Austrade lines up stands for CeBIT: Exhibition a sellout with six months to go

Places at next year's CeBIT summit have all but disappeared and Australian technology businesses are being advised to gather under one national umbrella.

The global technology showcase, to be held in Hannover, Germany, in March 2001, already has a global waiting list of more than 160 companies. Some 7500 companies have already secured places at the exhibition, according to the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade).

Austrade recommends any companies that have not yet submitted expressions of interest in participating in next year's summit gather under two Austrade-coordinated Australian stands.

An Austrade spokesperson confirmed the commission had secured one stand in the software hall and one stand in the telecommunications hall at the exhibition. No limits have yet been placed on the number of Australian companies those stands would house, according to the commission.

"We will take as many as possible," the spokesperson said.

Austrade said CeBIT gave exhibitors the opportunity to showcase products to some 750,000 potential customers over the week-long event.

The 21 Australian companies that attended the summit last year drummed up almost $11 million in on-site sales, as well as hundreds of leads to further sales, Austrade said. Those companies expected to generate future sales of more than $134 million as a result of the exhibition.