WISPAPALOOZA 2022: Your Guide to What’s Happening

by Neil McDonald | August 30, 2022 | Events

WISPAPALOOZA 2022

October’s on the way and that means it’s almost time for WISPAPALOOZA 2022, the flagship event on the calendar of the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA).

This year’s conference will be held at the Paris and Bally’s hotels on the Las Vegas strip, running from Monday, October 3rd to Thursday, October 6th.

Photo of the Welcome to Las Vegas sign with city in background

For WISPs, this is the biggest gathering of the year and a can’t-miss conference. In 2021, it featured over 2,000 attendees, 150 vendors, and almost 100 informative and insightful panel sessions and events.

This year promises to be just as busy. That’s why we’ve taken the time to comb through the conference agenda and compiled a list of must-attend sessions and special events that we think might be of interest. Have a read below and see if you agree!

As always, the Preseem team will be in attendance throughout the conference. Drop by booth 435 to say hello or register for our special Preseem 101 and Networking Event on Monday, October 3rd!

Key Sessions and Panels at WISPAPALOOZA 2022

Monday, October 3rd

All Things MDU: From Sales to Service to Tech: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. – MDU stands for multi-dwelling unit (think apartment buildings) and can be a great opportunity for WISPs to grow their subscriber base quickly. Learn how to sell to MDUs, how to manage these unique accounts, and the best tech options to deliver your services.
Drafting Grant Proposals to Apply for Federal Funds: 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. – After lunch on Monday, check out this panel of grant writing experts to learn best practices on how to take advantage of broadband deployment funding from the government.
Preseem 101 and Networking Event: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Call us biased but we had to get this one in here 🙂 We’re hosting a get-together in the Palace 3 room at the Paris hotel, where our experts will be on hand to demo Preseem or chat about our new features. There’s also an open bar, so feel free to just stop by for a chat and a drink! Register here.
Hybrid Wireless/Fiber to the Home: 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – With many WISPs now considering the possibility of offering hybrid solutions, this session promises to be a great primer on when to use which option and how they can work together.

Tuesday, October 4th

Universal Access Architecture with Adaptive Cloud Networking: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Moderated by our very own Dan Siemon, this session will offer advice on how ISPs can efficiently access network data for visibility and control, adapt to the constantly-changing scale and performance requirements of the application layer, and automate all phases of the network’s lifecycle.
How to Fund and Build Your Fixed Wireless Network for Compliance: 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – This session is for WISPs looking to capitalize on ARPA, NTIA, or FCC RDOF funding, specifically how to comply with environmental, RF, or other infrastructure siting rules.
Starting a WISP: What You Should Know: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. – For less experienced WISPs, this concurrent session will feature veteran WISP owners and operators sharing their experiences and hard-won knowledge. This is a more informal, round-table type of session, so bring your best questions and get the answers you need from the people who know.
Exit Strategies: 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – On the other end of the spectrum from WISP startups, this session will look at how owners and operators should plan for retirement, sale, or other go-forward plans. Moderated by Gerrit Nagelhout from Preseem.

Photo of Las Vegas skyline with Paris Hotel in foreground

Wednesday, October 5th

Great Troubleshooting Methods: 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. – Troubleshooting skills are essential to running (and growing) a successful ISP. Learn how to develop your team’s troubleshooting skills in this early-morning session that features Jeremy Austin from Preseem on its panel.
Fiber Do’s and Don’ts: 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. – Similar to the Starting a WISP discussion mentioned above, this session will be all about learning from the experiences of others and discovering best practices when it comes to installing fiber. Get the inside scoop from those who’ve been there and done that!
Resiliency and Reliability in WISP Networks: 9:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. – Jeremy from Preseem will also be speaking at this session, which will look at how to achieve resiliency and reliability across the many facets of your network, from servers to the last mile.
The Importance of State Advocacy in BEAD Funding Decisions: 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. – You may have heard about the recent (and controversial) announcement of $40B+ in funding under the NTIA’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. In this session, you’ll learn more about how states will go about distributing those funds.
RF Design and Planning: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. – RF planning is a crucial component to building a healthy and successful network. Get the lowdown on everything from antennas to horns to maximizing your spectrum usage in this afternoon session.

Thursday, October 6th

Troubleshooting Fiber: 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. – Preseem’s CTO Scot Loach will be moderating this session that promises to pinpoint the most common issues with fiber and provide tips on how to solve them.
Building Customer Confidence to Switch to FWA: 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. – Having trouble prying customers away from the big traditional telcos? Visit this session to find out some marketing and sales techniques you can use to convince people to switch ISPs.
Selling to Businesses: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. – Find out the differences between B2B and B2C selling in this session moderated by Preseem’s Director of Sales, Rob Payne.
Understanding the Subsidy Landscape: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. – It’s not just BEAD funding—there are a lot of broadband subsidy opportunities out there. This panel session will dive into how these programs can affect your broadband deployment strategy.
Network/Traffic Engineering: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Join Preseem’s Dan Siemon and round out your WISPAPALOOZA 2022 session experience with this discussion on managing congestion, oversubscription, and more.

Other Special Events to Attend

Aside from the 90+ sessions and panels, there’s many more special events on the agenda for the week at the Paris and Bally’s hotels. Here’s a few to add to your calendar:

Tuesday, October 4th

Breakfast/Opening Session/State of WISPA: 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. – Make sure to kick off the official conference schedule by going to this grand opening session and State of WISPA address that’s open to all attendees.
Awards Luncheon: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – After enjoying a grand breakfast, why not enjoy a fancy lunch as well? Grab a seat at the annual WISPA Awards and applaud the efforts of those who’re making a difference in the WISP community.

Wednesday, October 5th

Women of WISPA Breakfast: 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. | Bronze 3 Room, Bally’s – This is an event close to our heart and one that we’re also co-sponsoring. Co-founded by Susan Myers of Eastern Carolina Broadband, Georgette Lopez-Aguado of Sonar Software, and our very own Alison Vreeswyk, Women of WISPA celebrates the advancement of women in the fixed wireless industry. Here’s a picture of this growing group from their get together at WISPAMERICA earlier this year! Read the press release here.

Thursday, October 6th

Keynote Session: 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Held in the Bally’s ballroom, don’t miss the keynote speech on Thursday!
Closing Session and 50/50 Draw: 4:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. – All good things must come to an end and WISPAPALOOZA 2022 is no different. Make sure to end your conference experience on a good note by attending the closing session—maybe you’ll be the lucky 50/50 winner!

Visit the WISPAPALOOZA Exhibit Hall

At WISPAPALOOZA, the Exhibit Hall is always a lively spot. Judging by the official booth map, there’ll be 165 vendors at this year’s conference, meaning you’ll have no shortage of companies to connect with (and swag to grab). It’s important to note, however, that the hall is only open to attendees during designated times, so make sure to plan your days accordingly.

Exhibit Hall hours:

Tuesday, October 4th: 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Wednesday, October 5th: 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. (lunch is available in the hall between 12:30 and 1:30), 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. (light appetizers and drinks provided)
Thursday, October 6th: 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. (lunch is available in the hall between 12:30 and 1:30)

The Preseem team will be setting up shop at booth 435, so be sure to stop by and say hello!

A view of Las Vegas from a distance with mountains in background

Things to Do Outside of the Conference

Of course, Las Vegas has many attractions, both on and off the strip. If you’re not too tired at the end of each conference day, or if you’re able to take some vacation time to bookend your trip, here’s a few resources you might find useful:

No matter what you end up doing, WISPAPALOOZA is always a fun time. We can’t wait to attend again this year and catch up with old friends, meet some new WISPs, and get the latest insights and information from the experts in the field.

Visit our dedicated page for even more info, and don’t forget to register for our Preseem 101 and Networking Event on Monday, October 3rd. See you in Vegas!