Press conference dedicated to the opening of 24th Azerbaijan International Telecommunications and Information Technologies Exhibition and Conference Bakutel 2018 held

The press conference dedicated to the opening of the 24th Azerbaijan International Telecommunications, Innovations and High Technologies Exhibition and Conference Bakutel 2018 was held in Baku.
 
Deputy Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies  spoke about the expected innovations at the international exhibition and conference for telecommunications and information technologies, one of the country’s leading specialized exhibitions, at the same time one of the largest events of its kind in the Caspian and Caucasus region Bakutel-2018, which will be held on 4-7 December. Elmir Velzade noted that adding for the first time this year the word innovation to the name of the exhibition, which is supported by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies (MTCHT) is not accidental. The Deputy Minister noted that this year’s exhibition-conference, which is expanding annually, will include innovative solutions, startups and other innovations.
 
Noting that this year’s exhibition will be more interesting in terms of rich content and innovations, Elmir Velizade said Bakutel has gained the name  the most influential ICT exhibition  in the region. This year, 10 countries - Belarus, Croatia, France, Turkey, Iran, Italy, Slovenia, UAE, USA and Poland will present at their stands leading companies from their respective countries and innovative projects not only for Azerbaijan, but for the entire Caspian region, in addition to presenting various products and ICT services.To him, 10 national pavilions, including USA, Italy, Poland, Turkey, Iran and other countries, will be presented at the exhibition, which will create mutual understanding and business opportunities for local and foreign companies, which is an indication of growing interest to Bakutel from year to year.He added that services and solutions offered by subordinate organizations of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies will also be included in the large pavilion to be organized at the exhibition.In addition, traditionally, saying several ICT events will be held in parallel with the Bakutel exhibition-conference, the Deputy Minister noted that the exhibition will be memorable and exciting with a number of interesting projects for visitors.
 
Director of Caspian Event Organizers (CEO) Edward Strachan also spoke about the rising reputation of the Bakutel exhibition.Saying 230 companies from 20 countries will participate in the exhibition this year, the Director noted that this is a 16 percent increase compared to previous year: “This is also a fact of the profile of the exhibition. In addition, debutants make up 30 percent of the participants,”he stressed.  
 
Saying the exhibition has the support of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan, ITU - International Telecommunication Union, Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications (RCC), the CEO expressed his gratitude for this cooperation. This year’s exhibition will be a memorable event for stakeholders and he invited everyone to visit  the “Bakutel”.
 
Traditional “Bakutel” exhibition, which will take place within the framework of the “High-Tech Week”, is not limited to demonstrating achievements in the field of information technologies.The exhibition serves as a global platform for business conferences, promising cooperations, and new aspects of the digital future.
 
Within four days, the exhibition exposition will feature thematic areas such as  various digitalization solutions, Big Data, Machine-to-Machine (M2M), Internet of Things, banking technologies, 4-5G mobile technologies, services in the field of fibre-optic and cloud technologies, new ways to eliminate cybercrime, state services, electronic health, artificial intelligence, mobile devices and accessories, ‘smart city’, unmanned aerial vehicles and drone management systems etc.
 
Visit of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, His Excellency Ilham Aliyev testifies both to the care and attention of the country’s leadership to the relevant field, and to the authority of Bakutel exhibition.
 
“Bakutel-2018” has the support of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan, ITU - International Telecommunication Union, Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications (RCC), Azerbaijan Fund for the Promotion of Export and Investment (AZPROMO) and the National Confederation of the Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of Azerbaijan Republic (AEC), Small and Medium Business Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The organiser of the exhibition is Caspian Event Organisers (CEO). The general sponsor is company Azercell, which has been a major participant of the event for over twenty years.
 
Traditionally, the exhibition is attended by international experts, heads of ICT organizations. Among the honorary guests of this year’s exhibition are ICT ministers and senior officials of Russia, Turkey, Belarus, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Latvia, and  Bulgaria.
 
BAKUTEL 2018 – INNOVATIONS’ AREA
 
The Bakutel 2018 exhibition has gathered 230 companies from 20 countries around the world on one site, which means a 25% increase of occupied exhibition space. Leading ICT companies, mobile operators, Internet providers, system integrators, distributors of well-known brands and young developers represent the real solutions and technologies necessary for success. Debutants of this year make up 30% of the total number of exhibitors. The list of participants is replenished annually thanks to new companies on-board; so, among this year’s debutants are Silk Way Business Aviation, the State Advertising Agency of Azerbaijan (ADRA), Systematics (Russia), Suntech (Poland), “Azmonbat” (Azerbaijan), “BMS Global” (Azerbaijan), Hostimul (Azerbaijan), IPG IRE-Polus (Russia), Xerrow Technologies (UAE) and many more.
 
This year, 10 countries – USA, Turkey, Belarus, UAE, France,  Italy, Poland, Croatia, Iran, Slovenia  will  be presented by national pavilions.
 
Leading Azerbaijani state ICT structures will be  represented on a single national stand, organised by the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan. New development  projects in the fields of telecommunication, post , high technologies,  nanotechnologies, electronic signature infrastructure , and cloud services Data Center and some startup projects will be demonstrated. Also, e-commerce enterprises will operate at a separate stand in the second hall of the complex.
 
The exhibition will reflect many international and local projects in the field of ICT, in which Azerbaijan is directly involved.
 
During the exhibition, a museum dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the postal communications in Azerbaijan will be open in the lobby. Exhibits, letters, telegrams, communication devices, commutator phones, Morse code alphabet, official documents for the period, postal and communication workers' uniforms, parcels, letters, small packages and wrappers are demonstrated here. At the same time, postcards from World War II, military letters, mailboxes, and postcards coinciding with the 70s and 80s of the last century will be presented. A special  area dedicated to the development of postal service during National Leader Heydar Aliyev’s presidency will be presented at the exhibition.
 
A prize lottery will be held at the Azerpost stand for all visitors to the exhibition.
 
The new direction of the exhibition will be the involvement of small and medium-sized businesses and private technology developers to solve problems in various fields - from oil to entertainment - to help them promote their business. This direction is being developed with the support of the Agency for Development of Small and Medium Entrepreneurship of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Ten companies AG Development, emobile.az, Frazex, Hesab.az, IDEA Consulting, iticket, Morooq, Remart Group, SMART IT и Ticketsetup will be represented at the joint stand.
 
For example, among this year’s debutants is the Azerbaijan State Advertising Agency (ADRA), will showcase a new outdoor advertising tracking system. Company Eurodesign will present the technology of tele-presence used for prisoners and detainees, as well as special handcuffs for those under house arrest.
 
STARTUPS
 
The exhibition continues the tradition of providing opportunities for young developers to discuss their inventions and projects, along with industry leaders and government agencies. It is gratifying that this year the exhibition features a record number of startups - over 50 from various innovation centres. Thus, start-ups of the High-Tech Park of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies, finalists of the recently-launched startup tour “From Idea to Business” in Azerbaijan, which include start-ups from Baku and other regions, innovation and entrepreneurship centres Barama (Azercell Telecom) and AppLab (Bakcell), will also take part in the exhibition.
 
Startups present their bright innovative ideas for tourism, ecology, healthcare, and financial sectors. An impressive part of developments is based on the application of virtual and augmented reality technologies, the development of websites and mobile applications.
 
BUSINESS PROGRAM
 
This year, the business programme of the exhibition will be updated and become even more intense. Professional business events will begin on the 3rd of December. The programme will be opened by the 54th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Administrations of the Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications. Following this, the Meeting of the ICT Ministers of the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) will take place. The 4th Belarus-Azerbaijan ICT Forum is scheduled for December 5.
 
The initiator of the Caspian Innovation Conference is the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The event will cover such topics as “Broadband Communication,” “Artificial Intelligence,” “Internet of Things,” “Electronic Services,” “ICT-Oriented Start-ups and Innovative Entrepreneurship,” “Fourth Industrial Revolution,” “High-Tech Production,” and “Cyber ​​training”. The first Caspian Innovation Conference will bring together representatives of government, industry leaders, officials of regulatory structures and international organisations, including the heads of the largest regional telecommunications and satellite operators. The conference will play the role of regional platform for discussing opportunities for effective cooperation between all participants in the ICT sector, and will also contribute to solving problems in this field. In the future, this conference is projected to be held annually at the international Bakutel exhibition.
 
Starting last year, B2B meetings are held as part of the exhibition; this year’s meetings will be held on December 4 on an even larger scale by attracting representatives of companies from vertical markets to whom exhibitors can offer their digital solutions.
 
Special attention is paid to women and their role in ICT. Bakutel, together with the Azerbaijan Women’s ICT Club (Femmes Digitales), will hold an AWITA 2018 – Azerbaijan (the Women in IT Award ) awards ceremony on the second day of the event to recognise the most successful women working in the field of information and communication technologies in Azerbaijan.
 
The evening reception sponsor is Pasha Bank, and the floristic partner is Lilac Flower Boutique.
 
This year's Bakutel exhibition supports children with psychological developmental issues. As part of Bakutel 2018, a charity auction of clip art done during start-up tours in eight regions of the country will be held within the framework of the project “From Idea to Business”. Funds raised at the auction will go to supporting children on the autism spectrums that are undergoing rehabilitation in the public association “Together and Healthy.” Note that the paintings are the work of the famous graphic designer Mahir Gafarov. It should also be noted that on December 6-7 the Ministry will organise an excursion for pupils of orphanages in Baku to visit the Bakutel exhibition. They will be able to get acquainted with the functioning pavilions of the exhibition and have fun in the zone of innovative games.
 
BAKUTEL TECH TALKS
 
In addition to annual meetings and conferences, the exhibition has announced Bakutel Tech Talks, a new dynamic discussion platform created by exhibition organisers. For two days, December 5 and 6, Bakutel Tech Talks will draw the attention of audiences with a stream of useful information and unusual content.
 
On December 5 Tech Talks will be opened by ITV’s famous TV presenter Vusala Said, who will kick off the Bizimkiler session. The name of the session comes from the fact that our compatriots working abroad in world-renowned IT companies will be the speakers.The purpose of the session is to convey to the audience the experiences of large international IT-companies, and to acquaint them with the latest industry know-how.
 
The event will feature  reports on various topics, such as  “Integrated Learning for Computer Recognition”, “Modern Complex Software Engineering”,  “Social Robots and Design Trends in Social Robotics, as well as Probable Consequences of their Introduction into the Global Market”, “Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare and Science: Known and Unknown Facts; Limits and Potential Reach of Artificial Intelligence” , “Individual advisory systems on online platforms: A Case Study of Modern Era Software Development and its Implications”.
 
On December 6, Bakutel Tech Talks will continue with panel discussions under the slogan “IT-emize your perspective”. The main idea is that IT technologies and solutions are in great demand in certain industries (TV & Radio broadcasting, transport, education, tourism). Panellists will discuss the specific digital solutions that are in demand. The purpose of the event is to establish a dialogue between consumers and suppliers of digital innovations, and the first topic will touch vectors of development of television technologies.
 
The Bakutel Tech Talks programme on December 6 will continue with the session “From Start-up to Business,” to which start-ups and business youth are invited. In this session, experienced speakers will convey to the audience their confidence that all ideas can be implemented.
 
The main idea of ​​all the reports is to explain how a start-up system works and how to build start-ups correctly - from idea to running the business. This session will be a godsend for those who want to know how to find, test and implement their ideas, why it is important to share an idea and how to prevent it from being stolen.
 
Tech Talks will address the most pressing issues of the industry and will become a sought-after platform for discussions with opinion leaders. The organisers plan to hold Bakutel Tech Talks annually at the exhibition.
 
GAME ZONE
 
In addition to demonstrating and discussing technologies that form the digital environment, Bakutel is also a unique platform where entertainment utilising high-end technologies is presented. This year, the game zone will be located in the lobby and present the Digital Museum, robot tournament for First Lego League schoolchildren, the computer game “Yukseklik”, virtual fairy tales about national heroes – “Kulek - the first national heroes,” a digital museum project from 3D Productions, 3D printers that will print out landmarks of Azerbaijan, and a drones show. Exhibits from the Hedef Lyceum Museum of Interactive Science will also be presented.
 
For the first time, the fastest goalkeeper in the world, Robokeeper, will be demonstrated at Bakutel 2018. Robokeeper is an innovative invention of German scientists and has already stolen a way into hearts of all football fans around the world. No matter how hard and fast you hit the ball – this smart goalkeeper will almost certainly save it. Even world football stars such as Messi, Neymar, Ronaldinho, could not break through this goalkeeper.
 
At the exhibition, visitors and guests of the exhibition will have the opportunity to test Robokeeper for its goal-saving ability; anyone who can score a goal will receive valuable prizes. Well-known football players from Azerbaijani clubs invited to the opening of Bakutel 2018, as well as Gurban Gurbanov, head coach of the Azerbaijani national team and the “Garabagh” club, who will also try to score a goal against the fastest goalkeeper.
 
In the lobby of the Baku Expo Center there is children's area, which is organized by the partner of the exhibitions, the network of kindergartens Bagcam.az. Professional educators and teachers from Bagcam.az will take care of children with educational games, useful and exciting activities. In 2018, CEO’s official partners include Premier Tour, Hyatt Regency and Caucasus Hotels & Resorts. On 4 - 7 December, the exhibition will be open to industry specialists and persons working in related fields. Students will be able to visit the exhibition on 4 and 7 December only. Persons under 17 years of age accompanied by parents will be able to visit the exhibition only on 6 and 7 December.
 
The exhibition is timed to coincide with the release of the official newspaper, “Bakutel Exhibition News 2018”, which will tell about the participants and events of the exhibition. This year the “Baku Convention Center” is sponsoring the “Bakutel Exhibition News”. The latest news from the Caspian ICT Weeks will be promptly posted on the exhibition websites and on the official pages on social networks.
 
This year, the third day of the exhibition, 6 December, coincides with the celebration of professional day of workers in the field of communications and information technology in Azerbaijan. Taking this opportunity, the organisers congratulate communication and information technology workers on this wonderful holiday and wish them every success.
 
All detailed information about the exhibition is available on the website: www.bakutel.az