The largest electronics and information technology exhibition in Asia gets under way at the Makuhari Messe International Convention Complex on October 5, with the organizers of CEATEC Japan 2010 hoping to attract 200,000 people to the five-day event.

The theme of this year's CEATEC - which stands for Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies - is "Digital Harmony: Technologies for Comfortable and Eco Living." Organizers say they hope this year's event, the 11th annual CEATEC, will particularly promote new technologies that tackle the issue of the energy needs of society, business and industry.

A new element at this year's event is the introduction of the CEATEC Suite, a dedicated business-to-business zone designed to bring potential partners together.

Keynote speeches will be made on the first day of the event by Takashi Kawamura, president of Hitachi Ltd. and Setsuhiro Shimomura, president of Mitsubishi Electric Corp. There will also be a wide range of technology seminars.

Key areas that will be examined at the trade show include vehicles, particularly given the rapid expansion in the development of electric vehicles, energy and health.

A "smart house" that uses information technology to efficiently manage its energy consumption will be showcased, while visitors will also be given the opportunity to test-drive some electric vehicles.

The section of the show set aside for digital networks will demonstrate the latest technology in the area of increasingly innovative flat-screen televisions and three-dimensional technology.

Organizers are expecting more companies and institutes to take part in this year's event. Last year, 590 companies operated 2,123 booths, and 150,302 members of the public visited.

Many of those who will be exhibiting at the event - second only in the world in terms of scale to the International Consumer Electronics Show, held each January in Las Vegas - include Sharp Corp., Fujitsu Ltd., Pioneer Corp., Kyocera Corp. and Omron Corp.

CEATEC
October 5-9
Hours: 10 am to 5 pm
Venue: Makuhari Messe International Convention Complex, 2-1 Mikase, Mihama-Ku, Chiba City, 261-0023, Japan.
http://www.m-messe.co.jp/en/index.html

Admission: All visitors are required to register, either in advance or at the door. Registering via the www.ceatec.com/ website provides free entry. At the door, the cost is Y1,000 (€9.29) for an adult and Y500 (€4.65) for a student. Children under the age of 12 are admitted free.

Further information: +81 3 6212 5233 or http://www.ceatec.com/2010/en/index.html

JR