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Global showcase for the digitization megatrend
- New: d!conomy Conference in November
- Cyber-security specialist G-Data returns to CeBIT
As it sets course for 2016, CeBIT is already enjoying strong tailwind from the marketplace. "CeBIT can count on solid digital-industry backing as it gears up for the new season. A large percentage of our exhibitors have already decided to take part in the show again in 2016," said Oliver Frese, the Deutsche Messe Managing Board member in charge of CeBIT, on Thursday in Hannover.
With reference to the wave of digitization sweeping across every corner of business and society, Frese remarked: "CeBIT is leaving its traditional image as a computer or IT exhibition behind, and from now on will boast a new title as the global showcase for digitization." Accordingly, the revamped CeBIT is focusing on three prime areas of digitization: "enterprises and industries, the public sector and government, and society as a whole." Explaining the importance of this new focus, Frese noted that CeBIT was now the only trade show worldwide to address both the economic and socio-political aspects of digitization. He pointed out that the show would put the spotlight on digital transformation, the Internet of Things and IT security.
The show's special mix of exhibition and conferences give users the perfect setting in which to immerse themselves in everything related to real-world digitization. The numerous conferences, speaking events and forums complement the exhibition by providing added scope for dialogue on the opportunities of digitization and the macroeconomic and socio-political conditions needed in to leverage those opportunities.
Frese commented that CeBIT enjoyed very strong commitment on the part of the digital industry, and that several big-name companies were planning to significantly expand their presence at the upcoming show. "CeBIT's sharpened focus on business has been in force for two seasons now, and I'm pleased to say it's received a ringing endorsement from exhibitors and visitors alike," commented Frese. On the exhibitor side of the equation, he announced that the German cyber security specialist G-Data would be returning to the show following a two-year absence, and that Chinese digital technology companies Huawei and ZTE were planning to enlarge their showcases in 2016.
Frese also pointed out the special significance of CeBIT as a way for German companies, in particular, to stay in stride with the rapid pace of digitization. "The lead theme of 'd!conomy' chosen for CeBIT 2015 was right on the mark and documented a sweeping trend in the digital economy," remarked Frese, who added: "Based on this success, we are partnering with Euroforum to stage a new CeBIT lead-theme conference in Düsseldorf this November." The d!conomy Conference will be held over two days – 2 and 3 November 2015 – and is expected to attract as many as 400 participants. "The conference will focus on the various challenges and opportunities facing business users," said Frese, who added that a lot of energy is now being put into working out the details of the program. "The d!conomy Conference will help Deutsche Messe to strengthen and extend its global leadership in the events space devoted to digitization," said Frese.
Frese also announced that Deutsche Messe would be updating CeBIT's visual image this summer. "Having successfully repositioned CeBIT, we would now like to follow through with a new motif that better reflects the show's status as the leading global showcase for digitization." He said the new key visual was compiled and generated from several thousand photos from the digital world with the aid of the latest digital technologies.
Turning to the season just finished, Oliver Frese noted that CeBIT 2015 had achieved good growth. The show had grown its overall visitor turnout by around six percent year on year, and also achieved more booked space. Dr. Frese pointed out that the exhibitors were very satisfied with the show, referring in particular to exhibitors in areas of core importance to economic digitization – areas like Enterprise Content Management (ECM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Business Security, Communication & Networks and Human Resources (HR). One notable outcome of this, he said, was that in some display categories, three quarters of the exhibitors had already confirmed that they would be back for CeBIT 2016.
On that note, Dr. Frese added that the exhibitors were particularly satisfied with Deutsche Messe's initiatives to target SME-scale users of digital technology. "The SME Lounge in Hall 5 was an absolute magnet. It proved very popular with visitors and exhibitors, so we will definitely be expanding these activities. This is important because the SME sector, particularly in Germany, needs to rapidly adopt digitization in all areas in order to take advantage of the opportunities offered by more efficient processes, smart data, smart services, new business models and digital customer interfaces," he said. Dr. Frese's comments are backed by a growing array of studies which show that SMEs that fail to digitize in time will not only miss out on opportunities, but also risk falling behind their international competitors.