NEW YORK, July 17 /PRNewswire/ --

- Huge turnout for Light Reading's Packet-Optical Transport Evolution 
Virtual Tradeshow with the industry's leading optical experts, nearly 900 
attendees, and 10 sponsors

Light Reading (www.lightreading.com), the leading online publication for
the telecom industry, and Heavy Reading (www.heavyreading.com), its
prestigious market research division, produced the optical networking
industry's first online tradeshow on July 14, The Packet-Optical Transport
Virtual Tradeshow, with 1,757 registrants, 881 attendees, and 10 sponsors.

Heavy Reading's leading optical networking experts moderated the
Packet-Optical Transport Evolution Virtual Tradeshow conference sessions, led
by Conference Chair and Heavy Reading Senior Analyst, Sterling Perrin, with
participation from Chief Analyst Graham Finnie. Covering how optical networks
bring real value to networks and how they ultimately underpin an operator's
success in an NGN world, the Packet-Optical Transport Evolution Virtual
Tradeshow was part of a live/virtual event program, with the live event, the
Packet-Optical Transport Evolution Conference, held on May 19 in New York
City with 14 sponsors.

The Packet-Optical Transport Evolution Virtual Tradeshow sponsors
included Gold Sponsors, ADVA Optical Networking, Ciena, ECI, Gridpoint
Systems, JDSU, NEC, and TPack; and Bronze Sponsors, Anritsu, Glimmerglass,
and Polatis. The Virtual Tradeshow was promoted extensively via Light
Reading's network of 300,000 unique visitors. With a registration goal of
1,000 registrants, the Packet-Optical Transport Evolution Virtual Tradeshow
tremendously exceeded goals with more than 1,770 registrants from 78
different countries.

The Packet-Optical Transport Evolution Virtual Tradeshow featured keynote
speakers Paul Savill, SVP Transport and Data Services at Level 3
Communications, and Glenn Wellbrock, Director of Optical Transport Network
Architecture and Design at Verizon Communications. Savill discussed
requirements for managing the transition to next-gen optical networks, and
Wellbrock covered the transport evolution for medium- and long-haul optical
networks.

"This new virtual format is a powerful tool for bringing together the
global optical networking industry for education, idea exchange, and
networking -- without any of the downsides of physical travel," noted Heavy
Reading's Perrin.

"This conference shows how Light Reading can uniquely create a successful
industry event that brings together the immediacy and personal relationship
aspects of live programs with the reach and impact of virtual events," said
Joe Braue, Light Reading SVP and Group Director.

The Packet-Optical Transport Evolution Virtual Tradeshow, which took
place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, included all the elements of a live event and
more, such as an auditorium with four different panel sessions and one
keynote session, as well as video presentations and live Q&A; exhibitor
booths on the virtual show floor with chat features allowing suppliers and
buyers to interact; downloadable materials from exhibitor booths; and a
virtual lounge, the show's most highly trafficked area with 385 visitors,
allowing attendees to network with each other.

The Packet-Optical Transport Evolution Virtual Tradeshow will be archived
here on Monday, July 20: www.lightreading.com/packetoptical.

For more information on Light Reading's upcoming virtual tradeshows
please email events@lightreading.com.

Contact
    Amy Averbook
    Light Reading
    +1-212-600-3373
    averbook@lightreading.com

About Light Reading

Founded in 2000, Light Reading (www.lightreading.com) is the leading
online media, research, and focused event company serving the US$3 trillion
worldwide communications market. Lightreading.com is the ultimate source for
technology and financial analysis of the communications industry, leading the
media sector in terms of traffic, content, and reputation. Light Reading's
research arms, Heavy Reading and Pyramid Research, provide the most
comprehensive communications research, market data, and technology analysis
in close to 100 markets around the world. Light Reading produces nearly 20
targeted communications events including TelcoTV, Ethernet Expo New York and
Ethernet Expo London, The Tower Summit @ CTIA, and Optical Expo, as well as
focused one-day events tailored for cable, mobile, and wireline executives.
Light Reading was acquired by United Business Media in August 2005 and
operates as a unit of TechWeb.

About TechWeb

TechWeb (http://techweb.com/aboutus), the global leader in business
technology communities, is an innovative business focused on serving the
needs of technology decision-makers and marketers worldwide. TechWeb produces
the most respected and consumed media brands in the business technology
market. Today, more than 13.3 million* business technology professionals
actively engage in our communities created around our global face-to-face
events including Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat, and VoiceCon; online resources
like Light Reading, Intelligent Enterprise, InformationWeek.com, bMighty.com,
and Financial Technology brands; and the market leading, award-winning
InformationWeek Magazine, TechNet Magazine, MSDN Magazine, and Wall Street &
Technology magazines. TechWeb also provides end-to-end services such as next-
generation performance marketing, custom media, research, and analyst
services. TechWeb is a division of United Business Media, a global provider
of news distribution and specialist information services with a market
capitalization of more than US$2.5 billion.

* 13.3 million business decision-makers: based on # of monthly
connections

About United Business Media Limited (www.unitedbusinessmedia.com)

United Business Media Limited is a leading global business media company.
We inform markets and bring the world's buyers and sellers together at
events, online, in print, and with the information they need to do business
successfully. We focus on serving professional commercial communities, from
doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewellery traders, from
farmers to pharmacists around the world. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30
countries are organized into specialist teams that serve these communities,
helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and
efficiently.