WABE honoured the past and unveiled the future of regional media conferences in Canada.

Thank you to our incredible sponsors who helped make this year’s Media & Entertainment Technology Conference in Calgary possible:

Applied Electronics · GPA ·  Pippen Technical Service · Telos Alliance ·Super HiFi ·  LG Business Canada ·Matrix Video ·Burli · RCS Software · Broadcast Systems International · Grundy Telecom · WideOrbit · Deltech Communications · SFM · Broadcast Technical Services · RVA Lighting & Mast · Dialight· Avid · SFM

This year, celebrating our 75th, we expanded the vision of what a regional conference can be—inviting more friends from across broadcast, AV, live production, post-production, and film tech. With more than 375 people in attendance, many called it a “mini NAB of the North.” We also welcomed organizations including APPA, AMPIA, SMPTE, SBE, and NCRA, and hosted a memorable SAIT Broadcast Systems Technology Alumni reunion.

Our volunteer group came from almost every kind of background working behind the scenes in tech. I am immensely proud to serve beside them, including the executive:

Cameron Thomson (President) · Rob Brown (Vice President) · Daniel Oong (Secretary) · Treasurer · Host Chairs: Ken Gould (Diversified), Cheryl Bruley (Applied) · Program Chairs: Chris Lee (Retired), Jim McTighe (Bell Media), Todd Fletcher (CBC) · Sessions Chairs: Darren Kronlund (CTV), Tammy Byrka (CTV), Matt Jakuszko (Rogers Media) · Social Media Chair: Amrita Rai (Dome Productions) · Exhibit Chair: Alan English (Matrix Video) · WABE Historian: Randy Opperman (Rogers Media) · SAIT Reunion: Chris Lapp (Cisco) · Special Projects: Dale Coutts (Retired) · Content Strategist & Video Producer: Shilpa Sharma (Ascendant Financial Inc.) · Runners: Bedford Gould (recent graduate) & Liam Jeffs (SAIT).One of WABE’s successes has always been volunteers coming together from different backgrounds and businesses. Volunteering has been one of the most rewarding things for me in recent years, connecting with others working behind the scenes whom I wouldn’t meet in my daily work. I’m always impressed by how much people give of their time to help our community.

With over 60 vendors participating this year in our Exhibit Hall (not counting the sales staff who attended from other brands and manufacturers), the buzz is still being felt with the question of where we go next. If you attended this year, please fill out our survey. Let us know how we did and where you want to go next.

On the first day, we had a great tour with Erin Ruttan and the City of Calgary with over 40 technicians, who walked to see the Calgary Wave Tech Centre and view testing being done with  ATSC 3.0 technology, in partnership with Humber Broadcast-Broadband Convergence B²C Lab  and the City of Calgary are doing together.

That evening’s Media Mixer blended celebration, reunion, and awards. This year, WABE paid special tribute to the SAIT BXST instructors with WABE’s highest recognition. The BXST program, closed in 2020 due to provincial budget cuts, trained hundreds of broadcast technicians who now work across radio, TV, film, and manufacturing. In a powerful tribute, alumnus Chris Lapp spoke about how BXST didn’t just teach him broadcast systems—it built him—highlighting the program’s hands-on learning, mentorship, and life-changing impact.

This year’s award winners were: the WABE Excellence in Engineering Award to Kerry Downs from Pattison Media in Medicine Hat; Tom Wiebe from Golden West Media; and the Sheila R. East Women in Broadcasting Award, presented to Heather Best from Diversified. We also had a very special W. Lamb Award presentation to instructors in attendance from the SAIT BXST program.

Vintage TechPeople were also thrilled to see over 70 students whom we toured through the Exhibit Hall, giving them a first-hand look at media tech and opening their eyes, many expressed a “wow” as they walked into the hall. People who want to work in our industry are excited when they see technology they might one day work with.

On Tuesday evening, more than 120 attendees gathered for our Festivus for the Rest of Us event at the Palomino, enjoying barbecue and team trivia while expanding their networks.

Two program highlights stood out. First, our leadership panels sparked thoughtful, forward-thinking conversations about regulation, innovation, and Canada’s media landscape, featuring leaders from CAB, Stingray, IATSE, the Calgary Film Commission, Ross Video, Crestron, Dome, and PodSummit. Second, the strong appetite for in-person learning was unmistakable—many attendees said they left feeling re-energized for their work.

Conversations throughout the event covered everything from AI as an efficiency tool, to opening doors for the next generation, preserving expertise, strengthening cross-sector collaboration, and navigating regulation while new technology accelerates change. Despite challenges in recent years, there is real opportunity in Canada: new sports teams, new facilities, cross-platform delivery, developing tech, and renewed interest in community-focused content.

Our vision remains simple: connect the Media & Entertainment Technology industry and its ideas through inclusivity, connection, education, and collaboration. WABE is more than a conference—it’s a community, a catalyst, and a celebration of the people shaping the future of media and entertainment in Canada.

Tessa Potter
 Volunteer President, WABE