SBCA 2003 RETAILER RALLY: SENDING OUR SIGNAL TO THE HILL

PROMISES BUSINESS AND EDUCATION SESSIONS WITH LEGISLATIVE OUTREACH

Annual T. Howard Foundation Golf Tournament Will Coincide With Rally

ALEXANDRIA, VA, August 27, 2003 – The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association’s first education and legislative program designed specifically for its retail members will commence on Tuesday, September 23 in Washington, DC at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The two-day “SBCA 2003 Retailer Rally: Sending Our Signal to the Hill” will feature business sessions designed to help retailers enhance and grow their companies, meetings with Members of Congress, National Standards and Testing Program (NSTP) training and certification courses, and appearances by DIRECTV Chairman and CEO Eddy W. Hartenstein, EchoStar Chairman and CEO Charles Ergen, and executives from satellite radio and broadband companies.

SBCA partnered with the Custom Electronic Design Installation Association (CEDIA) and member companies to bring Rally attendees a strong slate of education seminars that are focused on sales and marketing and business management.  Retailers will have the opportunity to learn the successful formulas many companies have used to achieve increased revenue and success in business.  Instructors will cover topics such as managing inventory, sales staff, employee retention, and headend systems.  Additionally, retailers will hear from the Small Business Administration, which will provide advice and guidance for small business owners, and receive an update from the Federal Communications Commission on the agency’s regulatory measures that affect their businesses.

In addition to business seminars, attendees will be briefed by SBCA’s Government Affairs staff on the current legislative and regulatory proceedings affecting the satellite industry and will have an opportunity to visit their local Members of Congress.  On September 24, Retailer Rally attendees will participate in the legislative advocacy efforts of SBCA as the local face of the satellite industry on Capitol Hill.

“Retailers attending the Rally should expect to be educated on important ways to improve their businesses and to gain a greater understanding of the political process and how legislation can impact the satellite industry,” said SBCA Retail Council Chairman Jim Stephen, president of INTERTECH Digital Entertainment in Lockport, NY.  “The program will contribute to their continued success and value to the satellite service business, and will provide a unique opportunity for them to learn among their contemporaries and participate in the legislative activities of SBCA.”

The Rally will also offer attendees the opportunity to network with their colleagues during sponsored events and to participate in the technology demonstrations in the Hart Senate Office Building on Wednesday, September 24.

Built into the Rally are two NSTP courses: Residential Satellite Antenna Installation (Levels 1 and 2) and Commercial installation (Level 3). The Residential Satellite Antenna Installation course will be offered on Wednesday, September 24 and covers topics including antenna mounting, signal acquisition, grounding, system integration, multiple satellite installations and multi-switching and customer service. The two-day Commercial Installation course will begin on Thursday, September 25. The Commercial course is the next step for installers who feel that they are up to the challenge of installing satellite-delivered video services to hotels, bars, and multiple dwelling units. Topics discussed in the Commercial class include system fundamentals, components and losses, cable properties, RF amplification and distribution, modulation, demodulation and headend balancing. Passing the Residential Installation Course is a prerequisite for attending the Commercial Installation course.

The Retailer Rally has several levels of sponsorships. Platinum sponsors include DIRECTV, DISH Network, HBO, NRTC, Showtime, and SIRIUS. The Gold sponsors are Discovery HD, ESPN, MTV Networks, Philips, and Turner Network Sales. The Bronze sponsors are Scripps Networks, Starz Encore and Thomson. 

T. Howard Foundation Golf Tournament

Coinciding with the Rally will be the T. Howard Foundation’s Fourth Annual “Drive for Diversity” Golf Tournament. Taking place on Tuesday, September 23 at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George’s County, Maryland, the Tournament teams will be paired based on handicap. Included in the $100 donation fee is transportation from the JW Marriott in downtown Washington, meals, carts, and access to the driving range.

“This year’s golf tournament will bring out the best of the satellite industry’s players,” said Curtis Symonds, president of the T. Howard Foundation. “All proceeds will benefit our programs and help to promote diversity in the satellite and telecommunications industries.” 

The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association is the national trade organization representing all segments of the satellite industry.  It is committed to expanding the utilization of satellite technology for the broadcast delivery of video, audio, data, music, voice, interactive, and broadband services.  The SBCA is composed of DBS, C-band, broadband, satellite radio, and other satellite service providers, content providers, equipment manufacturers, distributors, retailers, encryption vendors, and national and regional distribution companies that make up the satellite services industry. SBCA oversees the industry’s National Standards and Testing Program (NSTP), a self-regulating training and testing curriculum for installation professionals. Additional information can be found at www.sbca.com.