The seventh annual COFAX computer and telecommunications bonanza starts in Bratislava June 3-6. Located at the revamped Incheba exhibition center on the Petržleka side of the Danube in Bratislava, COFAX will showcase 235 companies in over 11,000 m2 of floor space.
This year's event is indicative of the trends in technology today - especially by its heavy emphasis on telecommunications. Three out of the six biggest exhibitors are in the telecom field: Slovak Telecom, GSM and NET provider Eurotel, and the mobile phone company Ericsson. Hall C will be completely devoted to this field with satellite communication companies like Telenor, GSM providers, mobile phone companies and other telecommunication firms. Siemens Nixdorf, ICL, and Columbex round out the other top exhibitors.
COFAX '97 is also notable for who didn't show up. Computer giants such as IBM, Digital, Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard decided that the event did not target their customers. "It's nice to give away free pens to kids, but we want to reach our market, which didn't happen {at COFAX} last year," said Espen Ramsbacher, IBM's general director.
Last year, over 300 companies had booths at the event, so the drop is a possible sign that COFAX's better days are over. Still it is expected that 50,000 people will parade around the grounds looking to be awed by new technology.
Staying with the telecom theme, an International Conference on Telecommunications will take place June 4 and 5 on the Incheba grounds. It will concentrate on the development of telecommunications in Slovakia, the impact of GSM, multi-media entities such as cable TV and ATM banking, as well as Intra and Internet technology.
Other highlights include an intense seminar on databases on June 3, a seminar on computer graphic design and an international e-mail art display. Big shots such as Chairman of Parliament Ivan Gašparovič, Minister of Economy Karol Česnek and Slovak Chamber of Commerce President Peter Mihók are expected to make appearances.
