CeBIT America 2005 Canceled

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/08/03/HNcebitamcancelled_1.html' target='_blank'>http://www.infoworld.com/article/04...ancelled_1.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Although the Cebit America Web site continues to enthusiastically suggest that visitors "Save the date!" for the 2005 edition of the IT trade show next June in New York, organizers Monday announced that the event has been canceled. 'Though regrettable this is the correct business decision," Joachim Schafer, president of show organizer Hannover Fairs USA Inc. said in a statement. 'Cebit America is a terrific event but it has not generated enough revenue to justify a third year.'"</i><br /><br />As our <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,28599">report on CeBIT showed</a>, though, it wasn't a "terrific event". In fact, the 2004 event was downright <i>bad</i>. I wanted to see it succeed, but it looks like they never really got the ball rolling. So, both Comdex and CeBIT are canceled, and TechXNY seems to <a href="http://www.techxny.com/">not have a PC Expo this year</a>. So much for any technology convention in North America that's not CES or E3. :cry:

[Jon Westfall]

I'll miss reading the reports of it, but after this years report, can't say I'm suprised. I think this reflects american culture regarding technology: namely that only geeks and losers are into technology. While this is wrong (as we suave people from the USA at PPCT prove), its a stereotype we are burduned with.

[Kati Compton]

I'll miss reading the reports of it, but after this years report, can't say I'm suprised. I think this reflects american culture regarding technology: namely that only geeks and losers are into technology. While this is wrong (as we suave people from the USA at PPCT prove), its a stereotype we are burduned with.
I don't think the problem was necessarily whether or not people were "into" technology there, so much as there wasn't all that interesting of technology to SEE (on the whole).

[Jon Westfall]

I'll miss reading the reports of it, but after this years report, can't say I'm suprised. I think this reflects american culture regarding technology: namely that only geeks and losers are into technology. While this is wrong (as we suave people from the USA at PPCT prove), its a stereotype we are burduned with.
I don't think the problem was necessarily whether or not people were "into" technology there, so much as there wasn't all that interesting of technology to SEE (on the whole).

Well, I guess we have seen a very strange technological equilibrium occur in the past few years. I remember a time when faster / better / more innovative things came out every 6 months... now it seems like we've reached a point where we have all we need, and are just refining it.

I do still believe that those in North America are viewed as not into technology culturally compared to germany & britain.

[Janak Parekh]

I do still believe that those in North America are viewed as not into technology culturally compared to germany & britain.
I don't know about that. COMDEX used to be the biggest international technology conference, by far. PC Expo, in the mid-90s, used to eat up the entire show floor of Javits, and took days to tour. If anything, we've gotten more, not less technological since then.

--janak

[Kati Compton]

Part of the problem is that a lot of businesses have decided that the real money isn't in making cool stuff for people to use, but in making products that they can convince other companies that they need. So it seems like most business is B2B, with only the "suckers" getting the "lousy job" selling to the consumer. :( Then the innovation presented turns all into "this is how you can keep track of the birthdays of the reps at all your clients and automatically send them something off their Amazon wish list with a note that says 'Happy Birthday, from your pals at BigCorp'" or "we'll sell you a program that will figure out that based on the purchase of a box of Nilla Wafers, that an end-consumer will then also have a 40% chance of buying vanilla pudding in the same trip." Plus a lot of security stuff.

[WillyG]

"we'll sell you a program that will figure out that based on the purchase of a box of Nilla Wafers, that an end-consumer will then also have a 40% chance of buying vanilla pudding in the same trip."

lol :lol:

[JonnoB]

Very simple... in the early 90's, Comdex and other shows were the best way to see what was new and for companies to market new products, etc. Now, with the internet, you can communicate the same message for much less. The value for trade shows in the technology area has gone down. Not only that, but Comdex used to be the only major show and now there are literally thousands of more regional and vertically focused trade events.

[Jonathon Watkins]

I do still believe that those in North America are viewed as not into technology culturally compared to germany & britain.

:huh: Umm, Dadarkmcse, as a Brit, I believe that it is the US that is far more into technology as a culture compared to the UK. :)

[Duncan]

I think this reflects american culture regarding technology: namely that only geeks and losers are into technology. I do still believe that those in North America are viewed as not into technology culturally compared to germany & britain.

Not at all. With the sole exception of mobile phones (seen grafted to most people's hand these days) the same stereotypes exist in the UK as in the US. It might be different in Germany or Scandinavia - but that might just be a stereotype.

[ctitanic]

Very simple... in the early 90's, Comdex and other shows were the best way to see what was new and for companies to market new products, etc. Now, with the internet, you can communicate the same message for much less. The value for trade shows in the technology area has gone down. Not only that, but Comdex used to be the only major show and now there are literally thousands of more regional and vertically focused trade events.

I agree, the other point is that it's useless to go to a Comdex or any other shows to see products that never will reach the market. ;)

[gorkon280]

Very simple... in the early 90's, Comdex and other shows were the best way to see what was new and for companies to market new products, etc. Now, with the internet, you can communicate the same message for much less. The value for trade shows in the technology area has gone down. Not only that, but Comdex used to be the only major show and now there are literally thousands of more regional and vertically focused trade events.

I disagree with most of this. The internet is great for finding out about the new stuff, but how are you going to find out the physical things? How it feels in your hand and yadda yadda yadda. Sometimes going to the store changes your mind. I also think that the expo like format is nice to see demos of the new technology that simply cannot be done on the internet.

Basically, the problem is that companies are spending less on tech now then when they were leading up to Y2K and this is why tech expos are in decline. Technology has never truely been about consumers totally especially since most consumers would rather but he cheap Zire because they don't have the W?BIC! attitude we do here and they never will. My dad and brother both could use a MP3 player but don't have one because they are fine hauling around a few CD's.

[Kati Compton]

Very simple... in the early 90's, Comdex and other shows were the best way to see what was new and for companies to market new products, etc. Now, with the internet, you can communicate the same message for much less. The value for trade shows in the technology area has gone down. Not only that, but Comdex used to be the only major show and now there are literally thousands of more regional and vertically focused trade events.
I disagree with most of this. The internet is great for finding out about the new stuff, but how are you going to find out the physical things? How it feels in your hand and yadda yadda yadda. Sometimes going to the store changes your mind. I also think that the expo like format is nice to see demos of the new technology that simply cannot be done on the internet.
Seeing how a device "feels" is important to an end user. It's less critical for a company deciding to outfit their sales force with gadgets, as they're really only concerned with what those gadgets can *do*. Since shows like CeBIT are *not* targeted towards end users, in these cases the Internet probably *does* provide enough information. It goes back to my statement that I think most companies would rather sell to other companies instead of end users.

[Gen-M]

It is not so much that they _want_ to sell to other businesses, but they want to sell more than one at a time to lower their cost per sale. This means selling to businesses.

[lapchinj]

I do still believe that those in North America are viewed as not into technology culturally compared to germany & britain.
I don't know about that. COMDEX used to be the biggest international technology conference, by far. PC Expo, in the mid-90s, used to eat up the entire show floor of Javits, and took days to tour. If anything, we've gotten more, not less technological since then.
--janak
Yeah this might be true but I really don't know too much about the level of technology culture in other parts of the world. While it's true that we had some great shows I think that these conferences are dying for lack of product and in NY because it's just too expensive to host shows anymore. I was at VSLive in July and it sucked compared to the ones in SF or Orlando. It used to be good but here it seems to be dying. Less people, less companies coming to show their wares. But as far as PocketPC shows go I don't think that there is anything new to see like dadarkmcse mentioned. Me and a couple of friends used to take off a couple of days from work in order to see these shows. But the last one I went to I just blew through it in less than a day (alone). There just really nothing to gawk at anymore. The new stuff is only a different twist on the old stuff - seen that, did that.

Jeff-

[TinMan]

Very simple... in the early 90's, Comdex and other shows were the best way to see what was new and for companies to market new products, etc. Now, with the internet, you can communicate the same message for much less. The value for trade shows in the technology area has gone down. Not only that, but Comdex used to be the only major show and now there are literally thousands of more regional and vertically focused trade events.

I disagree with most of this. The internet is great for finding out about the new stuff, but how are you going to find out the physical things? How it feels in your hand and yadda yadda yadda. Sometimes going to the store changes your mind. I also think that the expo like format is nice to see demos of the new technology that simply cannot be done on the internet.

Basically, the problem is that companies are spending less on tech now then when they were leading up to Y2K and this is why tech expos are in decline. Technology has never truely been about consumers totally especially since most consumers would rather but he cheap Zire because they don't have the W?BIC! attitude we do here and they never will. My dad and brother both could use a MP3 player but don't have one because they are fine hauling around a few CD's.
Actually, I agree with JonnoB. I used to attend a heck of a lot more trade shows than I do now, and it's mostly due to the fact that I can follow the show just as easily via the Net (without the hassle of traveling, the crowds, etc.).

As far as the "physical" feel of a device, if it's already "set" (i.e., in production) then I can just as easily find the item in a store or elsewhere. If the design is a prototype, there's no guarantee that the end result will match what you saw/held at the show (e.g., "Smart" Display).

As far as the "demos" of "new technology," occasionally they are OK. But most times, the "technology" never sees the light of day. Anyone remember CES 2001's Best of Show, DataPlay? What an absolute waste of time watching any of those demos was, as the product went nowhere.

Of course you have the smoke-and-mirror demos that don't do anyone any good, aside from, perhaps, the company trying to raise capital (or a market).

Finally, there's the party-like atmosphere at some of these shows that can get in the way of separating the wheat from the chaff. Maybe I'm getting old, but I really have no desire to watch five Amish people, in traditional Amish clothing, performing hip-hop and a dance routine. Or the Indy car sitting at a 45 degree angle running Auto PC. Or the H2 with every accessory in the known universe installed--and running. What does all this have to do with tech? It's just selling sizzle, not steak.

I'll just catch the recaps via the Net. Maybe someday there'll simply be "virtual" trade-shows that exist on the Internet alone. At least then I can totally avoid the dancing Amish, if so inclined.


Regards,
Mike Lynch

[Kati Compton]

As far as the "physical" feel of a device, if it's already "set" (i.e., in production) then I can just as easily find the item in a store or elsewhere. If the design is a prototype, there's no guarantee that the end result will match what you saw/held at the show (e.g., "Smart" Display).
Unfortunately, not all products have an in-store presence. Particularly PPCs it seems these days.

[TinMan]

As far as the "physical" feel of a device, if it's already "set" (i.e., in production) then I can just as easily find the item in a store or elsewhere. If the design is a prototype, there's no guarantee that the end result will match what you saw/held at the show (e.g., "Smart" Display).
Unfortunately, not all products have an in-store presence. Particularly PPCs it seems these days.
True, but as many/most shows are not for end-consumers, it's not generally cost-effective to go to one only to see readily-available products, particularly if the show is for IT/CE in general (e.g., if you're considering outfitting your company with 200 Dell PPCs, buying one for $300 to evaluate is a heck of a lot cheaper than attending a trade-show like CES). Granted there might be pre-production items to see, but in those cases there's no way to be certain the finally product will match what you saw at the show. And of course there are the items that never make it out the door at all--a total waste of time, IMO.


-Mike