CARTES & IDentification will be 25 in Paris in December 2010

CARTES & IDentification, the world’s leading event for the digital-security industry, for smart technologies, and for payment and contactless systems, will take place in Paris in December 2010. In 2010, CARTES will be celebrating 25 years of the trade show. The three days of the 2010 show will provide participants with the opportunity to combine networking with informative conferences, alongside retrospectives and original events. The organisers are expecting 500 exhibitors, as well as 20,000 visitors and 1,300 delegates.

The CARTES trade show was launched in 1986, just a few years after the first smart cards were developed. Over its 25 years of existence, CARTES has established itself as the leading international event for the digital-security, electronic-payments and contactless-technology industries. The event has become a trendsetter for the global market and a showcase for the sector’s innovations.

In 2010, the CARTES trade show will feature new sectors. Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and radio-communications technologies have enabled a growing number of sub-systems to exchange data without human intervention – the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT offers significant potential for development in terms of communication methods (M2M, RFID, NFC, WIFI and ZIGBEE), auto ID, network infrastructure, data and data-transfer security, as well as respect for confidentiality.

CARTES is the ideal platform to bring together the IoT community as a result of its international dimension, the range of technology on show, and the topics covered. The trade show will be an opportunity to transform ideas into practical projects and to generate opportunities for new business.

To achieve this, the Internet of Things area will welcome visitors from a range of sectors, including communicating vehicles, smart buildings, leisure, and consumer technology. This space will include an exhibition area as well as dedicated events and workshops. A series of conferences around the theme of the Internet of Things will also be held over the three days of the exhibition.

The SESAMES Awards are renowned for showcasing innovative products and represent a global benchmark for smart-card and identification-systems manufacturers. The Awards represent a unique promotional springboard and enhance the winners’ reputation and credibility.

In 2010, the Awards will be given a makeover to mark their 15th anniversary, recognising the following 10 revised categories: Hardware; Software; Identification/ID cards; Digital Security; Transport; Banking/Commerce/Loyalty; Mobility; Trusted Internet/Authentication; e-transactions; and, finally, Production & Tests.

The Awards are open to all innovative projects in the relevant sectors, with more and more entries each year. In 2009, 309 applications were submitted for 10 prizes. Selected by a panel of experts, the Awards will be presented at a prestigious ceremony organised in Paris, on the eve of the opening of CARTES & IDentification. The finalists’ products will be on show in the SESAMES Area, which will be located at the centre of the exhibition.

The CEO-level members of the French Association of Card Manufacturers and Suppliers (AFPC) signed the End-of-life Cards Charter, which focuses on sustainable development, at CARTES & IDentification 2007. In 2010, the SESAMES Awards Jury will incorporate the concept of sustainable development when assessing entries.

The Congress, which is held alongside the trade show, brings together 1,300 delegates over three days to discuss the latest technical developments, marketing trends and strategic issues, and to hear feedback on concrete case studies. There will be 20 presentations based on themes related to cards and identification, which will provide an indispensable addition to visiting the exhibition stands. The issues debated will include NFC and contactless technology; card security; debit and credit cards; the manufacturing of cards; identification; M2M; and, finally, IoT.

As part of the 2010 Congress, the World Card Summit opening conference will welcome the leading CEOs from across the sector. They will share their vision of the market, as well as their views on the future of the industry. Eurosmart will also announce its latest results. This exclusive presentation, which is the highlight of the Congress, attracted more than 400 people in 2009.

The CARTES Blog, which was launched on the eve of the 2009 trade show, received a warm welcome from attendees. Building on this success, the CARTES Blog went live in April 2010. The blog, which is designed to be a dynamic information source to complement the CARTES website, highlights the key events at the 2010 show. Information and in-depth articles will be accessible in real time prior to, and during, the trade show. The blog is aimed at a wide international readership and, in particular, at visitors to the event. Visitors can find out about the latest innovations, discover market trends or explore a selection of exhibitors’ announcements on the CARTES Blog.

About CARTES

CARTES & IDentification, the leading trade show for the smart-card sector, will take place from 7 to 9 December 2010 at the Paris Nord Villepinte exhibition centre in Paris (France).

For further information, please go to: www.cartes.com or www.blogcartes.com