February 1, 2007

• New participation options and attractive rates improve effectiveness of event for exhibitors and attendees
• Customer interests dictate transition from market-centered to customer-driven approach
• Ernst Raue: Initial industry reactions “extremely positive.”

In 2008, a brand-new CeBIT will be unveiled. The new concept for the world's ICT flagship show is the result of a concerted effort on the part of the entire CeBIT community. According to Ernst Raue, the Managing Board Member of Deutsche Messe with responsibility for CeBIT, “the restructuring of CeBIT is consistently geared to the needs of users who are interested in finding solutions for their applications. The initial reactions from representatives of the sector have been extremely positive,” he stated.

Numerous advantages for exhibitors and attending professionals

The CeBIT organizers plan to make the event substantially more effective for exhibitors and attendees alike through a combination of enhanced benefits and cost optimization. The duration of the show will be shortened to six days, with CeBIT beginning on a Tuesday and ending on a Sunday.

The show weekend will offer interested members of the public an opportunity to experience the fascinating world of digital living for themselves, at the same time enabling a growing number of small and medium-sized enterprises and, above all, freelancers a chance to gather important information before making their future investments.

New participation options for exhibitors and dynamic concepts to attract fresh target groups are in the planning. Sections of a comprehensive, 30-item action plan designed to help exhibitors generate even more promising leads among their respective target groups are already being implemented for CeBIT 2007.

Willi Berchtold, President of the German Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media (BITKOM), had this to say about the transformation: “We are very pleased that CeBIT is reinforcing its profile as the industry's premier event and most comprehensive showcase. Across the globe, CeBIT is every bit as unrivaled as it is irreplaceable.”