2017 BICSI Winter show closes with awards, charity, inspiration

During last night's annual awards banquet, the professional association celebrated the accomplishments of several individuals who have displayed great dedication to BICSI and the ICT industry.

Tampa, Florida -- BICSI, association dedicated to advancing the information and communications technology (ICT) community, brought its 2017 BICSI Winter Conference & Exhibition to a close today. Thousands of attendees from all over the world gathered at the five-day conference to gain industry knowledge, take in the latest ICT products and services, and network with colleagues.

During last night's annual awards banquet, BICSI celebrated the accomplishments of several individuals who have displayed great dedication to BICSI and the ICT industry. The awards given by BICSI on the evening of Wednesday, January 25 included:

Dennis Mazaris: The Harry J. Pfister Award Winner for Excellence in the Telecom Industry #CIMBICSI17pic.twitter.com/TVQNXOraei

— Patrick McLaughlin (@cablingmag) January 26, 2017


In addition, president Ensign also recognized the winner of 'Best in Show' at the Exhibit Hall's New Product Pavilion. Attendees voted throughout the week and selected Hubbell Premise Wiring's RE-BOX Outdoor AC Enclosure as the event's overall 'Best in Show' winner. Following the awards, the evening concluded with a performance from magician Bill Herz, followed by comedian John Heffron.

On Thursday morning, BICSI Cares, the charitable arm of BICSI that supports children’s charities, made a donation to the Melbourne, Fla.-based The M.O.R.G.A.N Project, a non-profit created to provide theraputic fun to children with disabilities. BICSI Cares collected donations from attendees throughout the conference, and 100 percent of the funds were given to the charity. Following the BICSI Cares presentation, attendees were treated to an inspirational closing keynote address by Leland Melvin. Melvin is a retired NFL football player and a NASA astronaut, making him the only person drafted into the NFL to have flown in space.

In addition to the keynote, attendees were able to learn from more than 24 technical sessions over the course of the conference. Topics discussed included intelligent buildings, cabling for 4K systems, HDBASE-T, and digital video. "I've been coming to BICSI conferences for more than 20 years, and I've been able to stay in touch with the industry and bring new ideas back to my clients after each one," said Joe Scarola, RCDD, of Long Island, NY.

BICSI president Ensign adjourned the conference early Thursday afternoon, thanking everyone for attending and encouraging them to come to the 2017 BICSI Canadian Conference & Exhibition, May 8-11 in Vancover, British Columbia, Canada, as well as the 2017 BICSI Fall Conference & Exhibition, September 24-28 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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