SAN DIEGO—Amid the horror of yesterday’s terrorist attacks in New York City and the nation’s capital, CTIA’s Wireless I.T. conference in San Diego is continuing, even as the show’s participants individually try to grasp the fallout from the disaster.
Today’s keynote address has been cancelled because of the scheduled speakers, only San Diego-based Qualcomm CEO Irwin Jacobs was able to attend. Press conferences have been cancelled. Bunches of media badges remain unclaimed in the press center.
Evolving Systems, just one of the companies planning to make a splash at the show, has cancelled meetings with the press, a sponsored lunch and an after-hours party, as have many other companies. Some companies are choosing to proceed with scheduled plans. Meanwhile, CTIA event organizers are scrambling to fill speaker spots left vacant by people who were scheduled to fly out to the show yesterday.
CTIA President Tom Wheeler asked for a moment of prayer before the start of yesterday’s keynote session, assuring several hundred attendees that the giant TV screen—which normally provides close-ups of featured speakers—would cut away to CNN News as new developments occurred. That happened only once, when President Bush first addressed the nation. A somber Wheeler said security at the show had been increased to protect the safety of attendees and that the trade group would be “cautious, reasonable and sober in our approach.”
“Evil will not prevail,” Wheeler told attendees, in part explaining the organization’s decision to go forward with the show. Part of the thinking is that attendees are stuck at the show anyway, so they may as well continue with sessions.
The show floor is set to open at 11 a.m. today; however, a number of companies do not have staff available to man the booths.
