Winter approacheth, and along with the seasonal nip in the air, there`s a distinct sense of anticipation of the SA IT industry`s largest event. Computer Faire takes place from 23 to 26 May.
At no other time in the year are product managers and marketing teams more cagey about their companies` initiatives.
Basheera Khan, Journalist, ITWeb</P>
I remember the good old days, when school tours were allowed in to the faire on any day of the exhibition, and not just restricted to Saturdays.
I, along with the 3 000 or so other kids from various CompSci classes across Gauteng, would enter positively humming with avaricious glee, and emerge a few hours later, exhausted, footsore and clutching various branded plastic packets bulging with magazines, coasters, key-rings, CD-ROMs, and anything else that wasn`t welded to the exhibitor hall floor.
Of course, several years on, I`m on the other side of the fence, and deeply gratified at the exclusion of teenage brats from the faire`s "serious days". After all, how else to ensure that business visitors get a fair go at the freebies?
Seriously though - Computer Faire is the bane of many a journo`s life... after all, at no other time in the year are product managers and marketing teams more cagey about their companies` initiatives.
Big announcements, new products, and hundreds of thousands of rands of marketing spend are all carefully put aside until Computer Faire - where the message may or may not be heard amid the noise of 50 000 people trying to get at the free chocolates at Stand GU876, for example.
Return vs risk
It`s a risky business - but then, like most high-risk ventures, the potential returns are just as hefty. I expect this year might be the riskiest of the lot, what with the addition of Mobilexpo to the regular exhibitions and events.
I think visitors to this year`s faire will be spoiled for choice. Between that show focusing on empowering the corporate IT workforce through mobile connections, Sun Microsystem`s Java University, the various wireless technology demonstrations and of course - shameless punt alert - the ITWeb-sponsored keynote speakers, I`d be surprised if any visitor to Computer Faire 2001 left without at least one new burning desire or flawlessly brilliant business strategy springing to mind.
Of course, there is always the chance that the faire organiser, Reed Exhibitions, has brought too many events and exhibitors on board. After all, the events industry is small and relatively cutthroat in this country, and between Terrapinn, marcus evans, and the currently undetermined organisers of Comdex SA, it is a battle fought tooth and nail to secure the majority of exhibitors, visitors and media coverage.
At some point, there is the significant threat of overkill. Though I`m sure the organisers of the various industry events do their best to ensure originality and innovation at each event, there is a point when everyone, regardless of where they fit in on any given Cartesian plane, has had just about enough. Here`s hoping Computer Faire 2001 doesn`t quite push anyone over the edge this time.
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