CeBIT wants to set the stage for megatrends, innovations and interaction
With some three months yet to go before the gates open on CeBIT 2013 (5–9 March), the organizers at Deutsche Messe are already confident of a successful event which is bound to attract solid attendance thanks to an outstanding program. This was the message conveyed by Frank Pörschmann, the member Deutsche Messe’s Managing Board responible for CeBIT, when he spoke in Hannover on 27 November: “We expect a high-powered CeBIT 2013 which will consolidate its position as the world’s leading high-tech event. This time we are putting an increased focus on interactivity as we invest in enhancements designed to add even more quality to this premium event.”
“Making ‘Shareconomy’ the lead theme puts the spotlight on one of the sector’s most pivotal trends”, remarked Pörschmann. Shareconomy addresses the sharing the collective benefits of knowledge, expertise and contacts, as well as the shared use of documents, infrastructures, products and services. Internet and the sweeping wave of social communication have facilitated the sharing of information and goods, and made it more proftitable. The Shareconomy leads to greater transparency, encourages participation and is responsible for the creation of numerous new business models. Many businesses find themselves on the cusp of redefining themselves. Processes and channels of communcation – both internal and external – need to be reshaped to accommodate new patterns and realities, and this, in turn, calls for changes in corporate culture and approach. This obviously takes time and trust, however the outlook for those who take action is positive. The many new ideas emerging in today’s Shareconomy era are destined to fundamentally change the world we live in.
As Pörschmann continued: “The keynote themes addressed by CeBIT reflect all of today’s hottest industry trends.” Building on the success of recent years, the upcoming show will retain its four-pillared approach and feature another high-caliber round of CeBIT Global Conferences. Of course, Shareconomy is only one of several core themes. Considerable attention will also be paid to sweeping trends such as Mobility, the Cloud, Big Data, Social Business and the Internet of Things. Pörschmann explained: “The huge upsurge in mobility would be unthinkable without cloud technology. The volume of data which needs to be transmitted is going to skyrocket, not least due to social business and the Internet of Things. Consequently, we can expect exponential growth in the challenges which will need to be tackled by the ICT industry. CeBIT is the only trade fair which gives attendees a total grasp of the fast-changing world of digital technology. The mix of themes covered is right on target, and this is one of the reasons why CeBIT continues to hold steady despite ongoing global economic turbulence.
By self-definition, CeBIT is positioned to serve both the developers and suppliers of digital solutions as well as their users. One of the show’s main objectives is to provide the best possible strategic support to the various market players and help them overcome the global challenges they face. Knowledge transfer and cross-sector polination play a major role, as does the acquisition of all the right talent.
Alongside its four platforms (pro, gov, lab and life), CeBIT 2013 will place a stronger-than-ever focus on its lineup of conferences and the interactive transfer of know-how. The show will also place greater emphasis on promoting innovations and start-ups. As in the past, CeBIT 2013 will address such highly topical issues as the shortage of skilled labor, the recruitment of next-generation employees and the need for more women in senior management. One addition to the CeBIT Global Conferences program will be the so-called Open Stage presentations. Another new addition is the CeBIT Innovation Award given by Deutsche Messe and the German Ministry of Education and Research in recogniation of highly intuitive, user-friendly solutions. In 2013 the start-up competition Code_n is expected to build on the success of its premiere. This time round it will take place under the motto “Smart Solutions for Global Challenges”. 250 participants from 35 countries have already registered for the competition. The 50 most innovative start-ups will have the opportunity to present their solutions to CeBIT’s highly international audience next March. Furthermore, CeBIT 2013 will offer more opportunites than ever for potential employers and promising job candidates to get together, also thanks to the brand-new Recruiting Business Center for confidential talks and negotiations. The TectoYou initiative designed to get young people interested in technical careers will also be making its debut at CeBIT.
For added appeal to the many top managers from various disciplines who attend the show, tailored programs are now being offered especially for marketing, HR and financial executives, and the House of CIOs will be hosting some 500 leading figures from around the world.
The Partner Country to be honored at CeBIT 2013 is Poland, which will be presenting over 200 companies and organizations on more than 3,000 square meters of space across a total of eight exhibition halls. “Visitors to CeBIT can look forward to an impressive and surprising showcase by Poland”, remarked Pörschmann.
(Source: Press release Deutsche Messe AG; Hanover)