EuroCIS in Düsseldorf asserts itself as the leading technology fair for the retail trade

EuroCIS 2010, Europe’s leading Trade Fair for IT and Security in Retail, closed on Thursday (4 March 2010) in Düsseldorf. The exhibitors, visitors and trade fair organizers said they were extremely satisfied with the course of the event. Over three days, 190 exhibitors from 22 nations presented forward-looking IT and security solutions for all sectors of the retail trade. A total of 5,400 trade visitors came to the Rhine to inform themselves about the range of products and services specifically tailored to the retail trade and its partners. Around 50 nations were represented on the visitors’ side, including, in particular, visitors from Western but also Eastern Europe, Kuwait, the USA or Brazil. A significant increase in visitors from Asia was registered.

“Especially encouraging is the large increase in trade visitors from abroad”, said Wilhelm Niedergöker, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf, commenting on the success of EuroCIS 2010. “That proves that with our range of products and services specifically focused on the retail sector, we are taking into account the individual sectors’ need for their own technology fair for IT managers and decision-makers in the retail trade. EuroCIS offers short distances and a pleasant working atmosphere in which every exhibitor is optimally prepared for the needs of the retail trade with specific solutions.”

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

The high qualifications of the EuroCIS visitors were also underlined by Leyla Feghhi, Marketing Director Retail, Wincor Nixdorf International GmbH:
“We completely reached our target group, also on an international level. Our trade fair guests were in particular decision-makers specifically interested in specialist themes. When we had the Cash-Handling theme they came for example from branches and head offices. When we presented the software theme the contact partners came from their companies’ upper echelons.”

Once again this year The Who is Who of the sector was represented at EuroCIS, said Brigitta Quednau, Sales and Marketing Director, Ethalon GmbH, reporting on a “big-hitters’ meeting“ on her stand involving executive board members, managing directors and IT managers from companies such as Deichmann, Rossmann, Görtz and Wöhrl on the second day of the fair.

EuroCIS 2010 proves that web technologies are increasingly asserting themselves across the whole process chain of the retail trade. Numerous solutions connected with the use of mobile technologies were just as much the focal point as were the areas of digital video surveillance, self-checkout, self-scanning or the central integration of IT systems. “The discussions and investment decisions are increasingly focusing on solutions, which 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”, was the assessment by Stefan Clemens, Area Industry Leader Retail & Hospitality, for NCR GmbH.

There was also particular demand for all kinds of digital in-store communication. “This year, digital media was right at the top of the list for the trade visitors. We conducted very specific discussions on all areas of pricing and advertising communication at the POS”, said Jürgen Berens von Rautenfeld, CEO, Online Software AG, summing up the event. This impression was also confirmed by the high demand within the "DigitalCommunication@ Retail" special show. On all three days of the fair the supporting forum programme provided exciting lectures covering all aspects of digital communication with customers.

There was very keen interest in the EuroCIS Forum, which in the meantime has developed into an integral part of EuroCIS. There was so much demand for the lecture on the experiences in the RFID project given by Gerry Weber on the first day of the fair that there were hardly enough seats in the forum.

As part of the EuroCIS support programme, the Retail Technology Award from the EHI Retail Institute provided a genuine highlight. In a festive setting and in front of a very international and top-ranking audience, awards were presented to the best IT solutions for the retail trade, including a “communicative mirror”, intelligent screens and faster checkouts.

Ulrich Spaan, member of the board of management and Vice-President Trade Shows & Research IT at the EHI Retail Institute, gave a very positive assessment following EuroCIS 2010: “We are extremely satisfied with EuroCIS 2010. We have once again seen that it offers the ideal platform for specifically addressing the sector and the exchange with experts from the retail trade. Our discussions here have underlined that important projects cannot be put on the backburner even at times of economic upheaval. An efficient and capable IT infrastructure is often of great strategic significance in today’s retail trade.”

The next EuroCIS will be held within the framework of EuroShop 2011 from 26 February to 2 March 2011 in Düsseldorf.