“We’re stronger together than apart.” This timeless truth was on full display this year in the electric hallways of the Paris and Horseshoe Hotel in Las Vegas. The wireless internet industry descended on the venue for WISPA’s annual WISPAPALOOZA conference, a vital event that allows operators, vendors, and subject matter experts to compare notes, share deployment stories, highlight best practices, and see the latest equipment. Most importantly, it allows us to build the bonds our industry depends on to remain strong and competitive.

As a first-time attendee, the conference absolutely did not disappoint.

Day-by-Day Highlights and Insights

The event officially kicked off on Monday with Master Monday sessions, covering topics like peering, spectrum strategy, government advocacy, and sales. Though my travel schedule didn’t allow me to attend, those I spoke with confirmed it was a solid day packed with valuable information. If you missed it, you missed out.

On Tuesday – the education sessions continued in the Paris Hotel, and larger panel and keynote presentations took place in the Horseshoe’s Grand Ballroom. Additionally, the exhibit hall opened, giving vendors the chance to show off the latest technology and answer detailed questions from attendees. A major shout-out is due to the excellent catering team who provided plenty of coffee, water, sandwiches, salad, and other crucial nourishments, all necessary given the amount of walking involved to meet everyone and hit every section and event!

I bounced between all three types of events, leaving no time wasted, and still didn’t have enough time to see every single booth or hear every lecture.

I can only echo Nathan’s sentiment. We had three attendees from our organization present and likely could have benefited from having at least twice the number of warn bodies in attendance. That’s a key lesson for next year.

On Wednesday, the Grand Ballroom was the site of the vital State of WISPA presentation, where we heard directly from the WISPA Management team. They laid out the major challenges facing the industry and shared an update on their successes to date, including their tireless work to protect critical spectrum like CBRS and 6 GHz. The team detailed their efforts to keep our industry protected, ensuring that WISPs get a fair shake in Washington D.C. and at state broadband offices. I left that presentation with immense confidence in the management team and will happily be writing our member dues checks in the future, knowing they are working hard to keep our business active and thriving.

The Value of Face-to-Face Connections

Down on the exhibition floor and in the general areas, I spent significant time meeting people I’d previously only known through WISP Talk, Facebook Messenger, or email. This networking was a huge value-add.

Deep Dives on the Exhibition Floor

Having spent the last few years developing LTE/5G knowledge and shipping my Rapid5GS packet core, getting to meet the teams at the Nokia, BEC, Baicells, and BTI Wireless booths was a dream come true. The Nokia team, in particular, was incredibly warm; having only dealt with them virtually before, I truly felt like one of the family being inside the booth with the entire team. These exhibitors took genuine time to discuss my ideas, concerns, and questions with a level of joy and attention I haven’t seen at a tradeshow in a long time. The camaraderie was strong, and I left with more “tools in the toolbox” to improve our Nokia/Baicells/Rapid5GS deployments in the future. This alone made the trip to Vegas worthwhile.

Stepping outside the LTE/5G space, a bunch of other household names were present, including (BUT DEFINITELY NOT LIMITED TO!) Mimosa, Cambium, Alliance, SAF, GeoLinks, WinnCom, Regulatory Solutions, Tarana, Ubiquiti, RF Elements, and CTI Connect to name a few, all with fully outfitted booths and impressive products. It was great to meet Nicole White from SAF and to see the legendary Jeff Broadwick in person, rocking the awesome pink-branded CTI shirts. If someone has a photo of Jeff sporting the pink shirt, please shoot it my way so I can include it here! 🙂

Over at the Cambium Networks booth I got to finally meet Joshaven Potter in person. We spent time nerding out on best practices for deploying our ePMP 4600s and discussing what Cambium is focused on to make this product line even more competitive in the future.

Separately, I want to give a major shout-out to Brian Webster and Cameron Crum from the Regulatory Solutions booth. We spent quality time diving deep into the complexities of LTE/5G PCI planning and BDC compliance issues – definitely a valuable exchange!

Finally, I had a very productive conversation with Brandon Miltsch and Joe Pessy from TP-Link and the AGINET line. Since we standardized on their HX510 routers a while back at my ISP, it was invaluable being able to share live feedback and product ideas directly with the team.

Industry Energy and Optimism

The WISP community kept the Vegas energy alive each night long after the official events ended. You could find some fun industry contacts at nearby locations like Guy Fieri’s “Flavortown” or the “Blue Bar.”

During these late-night sessions, drinks flowed and stories were exchanged about the challenges unique to our industry. I was personally encouraged hearing how peers are fighting back against big-city competitor encroachment, handling employee issues, and navigating cash flow challenges. Many new friendships were forged; I collected at least 50 business cards and promised a personal follow-up to everyone.

The sheer density of talent was staggering. Off the top of my head from names not already mentioned – I got to interact with Spencer Pous, Dimitri Porpodas, Ryan Grewell, Ken Ruppel, Louis Elliott, Dwayne Zimmerman, Kendall Heller, Matt Garlock, Jeff Little, Erik Levitt, John Gill, Noreen Rucinski, Sotos Kalogirou, David Zumwalt, Robin Bhat, Hunter Pottorff, TJ Scott, and Louis Peraertz to name a few. Connecting with this group—just a fraction of those present—was a powerful reminder of the expertise driving our industry forward.

While there was a healthy awareness of both present and future challenges, there was zero vibe of “complacency.” Everyone I talked to was actively working to evolve their business and push the needle further for customer satisfaction and loyalty.

On the final day, I attended a lovely event hosted by Nathan Stooke for speed networking. It featured a round-table format where attendees shared their names, companies, and answers to shared discussion topics. I made several new contacts during this exercise, and Nathan did a stellar job moderating and keeping everything on track.

Final Thoughts and Gratitude

A huge shout-out is due to WISPA. Your entire team, from the management team members all the way to the photographer, were professional, courteous, and made this experience the best it could be.

These are just a few of the many things that happened at WISPAPALOOZA this year. If you didn’t make it, you truly missed out! I know I’ll be back next year. Thank you so much to everyone who took time to chat with me, shared cool swag, bought drinks, or simply acted as an excellent host. It truly felt like one big, loving family, which helped drive home why I love this industry: the people.

I can’t wait for the next “family reunion” at WISP America in Atlanta. I hope to see you then!