover how today’s optical technologies can overcome the limitation and discover how the path to a future-proof network is not necessarily single-mode fibers! Topic: \| Optical Fiber & PON \|

4:45-5 p.m.	BREAK/EXHIBIT VIEWING
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5 - 6 p.m.	CONCURRENT SESSIONS
	“Evolution to 5G” Eric Toenjes – Graybar – St. Louis, Missouri, USA Art King – Corning Optical Communications – Charlotte, North Carolina, USA Jim Swantko – CommScope – Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Marc Knapp – Notora – Alpharetta, Georgia, USA What does the onset of 5G networks and aligned technologies such as Wi-Fi 6 and Private LTE mean to the enterprise and how can BICSI contractors help their customers prepare for this evolution? This panel of experts will explore how to determine the right infrastructure and technologies and how you can help your customers set a strategy to be ready for 5G. Topic: \| New & Emerging Applications \|
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	“Assessing Smart Buildings: Start Smart & Design Smart, Future Smart” Brian Davis, RCDD – Corning Optical Communications – Charlotte, North Carolina, USA Luke Lucas – T-Mobile – Bellevue, Washington, USA Dan Michaud – ARUP – Chicago, Illinois, USA Ryan Garner, RCDD – RYCOM – Toronto, Ontario, Canada The shift to intelligent buildings starts with a new way of thinking around how we design, plan, construct and maintain buildings. When network infrastructure is prioritized at the same level as other building utilities, the result is a safer, more sustainable and productive environments for building occupants. This panel discussion with industry experts addresses network considerations to help support new technologies that are no longer “nice-to-haves” but have become “must-haves”. Topic: \| Intelligent Buildings / Smart Cities / IoT \|
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	“Enough is Enough: What is the Right Test Type for Your Application” Mike Bunning, RCDD – Softing, Inc. – Knoxville, Tennessee, USA ICT Professional Development Just like the mechanic has a toolbox of tools, the network technician has a toolbox of cable testers and network testers. Is this a new building meeting local building codes? What about 3 - 5 years later after clients, servers, printers, access points, and switches are connected? What testing options do I have? This presentation will cover three test types and application examples, so you will know when to use the right tool for the job. Topic: \| New & Emerging Technologies \|
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	“A Huge Disruption in Networking: Artificial Intelligence, Automation and the End of Dashboards” Jussi Kiviniemi – Juniper Networks – Espoo, Uusimaa, Finland When did you last hear "automation" or "artificial intelligence"? Likely, not long ago. Yet, the terms are often not fully understood, or misunderstood. What do automation and artificial intelligence (AI) mean in wireless and wired networks? What's machine learning (ML) vs artificial intelligence? What are the key use cases and benefits of ML and AI? What are the top three things to automate in your network? Will our jobs be replaced by automation and AI? Topic: \| Wireless & Distributed Antenna Systems \|
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Wednesday, 3 March

TIMES	SESSION
9-11:30 a.m.	OPENING SESSION
	9:15 - 9:30 a.m.	BICSI Annual Business Meeting
	9:30 - 10:30 a.m.	MIDWEEK KEYNOTE SPEAKER: “Construction Safety, Diversity & Inclusion, and Technology Innovation” Doug Mouton – Vice President, Global Datacenter Construction – Microsoft Redmond, Washington, USA The scale, growth and expansion of the datacenter industry has raised new and important questions to the forefront around safety, diversity, and worker welfare. Within the industry, safe, ethical projects are not just moral obligations, but have also proven to deliver better. Doug offers his thoughts on shared values safety, diversity & inclusion, and worker welfare, and how collectively the industry can come together to empower people and organizations to do more and set a higher standard for the datacenter industry. Doug will also share how Microsoft is leveraging technology to advance the construction industry.
	10:30 - 11 a.m.	GENERAL SESSION PRESENTATION: ICT Field of Vision Presentation “Returning to the Office – The Post Covid Network Strategy” Morne Erasmus – CommScope – Richardson, Texas, USA Post Covid office “normal” will be very different than what we were used to before the pandemic but this change will bring great opportunity for advancing smart buildings. How do 5G, Wi-Fi6/E, IoT and MEC play nice together on the networks of tomorrow? We will share what’s driving the change from the Service Providers, occupants and technology perspective and what you should take into consideration as you build your strategy for a returning workforce and next building refresh cycle. Topic: \| Intelligent Buildings/Smart Cities/IoT \|
	11 - 11:30 a.m.	GENERAL SESSION PRESENTATION: ICT Field of Vision Presentation “Edge-to-Edge Optical: It’s Not Just for Data Centers Anymore” Ron Wells – Corning Optical Communications – Overland Park, Kansas, USA Enterprise buildings are getting smarter and demanding more from the network every day. But, as the plan comes together, many discover that smart building requirements of today don’t always fit into the cut-and-paste design of yesterday. We can learn from our friends in the data center that an edge-to-edge optical infrastructure provides the solution that the enterprise needs. Topic: \| Optical Fiber & PON \|

11:30 a.m.-Noon	BREAK/EXHIBIT VIEWING

11:30 a.m.-5 p.m.	EXHIBIT HALL OPEN

Noon-1 p.m.	CONCURRENT SESSIONS
	“Challenges and Solutions for Extending Advanced HDMI & Digital AV Connections Beyond 10 Meters” Joseph Cornwall – Legrand – New Port Richey, Florida, USA When selecting a signal extension technology for a project there are variables that are not clearly documented in manufacturer specifications. Performance is impacted by payload resolution, source power, and a delicate interplay of the link's electrical parameters. We will share findings not explored in previous courses - this is all new! Learn about I2C, HDMI, DisplayPort 2.0 and more! Topic: \| Audiovisual \|
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	“If You Thought Ribbon Was for Data Centers Only – Think Again!” Lucas Mays – AFL – Duncan, South Carolina, USA Optical Fiber & PON In today's world, the need for fast, dense, and scalable network installations is obvious. However, we are still using single fiber solutions. Today's infrastructure advancements offer higher density, tighter packaging, and faster installations than traditional methods. New ribbon technology, patch panel form factors, cable management, and equipment developments have made ribbon deployments effective for small to mid-sized fiber count networks. When you possess a ribbon architecture, installations and repairs are quicker and therefore less costly. Topic: \| Optical Fiber & PON \|
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	“Preparing for Wi-Fi’s Evolutions” Mark Davis – CommScope – Sunnyvale, California, USA This presentation discusses the new and emerging Wi-Fi technologies, how they are different from current Wi-Fi offerings, and how companies can transition to them. Topic: \| Wireless & Distributed Antenna Systems \|
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	“To the Edge and Back: What 5G Rollouts Mean for Data Center Networks” Dave Mullen – Leviton Network Solutions – Bothell, Washington, USA 5G network technology is poised to support a massive number of new connected devices, expand the Internet of Everything, and even help control futuristic autonomous cars. As the backbone for 5G, data centers will need to evolve to meet the explosive growth of data intensive applications out at the edge. This presentation gives data center managers some key cabling strategies to manage multiple waves of 5G — helping ensure next-generation coverage for billions of devices. Topic: \| Data Center \|
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1-1:30 p.m.	CONVERSATION STARTER “Extended PoE Solutions – Powered Fiber and Extended CAT 6A”

1-2:30 p.m.	LUNCH/EXHIBIT VIEWING

1:30-2:30 p.m.	“Women in BICSI Networking Event”

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.	CONCURRENT SESSIONS
	“The Convergence of Sound Masking, Voice Communication and Loudspeaker Technologies” Shannon Geronimo – Biamp Systems – Beaverton, Oregon, USA This presentation will be a thorough overview of current best practices when discussing and specifying integrated deployments that include sound masking solutions with voice communication systems and distributed loudspeakers. Specific insights regarding current and future sound masking, voice communication and loudspeaker technologies will be provided. The presenter will also discuss anticipated evolution in workplace technology requirements post-COVID-19. Topic: \| Audiovisual \|
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	“Keeping It Clean: The Importance of Connector End Face Cleanliness” Arelis Soto – Corning Optical Communications – Charlotte, North Carolina, USA Optical Fiber & PON From the standards-defined guidelines to methods and maintenance, this presentation outlines all things related to clean connectivity in the data center environment. We will hone in on why inspecting and cleaning is imperative to any successful deployment and review best practice tips and tricks, while also ensuring your end faces are cleaned appropriately. Topic: \| Optical Fiber & PON \|
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	“Looking at In-building Systems Through a Public Safety Lens” Dennis Burns – Advanced RF Technologies, Inc. (ADRF) – Burbank, California, USA Fires, active shooters, natural disasters, and so many more emergency situations require fast action from first responders, but how can building owners empower these responders to effectively connect with each other? This presentation will look at the scope of public safety through the lens of communication, touching on DAS and newer public safety mandates, such as the UL2524, and how ICT professionals can implement these technologies to provide seamless connectivity required during cases of disaster. Topic: \| Wireless & Distributed Antenna Systems \|
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	“Increasing Cabinet Quantity in the Data Center by Means of Improving Wire and Air Distribution” William Collier – Interstitial Systems, Inc. – Esterel, Quebec, Canada Recently, some Data Centers have been moving to on-slab designs using overhead wire distribution and the room is flooded with cold air, using containment methods to isolate hot and cold aisles. This approach is taken primarily because of the numerous practical problems created when air and cables are combined under conventional raised floors. Overhead wiring and cabling are fraught with its own issues. A comprehensive understanding of the comparative advantages and disadvantages of rooms using such designs will be explored along a detailed explanation of how improving air and wire distribution will increase cabinet counts when plans are compared to one another. Topic: \| Data Center \|
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3:30-3:45 p.m.	BREAK/EXHIBIT VIEWING
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3:45 - 4:45 p.m.	CONCURRENT SESSIONS
	“Installing AV Learning Spaces for Streaming and UC Platforms in the New Normal” Karl Rosenberg – Extron – Anaheim, California, USA AV technologies in learning spaces has been evolving, but the “New Normal” has accelerated its evolution. Phrases such as “Hybrid Classroom” and “Distance Learning” have taken over the roadmap for audiovisual environments. This interactive workshop provides the foundation for installing and designing AV into the Next Generation Classroom. This masterclass will identify “New Normal” classroom-conference room requirements including simple methods to record and publish to UC platforms such as Microsoft Teams™, ZOOM™, or Cisco WebEx™. Topic: \| Audiovisual \|
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	“Are You Getting What You Paid For? How to Read Cable Certification Test Results” Jim Davis – Fluke Networks – Everett, Washington, USA Were you there when your installed cabling was tested? How can you tell if it was done properly? This presentation will show you the ins and outs of field test results. We will look at common mistakes, both unintentional and otherwise. Learn tips to spot the 'otherwise'. Topic: \| Optical Fiber & PON \|
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	“Becoming an Integrator in Wireless” Eric Toenjes – Graybar – St. Louis, Missouri, USA To help BICSI contractors grow their business, we will explore opportunities available today in the world of wireless. With the dawn of 5G cellular, Wi-Fi6 and public safety code requirements, there is an expectation that all manner of wireless devices will work inside buildings. As a result, the market is expecting an 18% compound annual growth rate through at least 2023. This session will discuss the market needs of the customers, the common challenges faced getting into this type of work and will provide you with solutions you can use today. Topic: \| Wireless & Distributed Antenna Systems \|
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	“Structured Cabling is Making a Comeback in Hi-Speed, Low-Latency Data Center Deployments” James Young – Commscope on behalf of CCCA – Blue Mountains, Ontario, Canada Emerging Internet of Things (IoT) technologies require faster transmission speeds and low-latency communication between servers and switches. As modern hyper-converged data center environments look to support these emerging technologies, switch-to- server connections must not be a weak link in the chain. Migration strategies for switch-to-server connections that were once projected to advance from 10 to 40 Gig have now evolved due to innovations in switching technology. To minimize latency and bottlenecks, data centers have also shifted away from a traditional three-tier architecture to a more efficient fully meshed leaf-spine fabric architecture. These technology trends indicate that fiber optic structured cabling with an “all-to-all” cross connect scenario may make the most sense for modern data centers. This presentation looks at current trends, technology, and standards to support high-speed, low-latency performance in the data center. Topic: \| Data Center \|
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4:45-5 p.m.	BREAK/EXHIBIT VIEWING
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5-6 p.m.	CONCURRENT SESSIONS
	“Audio, Video and Networking – Changing at Warp Speed – What You Need to Know Now” James Colquhoun – Avidex Industries, LLC – Bellevue, Washington, USA How have end user expectations changed regarding how they communicate? What do we need to do to support their demand? Whether we are supporting employees’ return to the workspace, moving into a new space, or building a new facility, we need to think and plan differently. AV signals need to co-exist with data that traditionally lives on an IT managed network. What does this mean to a network designer or a structured cabling specialist? Topic: \| Audiovisual \|
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	“Duplex Optical Connector Evolution for Next Generation Networks” Stuart Melton – US Conec – Hickory, North Carolina, USA Nilson Gabela – Corning Optical Communications – Charlotte, North Carolina, USA Optical network design is constantly evolving with the need for optical connection density steadily growing. Existing simplex and duplex optical connector designs limit required density increases when duplex granularity is needed for individual access. A new Very Small Form Factor (VSFF) connector, the MDC connector, is paving the way for higher density duplex connectivity and opening boundaries for new optical cabling architectures. Topic: \| Optical Fiber & PON \|
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	“Things to Understand Before Shopping for a Cellular Solution” Art King – Corning Optical Communications – Charlotte, North Carolina, USA Do I need small cells? Do I need a DAS? Why is this so complicated? Together with an integrator partner, we will learn about the four things to understand before shopping and explore unique case studies that highlight the outcomes of different business choices. Topic: \| Wireless & Distributed Antenna Systems \|
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	“Proposed Requirements for the Edge Data Center Environment” Jacques Fluet – Telecommunications Industry Association – Arlington, Virginia, USA Edge Data Center (EDC) standards are evolving to cover the smaller, unstaffed, remotely operated data centers located at the edge of the network. This presentation will cover the proposed requirements of the EDC and how this impacts the conception, fabrication, installation, configuration, operations and ratings of the EDC and its environment. Topic: \| Data Center \|

Thursday, 4 March

TIMES	SESSION
9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.	CLOSING GENERAL SESSION
	9:30 - 10 a.m.	GENERAL SESSION PRESENTATION: ICT Field of Vision Presentation “Not Another POE Presentation! Nope…Your Business Can’t Afford to Miss This…” Jim Toepper – EtherWAN – Anaheim, California, USA It’s not often you see a technology feature enable sweeping change across an industry. It may be hard to believe but the newest version of PoE will likely change your business model and or your technical skillset. Topic: \| New & Emerging Technologies \|
	10 - 10:30 a.m.	GENERAL SESSION PRESENTATION: ICT Field of Vision Presentation “Communications Infrastructure for the 21^st Century – Is It Just Taken for Granted?” Olaf Storaasli – Dura-Line Corporation – Knoxville, Tennessee, USA 5G, IoT, AI, Hybrid Cloud, Autonomous Vehicles, Telemedicine, and Extended Reality are some buzzwords for technologies that are transforming our connectivity needs. Often neglected is the underlying infrastructure needed to connect these technologies, whether in Chicago, Illinois, or remote Dubois, Wyoming. We will focus on our industry’s challenge to develop and deploy the infrastructure both for today and the future, by sharing examples and provoking us to think differently about the products, the installation methods, and how to pay for it. Topic: \| New & Emerging Technologies \|
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10:30-10:45 a.m.	BREAK

10:45 - 11 a.m.	BICSI Cares Presentation and Door Prize Drawing

11 a.m. - Noon	CLOSING KEYNOTE SPEAKER: “Power Laughs: Using Humor to Build Resilience” Jessica Holmes \| Celebrated Comedian, Author, and Mental Health Advocate \| Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Stress is a part of life, especially with the triggers a pandemic brings, but leaving it unchecked can affect your team’s morale and ultimately your bottom line. Using humor and other simple coping mechanisms can improve the emotional wellbeing of individuals and ultimately the companies they work for. We are more likely to live healthy, productive lives if we maintain our physical and emotional resilience, and this laugh-out-loud presentation offers simple, achievable steps to help others go from treading water to reigniting their spark. Jessica proves that comedy is more than an entertainment form; it is a powerful filter through which you can navigate stressful situations, empowering you to recover from setbacks and face challenges more easily.

Noon - 12:30 p.m.	Conference Wrap-up

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