CeBIT is usually a busy show with many exhibitors and visitors. This recession year, my 6th CeBIT, I was expecting less of everything. Less exhibitors and less visitors certainly, but also hopefully, less expensive hotels, fewer taxi drivers trying to rip you off and certainly less unfriendly restaurant staff.

The Hanover Messe, I must say, did a great job and although there were less visitors then last year, they were of much higher quality, more interested business people and less Freebie hunters. Some exhibitors got great last minute deals as many companies cancelled their exhibition space days before the show. Unfortunately, the Hoteliers of Hannover did not seem to be offering ‘credit crunch’ hotel prices as I had hoped. Even hotels who were not fully booked seemed to be charging incredibly high prices.

Hopefully next year the show will offer a perfect, sell out combination in these difficult times – high quality exhibitions and visitors combined with realistic, budget reducing hotel prices. 🙂