Multimedia exhibition opens amid SARS fears<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
While many international exhibitions in the region were
\ncanceled due to the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
\n(SARS), the fourth annual Indonesia International
\nTelecommunication Media and Information Technology Conference and
\nExhibition kicked off on Wednesday despite low attendance.<\/p>\n
Juanita Soerakoesoemah, general manager of event organizer PT
\nRantai Expo International, said only 50 exhibitors were taking
\npart in the event, half last year's number.<\/p>\n
According to Juanita, the lower attendance was caused by the
\nSARS outbreak.<\/p>\n
\"We have many international participants who pulled out just
\ndays before the exhibition began,\" she said, adding that there
\nwere 1,000 participants including 130 conference delegates at
\nthis year's event.<\/p>\n
With such low attendance, she said it was only aiming to
\nattract 10,000 visitors to the four-day exhibition, down from
\nlast year when more than 17,000 visitors poured into the
\nexhibition.<\/p>\n
Separately, one of the participants, Budiman from PT
\nIndovisual Presentatama, a distributor of LCD projectors, said
\nhis company was hesitant in joining the exhibition given the
\nmarket downturn.<\/p>\n
\"Had the organizer not allotted free space for us in the
\nexhibition in the first place, we would not open our stand here.
\nThe market will be very weak during this year's first semester,\"
\nhe said, pointing to growing business uncertainties, partly due
\nto SARS.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/multimedia-exhibition-opens-amid-sars-fears-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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