1. Why did ITU change the location of Telecom World 2006?

This is the first year ITU Telecom World has been held outside its native Geneva. The decision to locate it at AsiaWorld-EXPO in Hong Kong, from 4-8 December, was made in recognition of Asia's role in today's telecommunications.

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.

Hong Kong is a gateway to the huge Asia-Pacific market. As such it is a natural choice for ITU Telecom World 2006.

2. Hong Kong, China is renowned for its architecture and shopping, but what is its significance for the telecoms industry?

Hong Kong, China was once considered the workshop of the world but is now its digital workshop. Because of its young, digitally-literate and sophisticated user base, Hong Kong is the ideal laboratory for manufacturers and operators to test out new products and services. If an innovation can survive in Hong Kong's intensively competitive and dynamic market, it will do well anywhere.

Hong Kong, China is the gateway to the huge Asia-Pacific market. As such it is the natural choice for ITU Telecom World 2006.

3. How global is Telecom World? Will the majority of attendees be from Asia?

ITU Telecom World is a global event that connects the full spectrum of the ICT industry. The combination of the people you meet, the industry insight and the first look at ground-breaking technology, makes ITU Telecom a global networking platform.

Other events attract segmented or regional audiences. What's different about ITU Telecom World is that it's the one occasion that the world of telecommunications converges under one very large roof.

Between 35 000 and 50 000 trade visitors are expected to attend from 160 countries, and over 650 exhibitors will present their technologies and talent from 40 countries. The participants that will gather from every region and virtually every country reflect the global scope of Telecom World. 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. Over 2 000 VIPs will attend Telecom World from 150 countries, including CEOs and business leaders, legislators and industry gurus.

With this kind of attendance, Telecom World is the only event that can lay claim to being truly global.

4. Who is taking part?

ITU Telecom World is a land of giants. The attendees list reads like an industry who's who:
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, ZTE. The world's leading organizations are in company with the world's policy makers, government ministers, regulators and visionaries from 150 countries.

However, as well as many companies that are returning and figures from the world's biggest ICT companies, this year sees many newcomers to Telecom World that either represent fresh arrivals to the industry, or smaller companies that might not have seen the relevance of an event of this scale to them in the past.

With globalization, a technology start-up from Scandinavia for example can quickly make back the plane fare in potential business gained from the event, as it gives them the chance to network so many customer prospects and peers face to face in one week.

Telecom World is not for any particular type of company of any particular size: it appeals to and attracts the whole gamut of the industry and draws attendees that have in common their desire to network and forge industry connections.

5. Who are the biggest names at TELECOM WORLD?

Three years ago, Bill Gates chose ITU Telecom World as the place to announce Microsoft's engagement with Vodafone to develop location authentication services. At the same conference, Carl Fiorina, then the head of HP, spoke about security and WiFi for all. This December the industry's leaders meet again for ITU Telecom World 2006.

The presence at Telecom World of industry figureheads provides a source of inspiration as well as information on Living the Digital World to attendees. Leaders such as Sanjiv Ahuja, John Chambers, Sean Maloney, Viviane Reding, Patricia Russo, Kaoru Yano, Edward Zander and Xunsheng Zuo will all share and discuss their own experiences, insight and visions about Living the Digital World.

In addition to the roll-call of speakers that have shaped the industry throughout their careers, leading CEOs are gathering together to debate the issues that matter to the industry in the opening day's CEO Roundtable on Innovation and Leadership. The CEOs of China Telecom, Ericsson, Lucent Technologies, NEC Corporation, NTT DoCoMo, Orange and Samsung Electronics are all taking part.

As architects and guides to our digital world, the actions of these CEOs are helping translate visions of the digital world into realities. The CEO roundtable is just one way Telecom World lives up to its promise of attracting the great and the good of the ICT world, offering event attendees the opportunity to contrast the different styles and messages of the leading movers and shakers of the industry.

6. What is the main theme of the event?

ITU Telecom World 2006, the Forum, Youth Forum, Exhibition and Telecom village will all celebrate our shared digital world - examining how people live, work, play and communicate with technology.

The opening ceremony on 3rd December kicks off a hectic schedule of events, networking opportunities and special sessions that all touch on the theme "Living the Digital World", and how current and future lifestyles are shaped by ICT. Living the Digital World is encompassed at the Forum by sessions split into three domains. Digital Lifestyles, Digital Ecosystems and Digital Society.

The Digital World is like a river, as it is never the same thing for more than one split second in time. The way people access, create and record ideas and entertainment is changing at a rapid pace. The reason for this pace of change is the demand from consumers and businesses for new services, and equally, the development of new technologies that can meet and exceed their demands.

Rather than run the risk of standing still and losing out to competitors further downstream, the ICT industry comes to Telecom World en masse to learn about new technologies, gain greater insight into the consumer mind, and debate how the industry will develop as new technologies alter from mere trickles to floods.

7. There are plenty of leading companies at the show. Is it a case of each for their own, or does the event spotlight individual regions as well?

As the United Nations Agency for telecommunications, ITU is proud to host many different pavilions from around the world. At our last World event, 26 pavilions were organized from countries and regions spanning the globe such as Canada, China, Finland, France, Israel, Iran (Islamic Rep. Of), Ireland, Russian Federation, the UK and the US.

At Telecom World 2006, there will be 14 Country Pavilions, including Canada, the US, Russian Federation, China and Japan. The Pavilions bring together the best of technology that each region has to offer. By participating in a Pavilion, organizations can make the connections they need to engage with international markets - gaining immediate national recognition by participating under their country's national flag.

As a global showcase of talent and technology, there is no limit to the technologies on show at Telecom World 2006. It literally brings every conceivable innovation and aspect of the ICT world together under one roof.

Just as nations such as Canada and the Russian are bringing the best their countries have to offer under one roof in the Country Pavilions, certain technologies are also banded together in one place in the Industry Pavilions. Visitors can see the exciting possibilities represented by whole industries at the GPON, internet and WiMAX Pavilions.

8. How does a commercial event sit with ITU's heritage of supporting developing nations and its central goals?

Support for the developing world is a key area where Telecom World differs from other major events. As Telecom World is a not-for-profit event organized by ITU, surplus revenues generated by it are used to fund programmes for ICT growth in the developing world. ITU's goal has remained the same since its foundation in 1865 - to manage telecommunication resources across the globe and to help the world communicate. Telecom World is part of ITU's global mission to help the world connect.

ITU works tirelessly to ensure fair and equal access to telecommunications and information technologies in the developing world. ITU believes there is growth potential beyond existing, maturing or emerging telecom markets, and that the ICT industry can reap rewards from developing relevant and accessible products and services for people in currently untapped developing country economies.

ITU's central goal of helping the world connect is not forgotten at Telecom World 2006, which is attracting delegates from nations all over the world to make the connections they need to drive innovation in their home markets and engage with global markets.

Telecom World will showcase programmes, business solutions and opportunities that are in place to connect the unconnected.

9. What opportunities are there for developing nations at the show?

Helping emerging markets reach their potential for economic growth through technology innovation is at the forefront of the agenda at Telecom World 2006, and is visible in the Youth Forum, Telecommunication Development Symposium and Connect the World initiative.

The Youth Forum at ITU Telecom World 2006 is a long-running programme which brings together talented university students to take part in an exciting schedule of talks, debates and interactive panel discussions. It focuses on how to nurture skills so that countries can bridge the digital divide and benefit from a digital economy.

The Cisco-sponsored Telecommunication Development Symposium plays a central role in ITU's goal to extend the benefits of ICT to all the world's inhabitants. Drawing up to 180 fellows from 90 least developed and low-income ITU Member States, the Symposium will discuss how ICT can help bridge the digital divide and drive growth in their countries.

10. What is meant by "Living the digital world"?

The digital lifestyle somewhat defies definition, as its population continues to evolve. The most devoted inhabitants experiment with new ways of working, socializing and communicating. The virtual nature of interaction can make it even harder to predict a surefire hit or a killer application.

That makes the digital playground a tough place for businesses to be, but the telecommunications industry can't afford to leave things to chance. There's too much opportunity at stake. This is the issue that's central to Telecom World 2006.

Because there's so much at stake, and because the Digital World is moving so fast, Telecom World occupies a more and more valuable position as a global showcase of talent and technology.

With so much opportunity and lack of certainty about who or what will succeed in the Digital World, the industry's movers and shakers will gather in Hong Kong to try to predict the ways in which ubiquitous telecommunications will continue to change the way we access, create and record ideas and entertainment, and even participate in events. There, companies will demonstrate the "killer apps" they envision for the future - in the home, office, media and entertainment, and society.

11. How can organizations communicate their vision of "Living the Digital World"?

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. This enables businesses to present their own visions of Living the Digital World - ensuring their visions reach an audience of peers, decision-makers and customers.

For the first time this year ITU has launched a Digital Life Theatre competition in the run up to the event, inviting companies to outline their visions for the future in the digital age. The competition winners will have their multimedia presentations displayed as part of the Digital Life Theatre in the Exhibition.

12. Telecom World 2006 is the size of a small village - on a practical level how can you even find your way around, let alone forge new business connections?

Telecom World is huge in size, and is the world's biggest shopping centre for ICTs. Anyone walking through the exhibition gets the buyer's perspective, and the sum of knowledge gained during a visit to the event provides a complete picture of the industry.

All this combines to create a space that's phenomenally busy and lively with the hustle and bustle of 35 000-50 000 visitors and the world's leading technology companies all displaying their wares.

There are however many places where attendees can conduct business, network and meet other people. Away from the hustle and bustle of the show floor there are restaurants, lounges and public areas where people can relax and meet their peers, partners and customers.

The Telecom Village lies at the heart of the exhibition show floor, offering exhibitors a private networking area where they can conduct business and entertain clients. It contains a village square where delegates can relax and chat next to a pond as well as attending the Forum sessions that take place in the Village.

Telecom World's experienced event team has designed the floor layout and works night and day before the show and during it to ensure no logistical detail is overlooked. This means participants can dedicate themselves to what they've come for - making connections and doing business.

13. What advice would you give attendees about making the most of their time at Telecom World?

Try and pre-plan a schedule for yourself that takes in the sessions you most want to attend and the keynotes and speakers that you most want to hear. Decide what your goals are for attending the show and set out to achieve them. An opportunity like this to bump into your partners, rivals, peers and customers all in one place is rare and you need careful planning to ensure you make the most of it. Don't come with too rigid an idea of what aspects of ICT you're interested in - it's impossible to predict where the most exciting new ICT applications will emerge from, but you can bet that many of them will be on display at Telecom World.

Attend one of the Delegate Coffee Breaks, where a lot of the 'networking' is done for you, giving you the chance to meet with people and make the right connections. Take advantage of the location by trying to find time for at least one sight-seeing trip to Hong Kong's famous landmarks. Take time to be inspired by everything you've seen at Telecom World, and perhaps decide on some early New Year resolutions for your business and the way you'll work and communicate in 2007 and beyond.