The organiser of German digital technology exhibition CeBIT has blamed a tram strike for a drop in visitor numbers to this year’s show in Hannover.
Transport action by the trade union representatives of üstra (corr) on 8 March forced organiser Deutsche Messe to provide alternative transport to Hannover Messe, including fleets of specially commissioned shuttle busses and Deutsche Bahn trains.
Local residents also got involved and transported 10,000 CeBIT visitors to the show as part of the organiser’s ‘Red Dot’ campaign.
“A great many of our international visitors and exhibitors made it to CeBIT thanks to the generous spirit of local residents,” said Ernst Raue, the Deutsche Messe managing board member in charge of the show. “This year’s CeBIT was marked by a strong sense of determination, in many different ways.”
CeBIT 2012 attracted 312,000 visitors, a 10,000 drop year-on-year. Visitors came from 110 countries, with more than 50,000 coming from outside of Germany. The show featured 4,240 companies from 70 countries.
“It is highly regrettable that our exhibitors and their clients lost thousands of opportunities to engage in mutually fruitful business dialogue,” Raue said. “The strike was held on our busiest day and cost us many potential visitors. Many were clearly put off by fears of traffic chaos.”
During this year’s show, Germany's consumer affairs minister Ilse Aigner launched a new Web portal addressing the issue of Internet safety for children and young people. European Union commissioners Neelie Kroes and Viviane Reding were also special guests.
The ceremony attracted a wide audience on the Internet, with more than 16,000 viewers.
The next CeBIT will be staged from 5 to 9 March 2013 in Hannover.
Deutsche Messe recently appointed a new president and CEO to its US division.
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