Organisers are blaming the influence of SARS and the war in Iraq on the drop in international exhibitors at the second annual CeBit show in Sydney.
Only 75 exhibitors will make the trip from overseas this year, compared to 134 at the inaugural event. Numbers from SARS-stricken China, Canada and Singapore are significantly down.
But despite the fall in overseas exhibitors, the projected number of delegates, exhibitors and registered visitors remain promising for Australia’s largest IT exhibition.
The total number of exhibitors has reached 420, compared with 382 the first time out; 140 international delegates are expected to attend, well in excess of last year’s 102, and 22,000 registered visitors are predicted by organisers, compared with 13,155 in 2002.
CeBit runs at the Sydney Exhibition Centre until Thursday.