D-Link, Panasonic and Sony pull out of CeBIT 2009

Despite the drop out, Jackie Taranto, managing director of Hanover Fairs Australia said last year, only 9 percent of exhibitors were from the channel whereas this year the figure has grown to 12 percent.

She said there will also be companies participating who have never exhibited at the conference before including Blackberry, Nokia, Trend Micro and Toshiba.

"Due to budgetary control requirements D-Link has pulled out of CeBit 2009," said Maurice Famularo marketing director A/NZ D-Link Australia.

"It's based on the global economic issues. We have had our budgets cut from HQ. CeBit was a big chunk of our spend on a single one off activity and D-Link needed to achieve a set percentage target," he added.

Taranto said the reason why some companies have decided not to attend depends on what stance a business wants to take, either to be cautious with budgets or forge ahead and take advantage of the event by networking with partners.

"Some companies have made a strategic stand to forge ahead whereas others get nervous and start retracting," she said.

"It depends on the company itself and how well they are doing in the market.

"Australia is still a very strong and vibrant market. No-one has escaped the economic climate, everyone is feeling the pinch but Australia is still in a better position than in other countries.

"People still have to update their technology and that can be a money saver in the long term because it allows you to run your business more cost effectively," she added.

Mark Deere Jones, director, Panasonic Business Systems Group said it reviews its exhibition schedule on an annual basis, including feedback from its resellers, partners and integrators. 

"In 2009, Panasonic is focused on vertical market exhibitions that target key end users, ranging from Integrate 2009 to the Health e-Nation and HiC 09 Conference," he said.

Taranto said that with everything that's happening globally companies seem to be struggling worldwide but with the channel CeBIT is ahead of where it was last year.

She said there is a lot of positivity and people who will be attending CeBIT will be there to do business and network.

"People are cautious. Technology is going to be the driver forward and innovation will push us through," she said.

"We have never had Novotel, Lexmark, Nokia and Symantec exhibit before. We also have a big international participation where people from 72 countries have registered to come along," she added.

Kozo Fujita, general mnager, Business Solution Division, Sony Australia said it's focus for 2009 is on vertical markets in each product category including video security, display and storage.

"While we are not participating at CeBIT this year, we will be taking part in other trade shows like SMPTE and Asial, which are more beneficial for us to reach these markets," said Fujita.

"We have exhibited at CeBIT for over 10 years and have enjoyed great success in this forum."

Topics at the event include the implications of the Federal Government's $43 billion NBN as part of 'Access', a conference devoted to the policy, strategic and practical aspects of telecommunications.

Also, how the Web and enterprise technology can beat the financial crisis, technologies from the world's fastest mobile data networks to the world's smallest portable office equipment, and a multimedia tour of the power and potential of the Web.

CeBIT Australia 2009 is held at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour, from 12-14 May with an opening address by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy.

The full conference programs, and speaker lists, can be viewed at http://www.cebit.com.au/conference-program.html