Qitcom 2014 is expecting an exponential growth in the number of exhibitors as bookings for exhibition space had already reached 80%, organisers have said.

“We anticipated from the very beginning that Qitcom 2014 would achieve exponential growth and we feel even more optimistic now that the exhibition space is more than 80% booked,” said Rinal Chaaban, manager, Qitcom.

Chaaban said the event, which will run from May 26 to 28 at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC), is managed by fischerAppelt Qatar in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ictQATAR).

“This is only the first step towards promoting Qitcom’s position as a leading local and regional specialised conference and exhibition and a major permanent fixture on the industry’s international agenda,” Chaaban also said.

She added: “The State of Qatar has made a considerable progress towards establishing the ICT sector, which helps the country build a strong, diverse economy, and continue to enrich the lives of all segments of society.”

To sustain the momentum and accelerate the ICT sector’s development process, the Supreme Council of Communication and Information Technology developed “Qatar’s National ICT Plan 2015: Advancing the Digital Agenda” as a roadmap for future advancements and updates, which sets Qatar’s digital goals and identifies the strategies and initiatives to be achieved over the next few years.

This, Chaaban said, is where Qitcom plays a vital role. “Qitcom, being the largest ICT event, is capable of attracting industry leaders, major distributors and dealers, as well as end users,” she explained.

“Focusing on enhancing the visitor experience, Qitcom 2014 seeks to attract a group of the best local, regional and international entities, companies, and exhibitors by offering them an opportunity to exhibit their products and sponsor its activities, not to mention the chance to reveal and discuss the latest ICT innovations worldwide,” Chaaban added.

The World Economic Forum’s Global Information Technology Report 2013 reported that Qatar ranks among the top 10 countries when it comes to ICT usage and prioritisation by the government.

It added that Qatar had scored high on four indicators: ICT use and government efficiency; government procurement of advanced technology; government prioritisation of ICT; and importance of ICT to the government’s vision.

Qatar also ranked 48th out of 193 countries in the United Nations’ 2012 e-Government Development Index, which measures the willingness and capacity of governments to use ICT to deliver public services.