ASTANA – The second Astana Smart Technologies Exhibition (ASTEX-2104) and conference will take place in the run up to the 7th Astana Economic Forum (AEF) on May 15-16.
The international exhibition will be held by the Information Communications Development Corporate Fund of Kazakhstan, chaired by Silicon Valley innovator Sanzhar Ketebekov, and will include heads of foreign companies, large investors, business coaches, professors, e-commerce businessmen and analysts as speakers.
Robert Bellac, chief executive officer of NewEgg, one of America’s largest e-commerce firms, is expected to speak on e-commerce trends to the Kazakh and foreign audience.
The event’s guests will participate in discussions and workshops. Mark Goodstein, executive director of IdeaLab, one of the first Internet incubators for business ideas in the United States, and David Travers, partner in the investment company Rustic Canyon Ventures, will discuss innovation issues in e-business and the development of information technologies in the business-to-client and business-to-business sectors. Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive officer of Expedia Inc., the world’s largest online travel company, will share his experience in creating a smart industry. Kazakh e-business issues will be presented by SAT & Company Board Chairman Kenes Rakishev, famous for his role in Mobli and other domestic and international startups, Choco Family Chief Executive Officer Ramil Mukhoryapov and others.
The event will take place in one of the most technologically developed centres in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the KazMediaOrtalygy TV and Radio Complex. It will display innovative solutions in the information technologies sector, including the latest technology in holograms, virtual fitting rooms and 3D printers.
Registration is available online at www.astex.kz, where a personal quick-response code will be issued. Participants will be able to test a mobile application for remote access to the conference and will vote online for the best IT projects. The ASTEX prize will be awarded to the winner of the contest.
For the second year, ASTEX will serve as an international communication platform to share experiences and discuss relevant issues in the industry, as well as provide an opportunity to enhance cooperation between countries, organisations and companies.
Consortium Agreements on an Open Logistics Platform and Data Trading Platform for Subsurface Users are expected to be signed within the exhibition, and an offer to create an international electronic commerce development association has been made.
Speakers will make recommendations as to how to promote companies in a smart environment and how to effectively sell products at home. They will also share their opinions on which areas of Kazakh business should be developed.
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Zerde National Information Communication Technologies Holding and the Information Communications Technologies Development Corporate Fund are jointly organizing ASTEX-2014.
The first ASTEX was held at the 6th Astana Economic Forum on May 21-22, 2013. The Information Communications Technologies Development Corporate Fund worked on finding and concluding agreements with sponsors and exhibitors, attracting speakers, conducting a comprehensive publicity campaign, developing image products and other event preparation work.
As a result, within the two days of the 2013 exhibition and conference, 42 speakers spoke during four sessions (smart government, smart industry, smart business and smart life), 25 exhibitor companies, including some of the world’s largest vendors (HP, Microsoft, ASUSTek Computer Inc. and others) were presented and numerous workshops were held, including workshops on e-learning, e-commerce and e-health.
The first ASTEX Awards for best IT manager in the public sector, best IT manager in the corporate sector, best IT manager in law enforcement bodies, best blogger and best startup were also presented then.
