14 DAY TRIAL // According to a DigiTimes.com website, ASUStek and Gigabyte Technology will not be attending the 2008 edition of CeBIT. It comes as no surprise as more and more companies have announced they're withdrawing from the trade fair, the main reason being that it's expensive to take up a booth at CeBIT and the profits they gain just aren't worth the expenses.
Although this may be true, you have to wonder, what, they don't have enough money to participate in a show like this? That's a bit odd, don't you think? That's because it is not just about the money they spend on the booth and on advertising and on hiring beautiful girls that would parade wearing the company's name, it has to be more than meets the eye.
A trade fair such as this is an occasion for computer magazines, radio and TV stations and Internet specialized websites to come and say how fabulous your company and its products are. One of the concerns rose upon deciding whether or not to participate in this event has been that the visitors that come to the trade fair are mostly German, from surrounding locations. Well, it's being held in Germany, what did you expect?
Visitors that come from other countries are mostly press representatives, not that many people are willing to leave their country to go to a computer technology event. Considering things from this point of view, a larger number of around the world visitors is seen at a Star Trek convention where they speak mainly klingon.
There is also a rumor regarding ASUS' "break up" with Gigabyte from their joint venture called Gigabyte United. Apparently, this was fueled by a $4 billion investment which ASUS was supposed to make and which they didn't. They each took technology from one another and it would be sad to see them part paths.