Satellite 2017 Washington D.C.

Welcome to Embrace Space! Today, we're going to take a trip to Washington, D.C., to check out the leading conference on the satellite industry, aptly named SATELLITE 2017! I had the privilege to attend this event, and it was a very busy week!

According to The SATELLITE show website, the conference, hosted every year for the past 35 years, "has played a critical role in determining how satellites will shape the future of our world. The show welcomes a community of aerospace professionals from every market and field of study, hailing from more than 150 nations around the world". Some statistics, from last year's conference, are below.

For the company I work with, NSR, this is the show, the conference, where all the industry players come together to learn more about market opportunities, competition, and to share ideas and debate topics. Each year, the entire NSR team assembles in Washington for a break-neck pace of meetings, sessions, and interviews meant to strengthen our knowledge, understanding, and position within the industry.

I did not attend the conference last year because I had only just started with the company, but I have heard much about it. I was excited to go, to meet and speak with all the industry players, as well as to meet my team in person for the very first time. As I've mentioned before, NSR has an interesting work environment, and while I speak with each team member often, over the phone or email, this was my first opportunity to meet them in person.

Before I met my team, I had a chance to get in and get settled. I landed a day earlier than the others, and took the time to explore the city. I had been in Washington once before, on a school trip, so I was looking forward to exploring on my own, at my own place. The weather was perfect, not a cloud in the sky, a great day for a long walk.

US National Archives

Written on the side of a "Newseum"; placement I find interesting.

The Canadian Embassy, humbly celebrating 150 years since Confederation!

The United States Capitol 

The Washington Monument

What's that up ahead?

The Moon, the US flag, the Capitol Building, and the Washington Monument all in one picture!

Now, where have I seen that particular perspective before?

On your left! #CapitalAmerica

The Reflecting Pool doing what it does best

It was a very good walk, providing me with the time to take in the history and importance of the area, and the nation I was in. Current events have not been easy for anyone, and the reputation of the US has suffered, but as I walked along the National Mall, I thought about the silver lining, the good that was worth fighting for, and it bolstered my spirit. 

Now, after walking all that way, one would normally capture la pièce de résistance, the Lincoln Memorial, sitting majestically overlooking the area, but my pictures didn't turn out that well, so let's move on!

Later that evening, I met up with most of the team for dinner. Washington is a food city, or so it seems, with excellent dining establishments on every corner. The dinner was nice, and I delighted the team with stories of my cape, being mistaken for Jesus, and other adventures.

Thanks for the picture goes to Carolyn

The first day of the SATELLITE show, NSR hosted a Finance Forum. Here, we moderated several sessions over the course of the day discussing everything from satellite operator finances, manufacturing strategy, and emerging opportunities worth investment and investigation within the industry. It was a well-attended event, full of excellent debate and discussion, and while several of my colleagues hosted the day's sessions, I helped out mostly in note-keeping and social media exposure.

A view of the setup

The following day started with NSR's "Breakfast Briefing". A more exclusive event, the briefing discussed the most interesting and strategic trends in the business, with analysis from the entire team helping companies "stay ahead of the curve", as we say. For my part, I greeted and registered the guests, a perfect opportunity to meet everyone.

The rest of the week was exceptionally busy, but the pictures stop here. In three days, I had 25 meetings, walked over 54,780 steps (42.3km), and gathered quite an impressive collection of business cards! There were many announcements that week, including Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket and first customer, Eutelsat, set for launch in 2022, and Kymeta's Kalo service offered with Intelsat. 

Each announcement, each session and meeting, showcased the intricacies of the business, the inter-operation of the industry value chain, and allows us at NSR to more critically and accurately analyze and assess the opportunities, trends, and future of the business. For myself, it was nice to put faces to names, and introduce myself to the various companies with whom I have spoken over the year. 

The evenings were also quite busy, full of cocktail parties, dinners, and even an ISU reunion. More handshaking, more interesting discussion, and more excellent food and drink! 

The travel back was quite uneventful, save for a brief evacuation in the Paris airport which turned out to be nothing but a false alarm. I was grateful for the down time, the opportunity to rest my feet, and breathe.

In the end, I had an excellent time in Washington, D.C. The SATELLITE show was a fantastic opportunity for both fun and experience, and I am already thinking about next year's event. I hope you've enjoyed the tour. I'm looking forward to keeping you informed as I can throughout the year. So, feel free to sign up for email notifications to keep you up-to-date!

As always, thank you very much for reading!