This year’s WABE 2024 Conference, held at the JW Marriott ICE District in Edmonton, marked one of our most successful shows in recent memory. With the dedicated efforts of our volunteers, WABE continues to expand its reach across the media industry, now incorporating AV, live production, post-production, and film. The results of this hard work paid off, with over 319 attendees—our best turnout in Edmonton in the past decade.
Our free exhibit hall was a hub of innovation, packed with the latest technology and supported by more than 60 sales professionals from the media and entertainment technology sectors across Canada. The paper and panel sessions sparked critical conversations, from emerging technologies like GPS-complementary systems via ATSC 3.0 to the potential impact of AI on our industry.
WABE could not happen without the support of our generous sponsors. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Cheryl Bruley and Paul Stechley at Applied Electronics, Adrian Bullock at LG Electronics Canada, Chi Chi Liu from Burli, Richard Sondermeyer & Sarah Haslip at G.S. Broadcast Technical Services, Scott Farr at RCS, and Sherman Del Sol at Deltech. Their contributions help us make this conference accessible for technical professionals. We are also grateful to our other sponsors: Avateq, RVALM, Wide Orbit,The Tiessen Group, Grundy Telecom, and Nautel. Their partnership ensures WABE remains a cornerstone of connection and education in our industry.
We also could not have done this without our incredible volunteer team this year, including:
Tessa Potter, Rob Brown, Cameron Thomson, Eric Becker, Alan English, Alexander Hall, Jim McTighe, James Seabrook, Ken Gould, Jessica Fontaine, Tyler Godsman, Dale Coutts, Amrita Rai, Daniel Oong, Janet Greco, Shilpa Sharma, Liam Jeffs, and Mary Musselman.
We also had the pleasure of honouring exceptional individuals in our industry with the following awards:
- RW Lamb Award: Tyler Everitt
- Sheila East Women in Broadcasting Award: Cheryl Bruley
- Spirit Award: Bill Stovold
- Ambassador Award: Brian Gray
These awards celebrate the best in our field, recognizing those who lead through innovation, dedication, and continuous improvement. Nominations for the 2025 awards are now open—submit your nominations early and help us recognize the outstanding contributions within our industry! For more details, visit WABE Awards.
Finally, we’re thrilled to announce that next year’s conference, WABE 2025, will be held at the Calgary TELUS Convention Centre from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, 2025. This will be a milestone event as we celebrate WABE’s 75th anniversary alongside a SAIT Broadcast Systems Technology (BXST) reunion. We aim to surpass 400 attendees next year as we continue to expand our reach and connect professionals in media and entertainment technology.
Please help us spread the word and mark your calendars for what promises to be an unforgettable event. Together, we can continue to learn, connect, and grow the media and entertainment technology industry in Canada which is already fueled by passionate professionals working in it every day.
