South African exhibitors who attended the world`s largest ICT trade fair last week gave the event a "thumbs-up", and vowed to return again next year.
This year`s Cebit 2006 trade fair, in Hannover, Germany, attracted four local companies, which showcased their products and services among more than 6 200 international exhibitors.
Johannesburg-based antenna manufacturer Poynting Antennas says it received an "overwhelming response" from Cebit visitors.
Marketing manager Ylana Haarhoff says the company`s universal cellphone adaptor, which was the main product exhibited by the group, was well received by international visitors, with a lot of interest from Eastern Europe. It also exhibited a wirelessly integrated antenna in a WLAN unit.
"So far, we`ve had about 300 serious contacts at Cebit. It was definitely worth every cent going there. Visitors from all over were very impressed with our products for the telecommunications industry," she adds.
Next year
Haarhoff notes that the company last year gained five new international distributors following its participation in Cebit, and will return again next year.
Another local exhibitor at Cebit was the Cape IT Initiative (CITI), an industry body that acts as a regional trade association, networking body and a promotion agency for the Western Cape ICT industry.
The body showcased its own services at the event and represented 10 other Western Cape companies through brochures and shared its stand with BulkSMS.com, says CITI marketing assistant Leigh Holt. This was the first time that CITI participated in the trade fair.
"We are hoping to be part of a national pavilion at Cebit next year. There was a big interest in our services and we focused mainly on establishing contacts and getting communication going between foreign and Western Cape companies," she says.
New clients
BulkSMS.com MD Dr Pieter Streicher was pleased with the company`s participation.
"Not only did we meet new potential clients from around the world, but we were able to visit many of the top ICT companies in one place and market our services to them. We also met existing international clients of ours, and obtained valuable feedback on our products," he states.
Streicher adds that speaking to potential international clients gave the group better insight into their needs, and helped identify new opportunities.
"Being at Cebit gave our company credibility and allowed us an opportunity to market our products to much larger corporations than before. I can recommend Cebit to South African ICT companies. Ideally, SA should have more than 50 companies at Cebit."
Kempton Park-based GLT was the fourth South African exhibitor at Cebit, but director Mike Armour has not yet returned from Germany and was not available for comment.
All local exhibitors applied for funding from the Department of Trade and Industry, which covers between 70% and 80% of the costs of participating in Cebit under a scheme to promote South African businesses internationally.
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