Countdown on for 2009 CeBIT.AU Awards

SYDNEY, Australia – 17 April 2009: The countdown is fast approaching for the region’s most talented developers and service providers to get their submissions in for the prestigious CeBIT.AU Business Awards, a high point of the annual CeBIT Australia business technology exhibition and conference.

Recognising the year’s most outstanding achievements and excellence in the Australian and New Zealand information and communications technology industries, the CeBIT.AU Awards carry the full weight of the CeBIT brand, one of the most recognised non-vendor technology brands in the world.

Open to all exhibitors of products and services at CeBIT Australia 2009, the awards will recognise the following categories:

• CeBIT.AU Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence 2009, for Australian or New Zealand companies less than three years old, this award showcases innovative companies that have just started the journey to commercial success;

• CeBIT.AU Excellence in New Media Award 2009, recognises companies, products and services in the New Media, from digital platform companies, digital audio and video delivery systems to electronic marketing firms, content development firms and content integration services;

• CeBIT.AU Excellence in Engineering Design Award 2009, for overall excellence and elegance of design in a hardware product sold in the Australian market and exhibited at CeBIT Australia;

• CeBIT.AU Business Advantage Award 2009, given to the product or service that provides a clear, immediate and outstanding business benefit to its users;

• CeBIT.AU Early Innovators Award 2009, a showcase for pre-commercialisation ideas, innovations and prototypes of our research and development community in Australia and New Zealand; and

• CeBIT.AU Platinum Award for Export Excellence 2009, aiming to reward overall export excellence

Applications can be submitted via the CeBIT Australia website at www.cebit.com.au. The deadline for submissions is Friday 24 April 2009, with the finalists to be announced the following Thursday, 30 April 2009.

The CeBIT.AU award winners will be announced and trophies officially presented at the Australian technology industry’s annual networking night of nights, the ICT Celebration Dinner.

Award winners will be able to use the awards’ branding on their website and marketing material for a full year following CeBIT Australia 2009.

“The CeBIT.AU Awards is our opportunity to honour and pay tribute to the spirit of innovation and excellence that helps drive our industry and to encourage our region’s entrepreneurs to show the world their drive, determination and talent,” the Managing Director of CeBIT’s organisers, Hannover Fairs Australia, Ms Jackie Taranto, said.

“We wish all our entrants every success and both look forward the difficult task of choosing worthy winners from such an impressive field of achievers.”

Press contact:

CeBIT Australia is the largest business technology exhibition and conference event in the region. CeBIT Australia 2009 will be held from May 12-14 2009 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre at Darling Harbour. For more information on CeBIT Australia, please visit www.cebit.com.au.

CeBIT Australia is organised by Hannover Fairs Australia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the global trade group company Deutsche Messe AG. Hannover Fairs Australia also assists Australian companies in attending other international events organised by Deutsche Messe AG across the world. For information about other please visit www.hannoverfairs.com.au.