CeBIT‘93
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb045234 |
| Published date | 01 March 1993 |
| Pages | 211-213 |
| Date | 01 March 1993 |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Conference Report
CeBIT'93
A
good year
In the face of the mixed and, to some extent, dampened view
of the business activity to be expected in the information and
communications sector, CeBIT'93, with 660 000 visitors
(previous year: 648 900), was given top marks by the leading
industrial associations involved with
the
event.
The Trade As-
sociation for Information Technology within the VDMA (As-
sociation of German Machinery Manufacturers) and-the
ZVEI (Central Association of the Electrical Industry) sums up
the situation for its exhibitors as 'positive in every respect'.
The competence and professionalism of the visitors
was
espe-
cially highlighted. Moreover, the BVB (Federal Association
for Office and Information Systems) has established that 'it
became clear through discussions during the Fair that there
was an unexpectedly high willingness to invest on the part of
the users'.
'For the communications industry, CeBIT'93 went even
better than was expected before the event,' was the assess-
ment of the Trade Association for Communications Technol-
ogy within the ZVEI. The association stressed, in particular,
the number of trade visitors from abroad, up on last year's
figure. The BDU (Federal Association of German Manage-
ment Consultants) established that the expectations of its
members, which had been lower
as
a consequence of the gen-
eral economic situation, were exceeded in many areas.
Besides personal contact with customers, exhibitors
spoke, above all, of the expansion of existing markets and
breaking into new markets as the goals of trade fair participa-
tion. In this context, the sales opportunities in the Federal
Republic of Germany were assessed as markedly worse than
in 1992 but the marketing possibilities in the rest of Europe
and overseas were seen as noticeably better. Apparently, the
further away the markets, the more one can put one's faith in
them.
Firm sales contracts were clearly more important at Ce-
BIT'93 than in the previous year. The primary aim of trade
fair participation has always been to provide the openings for
contracts and to follow this up accordingly after the Fair.
However, looking at the current economic climate, sales suc-
cesses are obviously playing a more significant role than in
the past.
International atmosphere
CeBIT'93 had a total of
5604
exhibitors, 2139 of them from
abroad, and 104 000 trade visitors from all around the globe.
European visitors . . .
As was
to be
expected,
the
countries of
the
European Commu-
nity provided the majority of foreign visitors (around 37 000)
followed by the remainder of the Western and Southern Euro-
pean nations (30
000).
The number of visitors from
the
former
Eastern Bloc has risen dramatically, probably because of the
'Business with Eastern Europe' forum which, even though
their journeys were not always plain sailing, attracted 14 000
visitors from the states of Eastern Europe. The number of
trade visitors from the Asian-Pacific basin was clearly up
(13 000), as was the number coming from America (8300).
The great number of international suppliers reflects the
worldwide competition which exists in technological fields.
The majority of foreign exhibitors came from Europe. In the
forefront was the UK again with 237 exhibitors, followed by
France with 109.
A thoroughly positive mood prevailed over the eight days
of the Fair. The British were delighted with the course of the
event and have high hopes for excellent post-Fair business.
The Italians also consider their participation this year to be
just as successful; they recorded a great number of initial con-
tacts made with future business partners. The French exhibi-
tors especially praised the internationality and competence of
the trade visitors and have already registered to participate
again in 1994. CeBIT'93 was also a success for the exhibitors
from Switzerland,
who
have already requested more space for
the next event.
The new Partner Region concept 'Business with Eastern
Europe' seems to have met with success. Here, trade visitors
from all over
the
world utilised the opportunity for
a
practical
exchange of information between East and
West.
'Partner
Re-
gion Eastern Europe' had 74 exhibitors. Russia topped the list
with 22 companies, followed by Poland with 20 and the
Czech Republic with 13. Compared to the previous year,
twice as many trade visitors came from the region of
the
for-
mer Yugoslavia. The number of trade visitors arriving from
the Czech and Slovak Republics and Hungary also increased
by similar amounts. The CIS was represented by three joint
stands for participants from Russia, the Ukraine and
Byelorussia.
The concept was visited by top-level politicians from
home and abroad, such as the Minister-President of Poland
and the Minister for Research and Technology of Denmark,
and also numerous delegations, for example, from Korea, Ja-
pan and the CIS.
. . . and non-Europeans
The most important non-European exhibiting nations were
the USA and Taiwan. Two hundred and ninety of
the
Ameri-
The Electronic Library, Vol. 11, No. 3, June 1993 211
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