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275 exhibitors, 22 countries, 440 speakers, and B2B Matchmaking Events with more than 500 business meetings
ΑΙ Forum and Technology Forum
Dozens of events in 5 conference venues
Sophia the Robot will also be present
With 275 direct and indirect exhibitors, 22 countries, 440 Greek and foreign speakers, B2B Matchmaking Events with over 200 participants, and more than 500 business meetings, 5 conference venues with dozens of events, with a Conference on Artificial Intelligence, the 11th Technology Forum, and many hundreds of B2B and B2G meetings, as well as with Sophia the Robot, the world’s best-known AI robot, BEYOND 2024 is starting tomorrow, 25 April.
The International Digital Transformation, Technology, and Innovation Exhibition, which will run until 27 April, has exceeded all expectations, as last year it had gathered more than 170 exhibitors.
From 25 to 27 April at the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre, BEYOND will be the ideal platform for international business leaders, pioneering thinkers, and all those active in consumer technologies. Furthermore, it will provide a platform to companies from all over the world to present innovative products and their services, as well as to make important deals with visitors from Greece and abroad.
The Ministry of Digital Governance, the Independent Public Revenue Authority, the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Regions of Central Macedonia, Crete, Central Greece, and Epirus are participating in the exhibition this year, while the interest of Universities and Research Centres is enormous, with participations by CERTH, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Democritus University of Thrace, International Hellenic University, Ionian University, University of Peloponnese, the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, University of Western Macedonia, University of Ioannina, and City College. In fact, BEYOND is issuing free passes to students.
25 and 26 April are the dates of the FING and Enterprise Europe Network Matchmaking event, with over 200 participants from Greece and 8 other countries, as well as more than 500 scheduled business meetings. Furthermore, on 27 April, the Public Employment Service is organising a Career Day with 41 tech only enterprises.
BEYOND’s side events and conferences programme is extensive, covering the 4 stages and the Workshops area of the event. The AI Forum (Main Event), the Technology Forum, the Leadership Dialogue, the Conference of Regions of Greece, the Congress of General Secretaries of ‘Kleisthenes’ Municipalities, AI Health, AI in Agriculture, AI in Creativity, Workshops by major enterprises on the Digital Work Card, events on Smart Cities, Professions of the Future, Women’s Entrepreneurship, and others are “on the menu” at BEYOND.
On Friday 26 and Saturday 27 April, BEYOND will also welcome Sophia the Robot, which TIF-HELEXPO and the Region of Central Macedonia will introduce to the audience. In fact, Sophia will participate in a discussion on 26 April at 11:30 in the presence of the Regional Governor of Central Macedonia, Mr Apostolos Tzitzikostas, and Director of Computing | Research Scientist, MIT Media Lab - Head of the National Cybersecurity Authority, Dr Michalis Bletsas, while it will also attend the Artificial Intelligence Conference in the framework of BEYOND.
BEYOND is being organised by TIF-HELEXPO, Be-Best, and Industry Disruptors Game Changers (IDGC), and the co-organisers comprise of the Ministry of Digital Governance, the Region of Central Macedonia, the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE), and the Municipality of Thessaloniki. It is being held under the auspices of the Ministry of the Interior (Sector of Macedonia-Thrace), the Ministry of Tourism, and the ‘Kleisthenis’ Panhellenic Union of General Secretaries of Local Government. BEYOND will be inaugurated by the Minister of Digital Governance, Mr Dimitris Papastergiou.
The Gold Sponsors of the event are INTRACOM TELECOM and OKTABIT, and the Sponsors are MYTILINEOS, AVOKADO, POLITIS TECHNOLOGIES, AI LABS BY UBITECH, and QUEST GROUP.
BEYOND is supported by SEPE (Federation of Hellenic ICT Enterprises), SEPVE (Association of Information Technology Companies of Northern Greece), and SEKEE (Hellenic Association of Innovative Applications Companies), HETIA (Hellenic Emerging Technologies Industry Association), AIC, SOFTONE, and AXAPTA MASTERS.
Today's Press conference
The President of TIF-HELEXPO, Mr Tasos Tzikas, characterised BEYOND as a communication platform for all players in the new tech sector from Greece, south-eastern Europe, and around the world, which supports the goal of transforming Greece into a hub of technology and innovation, and Thessaloniki into a tech pioneer, while he also called it a major international exhibition.
This year’s BEYOND has exceeded organisers’ expectations, according to TIF-HELEXPO CEO, Dr Kyriakos Pozrikidis, who presented its content in its detail.
Visitors to this year’s BEYOND – enterprise and state organisation executives – will find all the answers on how to carry out a digital
transformation and how they can be competitive, according to Be-Best’s CEO, Mr Vangelis Charalambous.
The qualitative and quantitative characteristics of BEYOND are changing, while the business community of Thessaloniki is supporting the exhibition and global tech trend-setters will be here, stressed the founder of Industry Disruptors Game Changers, Mr Michalis Stagos.
The Deputy Governor for Digital Governance of the Region of Central Macedonia, Mr Nikolaos Tzollas, characterised BEYOND as a landmark exhibition for Central Greece and Thessaloniki, while he stated it is a leading modern innovation institution. He made particular reference to Sophia’s presence in the Region’s stand.
Mr Kosmas Vamvalis, spokesperson of the 11th Technology Forum, stated that the Forum will be organised on 25 April in the context of BEYOND, while he underlined certain sections, such as the keynote speakers, the two round tables with 11 heads of regional agencies, and the Innovation Challenges that have been set by ten companies.
Mr Toli Lerios, one of the founders of the Technology Forum with many years of experience in entrepreneurship and the first Greek to receive an award at the International Olympiad in Computer Programming, stated he was impressed by this year’s BEYOND.
This year’s BEYOND event has become the foundation on which the exhibition will build in the coming years, as it is the first to be held as it should be, noted BEYOND Project Manager, Ms Sevi Kaffa.
“It is our pleasure to support a promising exhibition such as this. We believe in it”, said Mr Dimitris Papaioannou, CEO of BEYOND Gold Sponsor OKTABIT.
Mr Alexandros Tarnaris, Director of the Marketing & Communications Department of BEYOND’s other Gold Sponsor, INTRACOM TELECOM, stressed that with this year’s event, BEYOND is following in the footsteps of MWC Barcelona.
The Vice-President of the ‘Kleisthenis’ Panhellenic Union of General Secretaries of Local Government, Mr Athanasios Papageorgiou, referred to the two-day scientific conference being organised by the Union on April 25 and 26, which is addressed to local government executives, elected officials, and technocrats, on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Administration of Local Authorities.
Director of the ETE-Innovation Greece 5.0 network, Ms Glykeria Melidoniotis, spoke on the organisation of the Innovation Northern Greece 5.0 conference, which is taking place on 25 and 26 April on ‘Innovation in Northern Greece and the institutions that support it’, making reference to its 24 panels, 200 speakers, and 10 workshops.
Lastly, the Marketing Officer of Mytilineos Energy & Metals – sponsor of BEYOND – Ms Zoe Kotronia, described the exhibition as a meeting point for very important companies and brilliant minds, while she said that Mytiineos is participating with AVOKADO and SMART CITIES, its tech flagships.
BEYOND’s working hours are 10:00-19:00 on all three days. BEYOND TV powered by LIVEMEDIA will also be operating in the context of the exhibition.