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PRESS RELEASE

07 March 2018

2018 OFC Conference & Exhibition: News Briefs; Live Video Streaming; Exclusive Media/Analyst Lunch; Badge Pickup; Nokia Event; Diversity Lounge

San Diego Convention Center
111 West Harbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92101
11 – 15 March 2018
 
OFC Contacts:
Rebecca B. Andersen
The Optical Society
+1.202.416.1443
randersen@osa.org
 
Joshua Miller
The Optical Society
+1.202.416.1443
jmiller@osa.org 
 
 
SAN DIEGO — Explore the latest in optical communications innovation, data-center connectivity, 5G network upgrades and cloud computing at OFC 2018, the single-most important annual event in optical communications and networking. This year’s conference and exhibition will feature more than 15,000 attendees, 700+ exhibiting companies (105 California companies, including Cisco Systems, Coherent, Coriant, EMCORE, Innovium, Kaiam, Lumentum, Made in Space, Yenista Optics and more), three plenary speakers, three symposia, 120 invited speakers, 22 tutorials, 10 workshops, six panels and 54 short courses focused on #optical technologies.
 
OFC 2018 will be held 11 - 15 March in the San Diego Convention Center.
 
Included in this advisory:
1. News releases
2. Plenary Session and award presentations
3. Livestreaming: Watch the plenary session live
4. Media/Analyst registration and badge pickup
5. Media Center and Interview Room information
6. Exclusive Media/Analyst Lunch Panel
7. Nokia: Special Tour, Demo, Presentation
8. Media/Analyst Reception
9. OFC Event App
10. Suzanne R. Nagel lounge
 
Visit the OFC 2018 Media Center to access OFC and exhibitor news releases. A comprehensive list of exhibitors can be found here, and for a list of contributed papers, abstracts and invited speakers, download the Technical Program. For any questions about OFC or information included in this advisory, email media@ofcconference.org.
 
1. News releases
The online OFC 2018 Media Center features conference press releases with technical and exhibitor announcements showcasing the latest advancements in optical communications and networking. Exhibitor news submitted through OFC’s First News program is available on request vie email to media@ofcconference.org.
 
The OFC Media Center will also post daily press releases from exhibitors – online and in the on-site Media Center.
  
3. Plenary Session and awards
On Tuesday, 13 March 2018, OFC’s three days of exhibits will be kicked off by a plenary program featuring three industry and academic leaders. The speakers will be concurrent and the session is scheduled for 08:00 – 10:00 PDT (15:00 – 17:00 GMT).
 
The session will take place Ballroom 20A, located on the upper level of the San Diego Convention Center. All plenary speeches will also be streamed live (see details below to register). Each plenary speaker offers a unique perspective on their area of the optical communications field, from how the brain highlights universal laws and architectures and their relevance to future network technologies to the dawn of the next industrial revolution to the recent optical network evolution of China Telecom. 
  • John C. Doyle, Jean-Lou Chameau Professor of Control and Dynamical Systems, Electrical Engineer, and BioEngineering, California Institute of Technology (Caltech) will deliver an address on “Universal Laws and Architectures in Complex Networks.” — A live demos using audience’s brains will highlight universal laws and architectures and their relevance to future network technologies. Doyle will briefly give pointers to a new unified mathematical framework that we hope will facilitate reverse engineering cells, brains, and societies and forward engineering future network architectures.
  • Marcus Weldon, President, Nokia Bell Labs will give a talk on “The Future of Dynamic Deterministic Networking” — We are at the dawn of the next industrial revolution – an era that will be defined by new demands on network performance as myriad devices and machine systems are connected to intelligent control functions in the cloud to achieve higher degrees of automation and productivity. In this talk, Weldon will discuss how novel optical and packet-optical networking techniques and technologies will be critical to creating this Deterministic Dynamic Networking digital fabric.
  • Chengliang Zhang, Vice President, China Telecom Beijing Research Institute, will give a plenary talk on “Optical Networking in the Cloud and 5G Era” — Zhang’s talk will present the recent optical network evolution of China Telecom and other major Chinese network operators, which are enabled by modern technologies such as coherent 100G/200G, ROADM/WSS, transport SDN, and data center connectivity. With the intensification of cloud-based services and 5G wireless developments, Zhang will also discuss how optical transport network (OTN) need to be transformed to better address future demands such as higher capacity, lower latency, and service-specific network slicing.
 
Multiple awards will be presented during OFC at the Awards Ceremony on 13 March, Tuesday from 12:00 to 14:00 in 20D, upper level of the San Diego Convention Center. Names of all the award recipients are listed on the OFC website.
 
  • John Tyndall Award
  • IEEE Communications Society Fellows
  • IEEE Photonics Society Fellows
  • The Optical Society Fellows
  • The IEEE/OSA Journal of Lightwave Technology - JLT Best Paper Award
 
3. Live Video Streaming: Watch the OFC 2018 Plenary Session  
All attendees, media/analysts can remotely participate in the OFC Plenary session via live video streaming. Participants must pre-register to receive the live-stream link.
 
The session will be held Tuesday, 13 March 2018, 08:00 – 10:00 PDT (15:00 – 17:00 GMT)
 
4. Media/Analyst registration and badge pickup
Online media/analyst registration for OFC will remain open throughout the event to expedite the registration and badge pick-up process. We encourage all media/analyst registrants to pre-register online. For media/analyst registration eligibility requirements and required credentials, please visit the Media Registration Credentialing Guidelines page.
 
Approved media/analysts registrants receive, at no charge, a badge that provides access to the exhibition floor (during open hours), all exhibit floor sessions, technical sessions (on request), the media center, exclusive media/analyst lunch panel and press conference rooms.
 
Pre-approved media/analysts registrants should print and bring their confirmation letter with them to OFC. Badge pick-up will be available in the Media Center, in Room 5A on the upper floor of the San Diego Convention Center.
 
Eligible members of the media/analyst community may also register on-site. To register on-site, please proceed to the Media Center, in Room 5A on the upper floor of the San Diego Convention Center. On-site press registrants will need to provide the required credentials listed in the Media Registration Credentialing Guidelines page.
 
On-site registration and badge pick-up times:
San Diego Convention Center, Room 5A
Sunday, 11 March 2018, 12:00-16:00
Monday, 12 March 2018, 07:30-18:00
Tuesday, 13 March 2018, 07:30-18:00
Wednesday, 14 March 2018, 07:30-18:00
Thursday, 15 March 2018, 07:30-16:00
 
A list of media and analysts who have registered for OFC 2018 is available on request. Please email media@ofcconference.org
 
Please note: Some events and activities, including but not limited to invitation-only events and workshops, are not open to media/analyst badge holders.
 
5. Media Center, News Conference Room
The OFC Media Center provides a workspace, including power banks, printer, Wi-Fi, and a room for meeting with exhibitors.
 
The Media Center is located in Room 5A on the upper floor of the San Diego Convention Center. View a floorplan of the San Diego Convention Center for more information.
 
The Media Center is open daily Sunday through Thursday (hours above in the Registration section).
                                                                                  
A continental breakfast, boxed lunch and refreshments will be provided for media/analyst registrants.
 
Media/analyst registrants can reserve a semi-private room during OFC to conduct interviews. Please sign up to reserve this room at the front desk of the Media Center or email media@ofcconference.org Reservations are given in 30-minute increments for up to one hour at a time, and are on a first-come, first-served basis.
 
Exhibitors can post paper press releases and related documentation in the Media Center—we recommend bringing around 20 copies of printed materials.
   
6. Exclusive Media/Analyst Lunch Panel
Media/analysts are invited to attend an exclusive lunch panel session on Tuesday, 13 March, 12:00-13:00 in Room 4 on the upper level of the San Diego Convention Center. The panel, “Future Demands on the Optical Network - IoT, Connected Cars and More,” features industry leaders from Ciena, Ethernet Alliance, IHS Markit and Nokia for a thought provoking discussion on 5G and future applications that are putting an increased demand on the optical network, including Connected Cars and IoT.
 
7. Nokia: Special Tour, Demo, Presentation
Taking place on Tuesday, 13 March, 14:45 - 16:00, in booth #2228, Nokia experts will guide media/analysts through the inspiration and vision behind their latest innovation, and the next chapter of their portfolio enhancements. Contact Maryann Welsh to RSVP.
 
8. Media/analyst reception (13 March)
Media/analysts are invited to join their colleagues and exhibitor PR and marketing contacts for an informal reception hosted by OFC from 17:00 – 18:30 on Tuesday, 13 March in Room 5B the San Diego Convention Center. Light refreshments including beer and wine will be served.
 
9. OFC Meeting App
The OFC 2018 Mobile App is now available for download for iOS and Android. Download the mobile app to search for technical presentations; explore the exhibition by viewing a list of exhibitors and show floor programs; and network with attendees.
 
10. Suzanne R. Nagel Lounge
A new professional development destination focused on improving gender equity at OFC and the field of optical communications located on the exhibit floor will be available to all attendees. Named in honor of the first woman chair of OFC, Suzanne R. Nagel, the lounge will be a dedicated, networking space offering attendees the opportunity to meet colleagues, explore new business opportunities, have professional headshots taken, and participate in small professional development sessions focused on topics ranging from resume writing to navigating the “boys club.”
 
The Optical Fiber Conference and Exposition (OFC) is the largest global conference and exposition for optical communications and networking professionals. For more than 40 years, OFC has drawn attendees from all corners of the globe to meet and greet, teach and learn, make connections and move business forward.
 
OFC includes dynamic business programming, an exposition of more than 700 companies, and high impact peer-reviewed research that, combined, showcase the trends and pulse of the entire optical networking and communications industry. OFC is managed by The Optical Society (OSA) and co-sponsored by OSA, the IEEE Communications Society (IEEE/ComSoc), and the IEEE Photonics Society.  OFC 2018 will be held from 11-15 March 2018 at the San Diego Convention Center, California, USA. Follow @OFCConference, learn more OFC Conference LinkedIn, and watch highlights OFC YouTube.