March 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contact:

Anne Meerboth-Maltz
Tel. (312)781-5185
Fax (312) 781-5188
email: ameerboth@mdna.com

Messe Düsseldorf North America
150 North Michigan Avenue
Suite 2920
Chicago, IL 60601

EUROCIS 2010 CONFIRMED ITS LEADING STATUS

The recent staging of EuroCIS 2010 confirmed the show’s status as Europe’s leading technology trade fair for the retail industry. A total of 190 exhibitors from 22 nations presented the latest IT and security solutions for all sectors of retail at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany. The 5,400 trade visitors represented about 50 nations including Europe, Kuwait, the U.S. and Brazil. A significant increase in visitor participation from Asia was recorded.

The exhibitors, visitors and trade fair organizers were all extremely pleased with EuroCIS 2010. “Especially encouraging is the large increase in trade visitors from abroad”, stated Wilhelm Niedergöker, Managing Director of the organizer Messe Düsseldorf. “It proves that with our range of products and services specifically focused on the retail sector, we relate to the individual sectors’ need for their own technology trade fair for IT managers and decision-makers in the retail trade. EuroCIS offers short distances and a pleasant working atmosphere in which every exhibitor offers specific solutions for the needs of the retail industry.”

For Jeffrey Lee, Deputy General Manager, International Sales Department at Sewoo Tech (Korea), EuroCIS 2010 was a premiere: “This year for the first time we decided against participating at the large IT fairs and instead exhibited at EuroCIS. This was the right decision. We are impressed with the competence and expertise of the visitors, who are IT specialists at their respective companies.”

The high qualifications of the EuroCIS visitors were also emphasized by Leyla Feghhi, Marketing Director Retail at Wincor Nixdorf International: “We completely reached our target group, also on an international level. Attendees at our booth were primarily decision-makers particularly interested in specialist topics. For example, when we presented the cash-handling theme the visitors were from subsidiaries and head offices. When we showcased software, the visitors were from their companies’ upper management.”

According to Brigitta Quednau, Sales and Marketing Director at Ethalon GmbH, the Who is Who of the sector was represented at EuroCIS 2010. Visitors at her booth included Executive Board Members, Managing Directors and IT Managers from companies such as Deichmann, Rossmann, Görtz and Wöhrl.

EuroCIS 2010 demonstrated that web technologies are increasingly becoming established in the entire process chain of the retail trade. The focus was on solutions for the use of mobile technologies, digital video surveillance, self-checkout and self-scanning as well as central integration of IT systems. “The discussions and investment decisions are more and more concentrating on solutions that are expected to deliver process optimizations and an improved customer service. From our point of view, EuroCIS 2010 contributed to generating impulses for new investments in the retail trade”, remarked Stefan Clemens, Area Industry Leader Retail & Hospitality at NCR GmbH.

Demand was high for all types of digital in-store communication. “This year, digital media was at the top of the trade visitors’ list. We had very specific talks about all areas of pricing and advertising communication at the POS”, commented Jürgen Berens von Rautenfeld, CEO of Online Software AG. Accordingly, interest in the “DigitalCommunication@Retail" special show was very high. At the EuroCIS Forum, the lecture about the RFID project experiences was extremely popular.

A special highlight at EuroCIS 2010 was the Retail Technology Award presented by the EHI Retail Institute. Awards were given to the best IT solutions for the retail trade, including a “communicative mirror”, intelligent screens and faster checkouts.

Ulrich Spaan, Member of the Management Board and Vice-President Trade Shows & Research IT at the EHI Retail Institute, gave EuroCIS 2010 very positive marks: “We are extremely satisfied with EuroCIS 2010. We have once again seen that it offers the ideal platform for specifically addressing the sector and for exchanging information with experts from the retail sector. Our discussions here have emphasized that important projects cannot be put on hold even in difficult economic times. An efficient and capable IT infrastructure is often of great strategic significance in today’s retail trade.”

The next staging of EuroCIS will be held as part of EuroShop 2011 from February 26 - March 2, 2011 in Düsseldorf. For further information on visiting or exhibiting at EuroCIS 2011, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, 150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2920, Chicago, IL 60601. Telephone: (312) 781-5180; Fax: (312) 781-5188; E-mail: info@mdna.com; Visit our web site http://www.mdna.com; Subscribe to our blog http://blog.mdna.com; Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/mdnachicago

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