Comdex on as IT shows are cancelled

The Comdex Fall trade show in Las Vegas in November will go on as planned, while many other industry shows have been cancelled, scaled back or postponed because of the 11 September terrorist attacks.

Kim Myhre, president of IT marketplace Comdex, explained that as concerns continue to remain dominant, it is time to get back to work.

"Our President has asked us to do so, and the world's business community expects us to continue to provide the IT industry's global marketplace."

According to Myhre, all eight of the keynote speakers, including Microsoft's Bill Gates, Cisco Systemss' John Chambers, Oracle's Larry Ellison and Sony's Kunitake Ando, have confirmed their participation.

Myhre also said Comdex, which is presented by Key3Media, will increase security at this year's event, though no details were given.

Key3Media also held the Seybold Seminars in San Francisco in late September, at which twelve of 300 companies cancelled because of the attacks. The trade show producer said they received dozens of messages supporting the decision to go on with the event.

Research from trade show publication, Tradeshow Week, reports about 45 per cent of major trade shows in all industries, including IT, have been postponed or cancelled because of the atrocities in New York and Washington.

Penton Media said it is scaling back and postponing its Internet World Fall 2001 conference.

The event had been scheduled to run 1-5 October at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. It will now be combined with another Penton Media trade show, Streaming Media East, at the Javits Center from 10-13 December.

Forrester Research postponed its Marketing Forum, which was scheduled to take place in New York on 23-25 September. The event has not been rescheduled.

And Wireless World 2001, scheduled to take place 24-25 September at the World Trade Center, plans to find a new location.

In addition, the Global E-Commerce 2001 International Conference, scheduled to take place 3 October 3 in New York, has been postponed. No date has yet been set.

And the Massachusetts Technology Showcase, scheduled for 12-13 September, has been postponed to 10-11 October, at the Boston World Trade Center.

Though conference organisers acknowledge that the attacks have hurt their business, many that have postponed hope to recoup at a later date.