CeBIT TV on the starting blocks

Pilot phase to run until CeBIT 2007 Web TV with CeBIT-related topics 365 days a year in future

Deutsche Messe has enlisted the editorial talents of experienced TV writer Christian Spanik, an established expert on web TV. Spanik will be at the helm when CeBIT TV goes live on 23 January. Read on to discover why CeBIT TV is being launched and what you can expect from this year-round web TV initiative devoted to CeBIT topics.

Internet television is, without any doubt, one of the major development markets for the coming decades and a key communication platform for a wide variety of suppliers, in particular when it comes to niche offerings.

CeBIT, the world's leading event for the ICT industry, is also a major communication platform. The starting point in this communication process is to get the industry talking and to highlight both developments and the full gamut of services available in one of Germany's key sectors.

This goes beyond simply communicating with the trade, which is keen to showcase and sell a large number of industry products - be it in the form of hardware or services.

It also involves communicating with people throughout the industry who act as messengers and who - as we all know - flock to Hannover in large numbers every year to learn about the very latest developments.

Trade visitors are users too. A doctor with a great deal of knowledge in his particular field may attend the trade fair in a professional capacity to find out about a new software package, but in other fields - in which he may have a personal or professional interest - he is above all a user. Under the CeBIT umbrella, he has the opportunity to find out about the products and developments of interest to him, be it the latest trends in telemedicine or innovations involving electronics and healthcare - from patient care and monitoring to new information technologies for patients at practice level.

It goes without saying that he uses CeBIT to check out all the latest electronic gadgets too - from SatNav systems to everyday products such as flatscreen TVs, new cell phones, digital players and the associated software.

CeBIT's target group also includes students who are keen to discover what is driving the industry forward and to learn about the latest innovations. They are also interested to hear what the top people from the sector's key players, both large and small, have to say and how they see the future developing. Employees and users with a keen interest in industry developments also visit CeBIT. Even at a small company, these people often act as communicators and messengers for the ICT industry.

The objective of CeBIT TV is to provide all these groups with a niche offering geared to both them and this sector's innovative capabilities, because innovations are ongoing and appear much more frequently than just once a year. CeBIT TV aims to communicate these developments throughout the year under the highly regarded, respected and neutral CeBIT brand.

CeBIT TV will provide a journalistic service. In the coming days and weeks, the editorial team will be getting in touch with you and your colleagues so that your opinions, observations and experience can be incorporated into the initiative.

CeBIT TV will also help those working in the media when they are looking for topics, contacts and photographs for their reports.

Because the various groups naturally have different areas of interest, CeBIT TV will initially be split into three channels.

Create, Trade and Use are the three keywords for these channels:
- Create is the channel for the industry.
- Trade is the channel for resellers.
- Use is the channel for users who have a keen interest in the latest industry developments for professional and/or personal reasons.

The pilot phase of CeBIT TV starts today with the aim of establishing which information and topics are of particular interest to these specific target groups.

The Use channel goes live on 23 January, followed in the coming days and weeks by the first shows on the Trade and Create channels (www.cebit.de/tv).

The pilot phase will run until CeBIT 2007. The experience obtained will then be used for regular web TV shows until CeBIT 2008.

Aspects to consider will be the focal points of reports, the number of shows and the channel contents.

Brief description of the channels:

Create
The channel aimed at the industry should, on the one hand, present successful and exciting projects, concepts and ideas from the sector and, on the other, provide information on industry policies and know-how on demand. There will be interviews and portraits introducing the sector's movers and shakers. Information events of associations such as Bitkom will be filmed and made available too.

This channel will also provide a specific target audience with information on initiatives such as those covered by the German government's high-tech strategy.

Please note that it should also be possible for event organizers to stream CeBIT TV films about projects of interest to specific target groups (telemedicine, forestry industry, architects etc.) via websites or at events for these groups.

Trade
The aim of this channel is to provide resellers with practical know-how - support to bring greater success, background information on manufacturers' activities, basic sales and store strategies etc. The useful information available will include everything from sales arguments for specific product groups to marketing/store strategies and details on key economic issues such as Basel 2. It is intended to be a truly practical channel that enables suppliers and dealers to communicate throughout the year using the medium of moving images.

Please note that CeBIT TV films for this channel can also be used by manufacturers via their websites or at trade events for basic and vocational training.

Use
In addition to practical tips for the digital age, this channel also aims to ensure that even keen users and industry messengers have an edge when it comes to industry know-how. It incorporates everything from advice on good buys and tips & tricks for using digital technologies to details on potential careers and their use of IT and telecommunications. Also included are topics such as how a city and its inhabitants will benefit from being awarded the title of 'T-City'. This channel takes a look into the future too, something which is already being researched in various study projects (home of the future, intelligent car etc.).

Please note that CeBIT TV films from this channel can also be made available to interested editorial teams from publications that come with CDs or for use on their websites.