CeBIT starts with a new date and concept. In our opinion, it takes the new name "Business Festival for Innovation and Digitization" a little too literally. But only the first part of the
name.
After years of declining visitor and exhibitor numbers, CeBIT starts with a new date and concept this year. For a decade, the crowd has been whispering a little louder at every CeBIT. The figures were poor and this had become increasingly apparent at the fair. To nobody´s surprise the organizer announced that CeBIT was no longer the "Centre for Office and Information Technology" aka "Centre for Office Automation, Information Technology and Telecommunications". The choice of name for the new concept, however, was rather surprising: Business Festival for Innovation and Digitization.
Old business fair with a new festival look
The topics covered by individual exhibitors and speaking slots are not really new or different. It was a good idea, though, to bring life into the halls by integrating discussion panels with interesting people from well-known companies on stages. This shortens the walking distances and vitalizes the sometimes rather arid halls.
Innovation and digitization – but not here
However, there is nothing really innovative about the concept of the new CeBIT. The organizers are not stingy with buzzwords like "disruptive business ideas" and "leads" for the business people
and entice with "Blockchain" or "Deep Learning". Numerous exhibitors have taken part in the experiment. Whether the visitors will also come and lead it to success remains to be seen. As for the
digitalization part? The fair did not digitalize itself either – although that would have been the obvious choice with the new name. Why, for example, bait with "mixed reality" but not use it
yourself?
As PR consultants, we associate many memories with this fair and wish it a successful revival.
More successful than for example, discuss & discover aka SYSTEMS, which also tried to take the leap from a trade fair into a networking event with guaranteed leads and failed. But it is
questionable how many lead-generating trade visitors will come for this or even spend the night in tents. Certainly not because of Jan Delay (#Fan) or Mando Diao (#dito). But we are keeping our
fingers crossed.
In that sense: Have a successful BuFID!
Andrea Schneider gets to the heart of the matter without cutting corners on creative language and puns. In the course of her 15 years of PR
experience, the business economist has become a true specialist. She keeps her fingers crossed for CeBIT and hopes for future visits to Hanover.
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