German tech fair to make stateside debut
By MIKE BERMAN
Scripps Howard News Service
May 14, 2003

How's your German? If you're a bit rusty, you only have a couple of months to get it in shape, because one of the world's largest infotech trade shows is crossing the big pond and landing at the Javits Center in Manhattan.

CeBIT, held every year in Hannover, Germany, has always been one of the biggest information and communications technology trade shows in the world, rivaling the likes of Comdex and others. Although the venue for its U.S. counterpart won't be as broad in scope, organizer Hannover Fairs USA has decided to bring a bit of its huge venue to the U.S. with CeBIT America.

The trade fair, scheduled to run June 18 through June 20, will also include a comprehensive conference program (which begins June 17) and several "high-level specialty conferences" aimed at IT folks including:

- "Bridging the Global digital Divide", sponsored by the Business Council of the United Nations.

- Network World's "Security Showdown."

- Wall Street Technology Association's "Disruptive Technologies."

- Tech Corps' "Technology in Education Today."

Organizers of the trade show expect to attract about 35,000 industry professionals including IT and telecommunications professionals; dealers, distributors and resellers; corporate buyers; system integrators; mid-sized business owners; in-house and independent software developers; and OEMs.

Several specialty pavilions will be featured, including:

- Country pavilions featuring more than 20 countries.

- Exchange pavilions that will focus on group exhibits dealing with storage area networks, security and wireless.

- Association pavilions sponsored by national and international technology associations.

- Government pavilions, sponsored by regional, state and local agencies.

Basically, exhibitors will represent what the folks at Hannover Fairs USA refer to as the three major technology sectors - information technology; communications and networks; and software and Internet solutions - with 3Com, Hewlett Packard and Sun Microsystems featured among the 425 anticipated exhibitors.

This, unfortunately, could cut into the ever-shrinking numbers of technoids and gearheads that attend TechXNY (also known as PCXPO) every year, especially in today's economy, where trade shows feel the pinch of the corporate budget crunch.

In fact, June is usually when we expect to be traversing the aisles of TechXNY, which has now been thrust into the fall season, making its appearance Sept. 16 to 18, with conferences starting on Sept. 15.

Hopefully the community that has become known as "high tech" will be able to support both venues.

Additional information on the show can be found at www.cebitamerica.com.

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