Event draws mixed response

Dubai: Gitex 2006, the region's largest ever IT and telecom exhibition, concluded successfully on Wednesday, however with mixed feelings among visitors and exhibitors.

This is the first time, the exhibition hostes GulfComms - a spin-off from the exhibition which is expected to grow in the coming years.

However here is what some of the visitors have to say on the overall management of the event.

"They need to make things clear. We got confused as to where everything is. They need to have some proper guidance," says Preetham Pinto, System Administration, Al Ghurair Trading, UAE.

"Well, I think the space should be more open. It's difficult to get to anything. We should be able to walk in a straight line to get to everything, not have to walk around everything. Having it over the weekend would be great, too," says Aiman Al Zakwani, Olive, Director-Middle East, Oman.

"They should make a better website. They should make it more visual. There should be more vendor information and links to vendor websites. They should also make sure the vendor information is available as soon as the show opens. It's a shame that the CD version of the visitors guide is not available. It should have been available the first hour of the first day," says Mohammad BouAoune, CEO, Vertical and Horizontal Partnership, Tunisia

"It's my first. It's good the way it is. They should promote more advanced products. I hear it's better than it used to be. It used to be more computers. Now they have more products," says Manolito Trilles, Hospital Orderly, UAE.

"There should be more time so that people can visit all the stands. There's not enough time. There's too much rushing and no parking. It takes people three days to see all the stands," says Ahman Bakari, Al Ain National Printing, UAE.

"I think it should be more organised, and there should be more people to help out. There should be more maps to help people," Sana Salim, Seven Seas, UAE.