CeBIT Goes "100% Business"

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A change in director brings a change in direction for the show we love to hate-- CeBIT 2014 goes "100% business," dropping the consumer segment in favour of a purely B2B event.

CeBit all business“We aim to more strongly leverage CeBIT’s core strengths by means of targeted enhancements,” CeBIT managing board member Oliver Frese says. “The event is being placed on a ‘100% business’ track-– exactly in line with the wishes of our customers."

Deutsche Messe rattles statistics from CeBIT 2013 to explain the reasoning behind such a change of heart. Reportedly 82% of CeBIT 2013 attendees were trade visitors, 33% were top-level managers and 60% of visiting professionals have no plans to attend another 2013 IT event.

Thus CeBIT 2014 will drop the four-pillar approach of previous years to instead assign topics to eight self-explanatory "clusters"-- Enterprise Resource Planning & Data Analysis, Enterprise Content Management, Web & Mobile Solutions, IT Services, Security, Communication & Networks, Infrastructure & Data Centers, and Research & Innovations.

Even dates the show takes place on reflect the business-only focus. CeBIT 2014 is set to run on 10-14 March, dates shifted slightly (previous editions took place around 4-8 March) to "give companies an added boost at the outset of the new business year."

Visitors will also get the additional bonus of free WLAN throughout the CeBIT showgrounds and cloakroom services as part of the €60 single-day admission ticket.

“We strongly support these efforts to take CeBIT to the next level," BITKOM President Dr. Dieter Kempf says. "The show’s "100% business" focus will open up fresh growth potential for our members while leveraging the show’s core strengths. For the exhibitors, some of whom spend several million euros on their CeBIT showcases, the changes will mean a greater return on their trade fair investment.”

Go 100% Business: CeBIT Enhancements for Even Sharper Focus