ANTEC Returns, Virtually, in May

With the cancellation of NPE2021, SPE has announced that the ANTEC technical conference now will take place in May 2021. It was moved to March from the traditional May timeframe to “avoid the conflict of having two major industry events in the same month,” said SPE CEO Patrick Farrey. ANTEC will enter its second year as a fully virtual event starting on May 5, said Farrey, as that month has “always been preferred by our members, attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors.”

Event organizers said that the May 2021 edition will feature a powerful new online platform, selected to enhance the social and business connections among attendees, speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors. “Last year’s pandemic-inspired virtual ANTEC was a great success, with more than 4,000 attendees and 50 exhibitors participating,” said Farrey. “But the overwhelming feedback was that those participants wanted more ways to interact — buyers with exhibitors, attendees with speakers, friends with friends. So, this year’s ANTEC will do that in ways that weren’t even possible last year.”

The new platform includes sophisticated introduction and connection tools, explained ANTEC. Through both self-selection and artificial intelligence matching, attendees and exhibitors will be “connected” based on their own preferences and profiles. Exhibitors will be able to find and speak directly with qualified buyers and engage with decision-makers who meet their specific criteria through embedded video chat and messaging during and after the event, added SPE.

The 2022 and 2023 ANTEC events also will be held in May. Full details of those events will be announced once the pandemic situation becomes clearer, said SPE.