Cesar Alierta Izuel,
Executive Chairman,
ProFuturo Foundation

Paul Berriman,
Group Chief Technology Officer,
PCCW

Andre Müller Borges,
Secretary of Telecommunications, Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications,
Brazil

Amani Abou-Zeid,
Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, 
African Union

Alison Gillwald,
Executive Director,
Research ICT Africa

Neil Sahota,
IBM Master Inventor,
IBM Watson Group

Key Sessions

With a speaker line-up including tech experts from governments and industry, the Forum features high quality debates around the theme of innovation for smarter digital development. Look out for highlights including the highlevel Forum Summit on digital everyone, moderated by Euronews, Ministerial Roundtables on Government enabling smarter digital development, addressing the risks of a smarter world and financing digital development, influential Host Country sessions on African investment  or  promoting ICT opportunities for women empowerment, the ITU, UN Broadband Commission and Huawei session on rethinking broadband: from national asset to civic right, and the rise of the MVNOs: leveraging MVNOs in an everything “connected” world.

Nations and companies in the spotlight

Your opportunity to discover a fascinating mix of pavilions from around the world on the showfloor, including Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Ghana, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Zimbabwe, plus thematic pavilions focusing on exciting areas including CSAIA (China Satellite), FTTX Council Africa, TIAA, Smart ABC and South African SMEs. There are still a few interesting sponsorship & visibility opportunities remaining, including some great networking options, but contact us asap as they are getting snapped up fast!

Explore Smart ABC

Uncover the connections and synergies between three critical fields of the smart age — artificial intelligence, emerging applications in digital financial services and urban living. Join experts in the Forum debates on the latest technological, business and policy developments, exhibit your own project, products or services in the Smart ABC Pavilion, and take part in a programme of targeted activities to help tech entrepreneurs and start-ups working in AI, banking and smart cities.

Networking with the event app

Connecting people, ideas and projects is at the heart of ITU Telecom World. To help you connect, we’ve launched our ever-popular event app for 2018, allowing delegates to keep up to date with the event programme, connect, set up meetings and share information with fellow event participants - available for download via the app store or Google play. And don’t miss the Business Matchmaking Service, a professional platform for targeted meetings onsite linking you to key stakeholders and potential partners.

Networking events

Connect in person as well as online, with a full programme of networking occasions and events during the week. Don’t miss our vibrant Opening Ceremony, plus chance to join our hosts, the government of South Africa, at the spectacular Welcome Reception, or Host Country Farewell Reception. Join leading representatives of Zimbabwe’s government and industry and high-level guests at Zimbabwe Night. Meet and mingle with top representatives of key ICT names at networking lunches hosted by CITRA Kuwait, Senegal and the Republic of Korea - and make key contacts at networking breaks hosted by Bangladesh and KT. Join international leaders of industry and government in exclusive LeadersSpace Happy Hours, sponsored by Quika and GEW Technologies. Meet and connect with high-level government, regulatory and industry representatives of Ghana's dynamic ICT sector at Ghana day. Key networking opportunities not to be missed!

Durban

The third largest city in South Africa, Durban is a growing urban setting, rich in diversity, cultural amenities, economic growth, history and natural beauty. Located in spectacular Kwazulu Natal province, home to awe-inspiring world heritage sites, natural parks and beaches, Durban itself is a major manufacturing hub and a busy port. It’s the ideal standpoint from which to engage with the dynamic opportunities offered by this fast-growing region’s ICT sector.