APEX TECH Preview: New Innovations in IFEC
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APEX TECH 2023: Day One (March 21st) – New Innovations in Inflight Connectivity: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM PST. IFEC veteran, Rich Salter will lead a panel discussion highlighting the technologies involved in the products selected as finalists for APEX’s most recent “Best Inflight Connectivity Innovation Award.”
Wrapping up day one of the APEX TECH in Los Angeles today, longtime WAEA (now APEX) Technology Committee member Rich Salter will chat with the three finalists in the Best Inflight Connectivity Innovation category at this year’s APEX Awards.
Currently a business development consultant with his consultancy, The Salter Group, Rich Salter has been in aviation for more than four decades – first as a founder of the map display company, Airshow, and most recently with the fiber-optic networking company, Lumexis.
Aside from his longtime involvement in the APEX TECH committee, for the past several years Salter has also chaired the in-person judging panel for the APEX Awards before each annual EXPO.
APEX Media caught up with the very busy Rich Salter on the eve of the TECH for a sneak preview of his session.
APEX MEDIA: Thanks for your time, Rich. First off, talk to us a little bit about the APEX Awards. How are the finalists selected?
RICH SALTER: Thanks for asking. Here’s the process: APEX has an Awards Committee that has as one of its responsibilities the determination of awards categories for which awards are to be given at the annual EXPO.
Each year, all APEX member companies, both airlines and vendors, are invited by APEX HQ to submit their nominations for their most innovative products and services in several categories. These nominations are to be for specific, innovative and brand-new achievements successfully implemented in the past year.
At the same time, HQ puts out a call for company judges from all member companies. HQ then sends the nominees in each category – along with rating criteria – to each company judge about three months prior to EXPO, and all the entries are rated by the company representatives. Each entrant is rated for innovation, sustainability, benefit to passenger, and benefit to the airline industry. HQ tabulates the ratings results, and the top three rated nominees in each award category are announced as finalists.
The three finalists in each category subsequently make in-person presentations to a live panel of judges – this is the panel that I’ve chaired for the past several years – on the day before the EXPO. The live panel of judges has traditionally been comprised of a rotating set of media representatives who cover IFEC.
These in-person judges have the opportunity to ask questions of each finalist, and then they select the winner in each category [and] the winners are announced at the awards ceremony on the evening of the first day of EXPO.
APEX: So your afternoon session on day one will highlight the technologies that this year’s IFEC finalists represent?
SALTER: Exactly. Our panel is comprised of the finalists from the APEX Award category: “Best Inflight Connectivity Innovation.” They are: Eric Tarter, Director Systems Engineering, Astronics – 6e wireless WAPs; Stephen Rice, VP Sales & Business Development, Stellar Blu – multi-modem satellite terminals; and Job Heimerix, CEO, AiFi – Iridium (LEO) in-the-window.
After a few minutes of presentations, where each of our experts will highlight their technologies, a discussion will follow about what the future holds – where are these three technologies of WiFi, multi-modem satellite terminals, and low-cost antennas going in the near future?
APEX: Any thoughts to share with us on how these technologies might further revolutionize the IFC space moving forward?
SALTER: Well, of course this is what we will learn from the three experts who will present in the our session. Now, I don’t pretend to know what they might say, and if I did know I wouldn’t want to let the cat out of the bag before the conference!
APEX: Of course not. Either way, sounds like a great lineup.
SALTER: Definitely. And the audience will be engaged to ask questions as well, be interactive, and share their perspective of the future too. This being the last session of the day, I’m sure the comments will provide plenty of fodder for continued discussions at the networking reception immediately following.
I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone and I think this session promises to be a terrific finale to day one! So, make sure to bring all your future tech questions and I’ll see you in LA.