IST EVENT 2004 :: IST 2004 at a Glance
IST 2004 at a Glance more info For Journalists
New: The IST Event 2004 Guide is now available to download (Note: this is an 8.63 megabyte PDF file and may take time to download depending on your Internet connection speed).
IST 2004 Participate in your future addresses European policies, strategies and research
activities in all areas of the Information Society.
The event is based on
the following elements:
- The Conference with a total of 35 plenary and thematic sessions (maximum of 5 sessions in parallel). In addition there is a continuous session covering the practicalities of the new IST Workprogramme for 2005-6, and how to submit project proposals addressing this.
- The Exhibition,
comprising some 184 individual exhibits, and 26 Information stands.
The exhibition is clearly divided into seven zones:
A Dutch pavilion; a village of the European IST Prize winners; Information stands, and research exhibits in the 4 zones of Work, Care, Fun and Ambient Intelligence (AMI). This exhibition is also open to the public, free of charge. - The Networking event: Some 65 informal sessions have been organised to give participants the opportunity to discuss the Strategic Objectives of IST research, and other subjects they they themselves have suggested.
How to approach this event
If this is the first time that you are attending our annual IST event, you may have some difficulties in deciding how to spend your time. Here are a few hints and tips to get you started.
The conference programme largely addressed policy issues related to research and the long-term perspectives and trends affecting the IST research agenda. The Invited Speakers come from a very wide range of backgrounds, and most are not themselves directly involved in IST research activities. If you are interested to reflect on the context and rationale for IST research, the conference is the place to go. One notable exception to this is the continuous session on IST's workprogramme and how to submit proposals. This is pitched at a very practical level, addressing the questions of persons actually engaged in preparing such proposals eg on the different instruments, contracts and cost models being employed.
The exhibition is our showcase of project results, of technology from our hosts - the Netherlands, and of the innovations winning the European IST Prize. If you want to understand what is the state of the art in specific fields of research, or to discuss with some of our researchers the results of their work, this is the place to be. Complementing the technology, there are many information booths offering support services to researchers, or representing other national and regional interests .
The networking sessions, are the places to meet like-minded people, coming to together to discuss a subject that they themselves are interested in. This is a good place to find potential research partners or to build up ideas for future research proposals. For its part, the Commission has organised a specific session to discuss each Strategic Objective of the new IST workprogramme, so that persons interested can gain common understanding of some of the thinking that is behind this. Discussion fora are maintained on the IST 2004 website, for each of the subjects selected for networking sessions. This provides another way for you to contribute you own points of view, and to get in touch with others having similar interests.
Recurring topics and themes of the event
If you come to the event with a particular topic or theme in mind, you may well find that this is addressed throughout the event. Some are highlighted in the Topics section of this site If you have a little time before arriving at the event, it is advisable to browse the information available from this site, and to plan your time at IST 2004 so that you do not miss anything essential. On the spot advice on where to go and what to see is available from the European Commission's information stand, and from the secretariats supporting the conference, exhibition and networking.
For Journalists: Special assistance, press packs and work facilities are available from the Press Room on the 2nd floor of the Conference Centre. See also the press section of this web site