The world’s largest and most internationally represented annual technology conference, CEBIT Germany, has been cancelled as part of an event portfolio restructure. Its Australian event still scheduled to go forward, despite declining attendees.
CEBIT organiser Deutsche Messe AG announced on Thursday that CEBIT, the information technology conference held every year in Hanover since 1986, will not go ahead next June and will instead be absorbed into the Hanover Fair.
The event attracted 800,000 visitors at its height, but last year only held 120,000 attendees.
According to a report in The Australian Financial Review, the organisers of CEBIT Australia, Hannover Fairs, which is part of Deutsche Messe, will rebrand and revamp the Australian event.
Details of Australia’s CEBIT event on the company’s website state it will be the “new Festival of Innovation” and will be held in October, a move from the event’s usual May timeslot.
Although stating that “lessons had been learnt” the Sydney event has also encountered a decline in attendees — from 30,000 at its debut to only 15,000 for each event of the last three years.
Hannover Fairs managing director Harvey Stockbridge stated: “We’ve asked that exhibitors produce a more experiential display, that gives visitors insights into how they see the future of their industry,” in an attempt to revamp the conference.
CEBIT Australia featured more than 350 exhibitors from 34 countries – including 100 startups – as well as nine additional technology-focused conferences last year, making it the biggest tech festival in the country.
The NSW government is a major supporter of CEBIT Australia, held at the ICC Sydney from 29 – 31 October 2019. More information available on their website.
