QITCOM Exhibition and Conference starts today

Largest ICT Event in Qatar to Last 3 Days

Mobilk - the pre-eminent platform for the information and communication technology (ICT) sector in Qatar, will begin today, held March 5th -7th, 2012 at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC).

Growing in both size and prominence, the second annual Conference & Exhibition organized by the Supreme Council of Information Technology (ictQATAR), in partnership with IFP Qatar, offers three full days of informative and motivating conference sessions, as well as an exhibition attended by local, regional and international ICT leading companies, organizations and government bodies.

Ali Al-Khulaifi, QITCOM Organizing Committee Chairman and ictQATAR ICT Market Development Manager said, “We are very excited for the launch of QITCOM 2012 and expect it to be even more engaging than last year. Growing a vibrant ICT sector in Qatar is one of ictQATAR’s main goals, and QITCOM is an important part of that effort. QITCOM provides a platform for local and regional professionals to engage with international leaders to share knowledge, best practices and create lasting partnerships within this exciting and dynamic sector.”

A one of a kind event in the region, QITCOM 2012 provides a unique opportunity for ICT companies and professionals in Qatar and the GCC to engage with global industry leaders and see first-hand the most up to date offerings and advances in this dynamic and vital sector. The Exhibition, which will be held between 9am-9pm, will offer an ideal platform for businesses to showcase the latest ICT developments and technologies to market and industry leaders.

Held concurrently is the QITCOM 2012 Conference with a program designed to response to key ICT industry trends and topics particularly relevant to the Middle East. It will witness keynote speeches from internationally renowned motivational speakers such as Michio Kaku and Jeffery Stibel among many others. It also includes over 14 panel sessions addressing the most poignant and of the moment topics dictating ICT agendas for both the public and private sectors including, Cloud Computing, National Digitization, Cyber-security and Digital & Mobile Advertising.

Opening the Conference tomorrow will be Dr. Hessa Al-Jaber, Secretary General, ictQATAR, Mr. Rashid Al-Naimi, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, MEEZA, Vice President Administration and Qatar Foundation, Dr. Hamadoun Touré, Secretary General, ITU. The first day will hold sessions on Entrepreneurship in the Arab World, Nest Generation Broadband, Internet TV, Broadcasting and IPTV and Social TV.

Complementing discussions and debates, QITCOM 2012 will showcase many unique technology innovations presented by technology and service providers, during the conference, at “Tech Zone” or the organizations own booths. A new addition to QITCOM 2012, “Tech Zone” will be unveiled tomorrow and will provide a unique platform for technology innovators and companies to share knowledge and discuss their latest products or solutions in an open forum. Another new offering for QITCOM 2012 is the “Business Zone,” an area dedicated for consulting companies to showcase their services and work with potential clients’ onsite.

QITCOM 2012 will again feature its “Innovation Theatre”, a forum where young people can pitch their technology business concepts to a panel of experts to possibly win financing and Incubation services. Last year’s winners were inducted into the ictQATAR Incubation Program and secured 180,000 QAR.

Mohammad Al Yahri, QITCOM spokesman commented, “There has been an excellent response to QITCOM 2012, with more than 2,000 people pre-registered and we anticipate that number to continue to go up as the event approaches. We plan to explore the ICT Industry from a variety of perspectives and across sectors, including education, healthcare, real estate development, oil & gas, media, finance and marketing. This year’s exhibition is even more futuristic than last year, with companies from across the globe showcasing truly break-through, one-of-a-kind technologies. We look forward to welcoming the ICT industry and all interested guests over the three days of QITCOM.”