Great anticipation is also mounting for GITEX Technology Week’s co-located GSMA Mobile 360 Series, a new regional conference series for executives in the mobile industry, as well as key regulatory and government representatives. The new thought-leadership conferences, which are coming to the Middle East for the first time, will complement those that are run as part of larger GSMA events such as the Mobile World Congress, Mobile Asia Expo and NFC & Mobile Money Summit, and will explore key mobile industry trends and issues on a regional basis.
GITEX Technology Week is also set to up the competitive ante this year with a series of awards to recognise innovation in the industry. The Cloud Awards will celebrate excellence and recognise cloud computing’s contribution to the business community, while the GITEX Hot Stuff Awards is set to be the largest consumer electronics gadget event in the region. Entries for the latter will be pared down to a field of ten that will compete for what is set to be coveted title, as voted for by a panel of expert judges and the general public.
Adding to the constructive competitive spirit is the Student Lab competition, which is sponsored by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs (MoPA) and held in association with Google. Attracting students from leading regional universities, the competition provides a platform to recognise and promote ICT leaders of the future. Come 1 September 2013, 10 finalists will be selected by a jury committee and the best projects will be presented to representatives from leading ICT companies across the globe.
Sponsored by Lincoln, which is also the provider of the event’s Official Technology Car, the new Content Hub will provide an exciting world of live newsfeeds, social media alerts, interviews, breaking news and industry updates under one platform. It will also feature country-specific bloggers and serve as one-stop-shop for multi-platform media collaboration, as well as a powerful aggregator of real-time GITEX Technology Week news and views. As part of its commitment to GITEX Technology Week, Lincoln will be organising a raffle wherein the lucky winner can drive away in a brand new car.
Table of Contents
Growing international magnetism
As ever, GITEX Technology Week aims to increase its numbers of international visitors and exhibitors. Last year 19% of visitors hailed from Africa, 13% from the Americas, 4% from East and South Asia and 4% from Europe. DWTC hopes to improve on that showing through initiatives such as its burgeoning Africa in Focus programme. GITEX’s growing global reach will be in further evidence at the expanded Business Solutions. Now in its second year, the dedicated showcase gives more than 40 specific country groups the chance to present their most innovative technology products and seek profitable cross-border sales and collaboration. This year’s GITEX Technology Week Official Country Partner is Serbia. The partnership will boost trade links with Serbia and increase the presence of the country’s many promising ICT companies at the event.
Game changing conferences
Joining Big Data Conference, sponsored by Commvault and Huawei, on GITEX Technology Week’s conference program is the well-established Cloud Confex, the largest and most influential event of its kind in the Middle East. On 22 October, leading experts will chronicle how and why cloud has moved from hype to mainstream, as technological bottlenecks disappear and business mindsets continue to change. Sponsored by Etisalat and F5, this year’s Cloud Confex, is bolstered by the aforementioned Cloud Awards and an intensive two-day Cloud Governance, Risk and Compliance Workshop (23 and 24 October). The latter will be led by renowned cloud guru Peter HJ van Eijk, an in-demand writer, speaker and trainer (he is a master trainer for the Cloud Essentials course and a Cloud Credential Council Certified Trainer).
Also returning by popular demand is the Digital Strategies Forum on 23 October, which will discuss how the rules of business are being exploded and the complexities of coping with a new, consumer-empowered era. Sponsored by Gemalto, the Digital Strategies Forum will examine how mobile, social networks, big data, and emerging customer touch points are changing the way enterprises and brands engage with customers, and will provide attendees with a roadmap on how best to exploit revenue opportunities opened up by the digital revolution.
Confirmed GITEX Technology Week conference speakers to date include Terry Kane, Head of Digital Strategy, Jumeirah Group; Fayyaz Alam, VP, Emirates Group IT; Saeid Hejazi, CEO, Wally; Zubair Ahmed, VP and Head of IT, Emirates Islamic Bank; and Ahmed El Rayes, Founder and CEO, Gamfield Labs.
Enhanced industry sector focus
As well as bolstering GITEX Technology Week 2013 with new features, DWTC has pulled out the stops to enhance its existing industry sectors (GITEX WORLD).
The Network and Security Sector is looking forward to welcoming the world’s top names dealing with biometric technologies, anti-virus/anti-spam solutions, security tools and services. Top of the agenda will be the region’s ever-increasing vulnerability to cyber-attacks. Last year’s Norton Cybercrime Report found that more than 1.5 million people in the UAE alone were affected by cybercrime in the past 12 months, resulting inDh1.039 billion in direct financial losses. The report also found that 31 per cent adults in the UAE were victims of social or mobile cybercrime in the past twelve months compared to 21 per cent globally.
