ITU Telecom World is the leading industry event for the global information and communications technology (ICT) industry. Held every three years, the five-day event includes a vibrant show floor, exhibition, topical forum, Telecom Village, Digital Life Theater and numerous networking opportunities.

First Things First

1. First time Telecom World will be held in Asia. This is the first year that ITU Telecom World has been held outside its native Geneva, in response to demand from ITU’s members and in recognition of Asia’s role in fuelling the growth of the entire ICT industry. Demand for telecom products and services is soaring, and Asia, with the rapid ICT uptake in countries like China and India, is playing a pivotal role in shaping the fortunes and future of the telecom industry.
2. First time that industry groups have joined forces to create Pavilions within the exhibition (visit The Internet Pavilion in Hall 8, The ITU G-PON Pavilion in Hall 10 and the WiMAX Pavilion in Hall 6).
3. First time Students from Belize, Cuba, Gabon, Lao, Paraguay and Qatar will attend The Youth Forum

Eleven Things You Need To Know About Telecom World 2006

1. ITU Telecom World was established in 1971 as a service to ITU’s membership to debate, discuss and analyse the latest ICT industry trends. This aim has remained unchanged and over the past 35 years ITU Telecom World has attracted more than 800 000 visitors and over 6 000 exhibitors globally.
2. This year the event will be held at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong from December 4 – December 8, using every available space.
3. ITU Telecom World is a vendor-neutral and not-for-profit event that connects the full spectrum of the telecommunications industry. Other events attract mostly segmented or regional audiences. ITU Telecom World has become the one occasion that the world of telecommunications converges under one very large roof.
4. This year’s theme is "Living the Digital World" and the focus is on exploring current and future lifestyles and how they are shaped by ICT. With demand for new services and converged technologies a reality, ubiquitous telecommunications changing the way people access, create and record ideas and entertainment, and the boundaries blurring between competitors and partners, broadcast and telecommunications, the ICT industry is searching for answers to many questions.
5. Between 35 000 and 50 000 trade visitors are expected to attend from 160 countries, and between 500-600 exhibitors from 40 countries will present their technologies and solutions. As well as the exhibition, forum debates and networking opportunities, The Digital Life Theatre has been set up to provide a stage dedicated to commercial presentations reflecting the ‘Living the Digital World’ theme.
6. There will be 20 Pavilions, including Canada, Germany and South Africa along with the three industry pavilions (the Internet Pavilion, the ITU G-PON and the WiMAX Pavilion). These pavilions provide an opportunity for pavilion participants to connect with their audiences.
7. Reflecting the global scope of ITU Telecom World 2006 participants will gather from every region and virtually every country. 20% of the visitors who are expected to attend Telecom World will be from the Americas, 18% from Europe, over 60% from Middle East and Asia, and 2% from Africa.
8. Over 2 000 VIPs will attend Telecom World from 150 countries, including CEOs and business leaders, legislators and industry gurus.
9. Telecom World 2006 is the world’s leading ITC event for media engagement. Some 1'000 journalists and reporters are expected from 500 media organizations from 45 countries.
10. Telecom World Forum will provide debate and best practice to between 2 500-2 600 participants from 150 countries. To moderate the eleven sessions, ITU has selected a range of experts to bring a unique perspective to the discussion. Industry bodies and organizations are represented by panellists and speakers from the Open Mobile Alliance, One Laptop per Child and the UMTS Forum. Expert views from the world of academia and research will be delivered from Columbia University, Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited, Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Pakistan, and the University of Fribourg.
11. Industry support for Telecom World comes from a diverse range of companies from around the globe and includes top names from the world’s major ICT companies including Accenture, Alcatel, ATT, China Mobile, China Netcom, China Telecommunications, China United Telecommunications, Cisco, Ericsson, Fujitsu, Hitachi, HP, Huawei, IBM, Intel, LG Electronics, Lucent, Microsoft, Motorola, NEC, OKI, Qualcomm, Samsung, Siemens, SK Telecom, Toshiba, Verizon and ZTE

Logistically Speaking: ITU Telecom World 2006

1. Over two kilometers of temporary trusses have been installed to rig exhibitors' hanging structures. These have been installed in the 11 Halls by a team of structural engineers, and weigh up to 23 tons. The heaviest include those belonging to NEC, Ericsson, Samsung and LG Electronics
2. 35km of power cables have been installed to meet the electrical requirements of exhibitors' stands. This results in impressive visual and audio displays as the industry's biggest and best organizations joust for the attention of visitors. It also creates fully equipped offices and meeting places where exhibitors can ink deals behind the scenes. Huawei and China Mobile both have stands with three levels, with Huawei even having an elevator to connect them. 56 exhibitors in total have double-decker stands
3. An estimated 350 000 KWs of electricity will be consumed at ITU Telecom World 2006 by more than 650 of the world's leading ICT organizations gathered together under one very large roof. This is equivalent to the power needed to supply a city of 583 333 inhabitants, or equally the U.S. state of Wyoming
4. 853 trucks arrived from 3 to 14 November and a further 1200 trucks are expected over the period 15 November to 3 December - equivalent to 66 trucks arriving per day and a total of 1 540 man-hours to unload
5. 63 dedicated and 477 shared Internet links have been set up from AsiaWorldExpo to several locations worldwide, including special high-bandwidth links with Sweden, Shenzhen and Beijing. These enable exhibitors to share the exciting new technologies launched at the event with audiences worldwide and keep in touch with colleagues. This proves that ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006 truly is the place where the ICT world comes to be connected
6. 28 484 square metres of carpeting will be laid in all 11 Halls to absorb the footfall of between 35 000 and 50 000 expected visitors