|
CeBIT, Systems, E.B.I.F.
Are IT trade fairs marked for extinction?
A different side of Hanover: The usual traffic jams on the roads leading to the convention centre were nowhere to be seen and hotel rooms remained empty. One can"t help but notice when one in five exhibitors and visitors decides not to come to CeBIT. The banking exhibit (hall 17) was more subdued than in past years. Asian bank note counters dominated the scene, while the few booths run by software providers seemed peculiarly out of place.
At the Systems trade show in Munich last autumn, there was the same sombre picture. This fair also experienced a massive drop in visitor and exhibitor numbers, which forced the organisers to cancel the event after almost 40 years in operation. Even the E.B.I.F. has chosen to sit out this year. In the words of event organisers, they wanted to "look for new approaches for a restart in 2010." There is still hope that it isn"t too late.
Surfing, not travelling
Is the current crisis experienced in the world of trade fairs solely due to the economic crisis? Doubtful, when you consider the downward trend that trade fairs have been in for the past few years. More likely, the concept -at least in the IT industry- has outlived it usefulness.
News of innovation spreads like wildfire in the internet. The latest gadgets are viewed by many online in photo galleries, software can be demonstrated in web conferences and an increasing number of virtual trade fairs have opened shop. Annual events such as CeBIT, scheduled for set dates at a permanent location, will necessarily lose their appeal, at least for those who really want to discover something new.
The large events face further competition in the form of in-house trade fairs, which most IT providers now conduct. There is a sound logic behind this, as more and more clients, prospective customers and business partners are showing an interest in highly focused events. After all, the internet is no substitute for personal exchanges -and this is not set to change in future.
Face to face
In my opinion, this is the solution to the problems faced by CeBIT and other fairs. People, who go to trade shows today, go there to make new contacts and swap experiences. The loud crowds at the booths and in the aisles however lessen their appeal.
The organisers of the discuss & discover event in Munich have caught onto this. The successor to the Systems fair will focus completely on networking and current hot topics. Fairs within the fair are scheduled, as are social events and public forums. The internet is also given a major role, though only one: Anyone can join the online discussion on the event concept and chip in their ideas.
Major new trade fair for banking IT?
The inaugural Finance Forum Germany, scheduled for early June in Wiesbaden, is going in a similar direction, something I view with excitement. This also has the strong feel of an event, while bringing together information, communication and networking. With the concept of multiple themes, there is hope that this new forum will be more in tune with the times than other comparable events. I definitely think it is daring move to start a new trade fair in the economic climate that we are now experiencing. But one thing always applies in times of financial turmoil: If you want to succeed, you have to take risks.
Jan Ph. Wieners
<- Back to: Topics
|
