In an email interview with the WHIR, Thomas Stohe, director of Intergenia AG and WebhostingDay organizer discusses this year's agenda and his expectations for the event.

(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- For the past four years, WebhostingDay (www.webhostingday.com) has been one of the largest hosting events in the industry.

The conference and tradeshow is designed for individuals in the IT or telecommunications industry, giving them the opportunity to network with other companies.

This year's WebhostingDay will return for the fifth consecutive year to Phantasialand in Brühl, Germany, on March 17 to 19. More than 70 companies, including Microsoft, Parallels, Intel, AMD, Fujitsu and HP, will participate at the event as presenters and exhibitors.

The three-day event is packed with two full days of main.FORUM and hosting.SESSIONs, where atendees can attend discussions and presentations with industry innovators.

Event organizer Intergenia AG (www.intergenia.de) says more than 2,500 visitors attended last year's event, and the company hopes this year's attendance will be even greater.

In an email interview with the WHIR, Thomas Stohe, director of Intergenia AG and WebhostingDay organizer talks about this year's agenda and his expectations for the event.

The WHIR: Is there any specific theme/direction this year's WebhostingDay will take on?

Thomas Stohe: Like every year, WebhostingDay covers all topics that affect the hosting industry at present and in the near future. Therefore, we leave the decision to our speakers which topic they want to present. Depending on their area of expertise, some give outlooks on upcoming hardware, or describe new business options. It seems that the cloud still remains one major topic, however, and most of the speakers touch this subject in one way or the other.

What kind of feedback did you receive from the 2009 event and how will you frame WebhostingDay 2010 better this year in these areas?

TS: In general we received a very positive feedback, both regarding organization and quality. However, there are always some things that can still be improved, and it is our ambition to take all points of criticism into account when planning the next event. Therefore, there are actually some changes in 2010, for example considering our trade fair called hosting.FAIR. It has been relocated to a new area, which not only provides more space for the exhibitors, but also helps shorten the footways between the different event locations like lecture rooms, restaurants, and the fair.

What topics and trends is Intergenia looking to cover during the conference presentations?

TS: Like I said before, it is mostly up to the speakers, which aspect of webhosting they cover in their presentation. The main ambition is to offer a forum to webhosting industry members to hear and discuss all the latest trends. Therefore, we do not specify any main topic before the event. As long as the speakers present recent and newsworthy themes, they have a free choice of focus.

How did Intergenia arrive at the decision to add the VIP pass this year?

TS: In fact the VIP pass existed before, but we have considerably increased its value this year. The aim was to create a VIP status that really offers some very useful advantages to the VIP guests, so that they can enjoy their attendance without having to worry about anything – just concentrate on their business. While there always was a special VIP party and guaranteed seats in all speeches, the VIPs now even have their own Concierge, can make appointments with other VIPs by using VIPconnect, have some advantages in the event hotels, get a shuttle service etc.

What do you hope attendees will get out of attending WebhostingDay 2010?

TS: They will be informed about what goes on in the industry right now, and what other companies are planning to do next. Moreover, they can find some new first-class business partners, broaden their social networks, and last but not least have a good time. Because next to many talks and the trade fair, WebhostingDay also offers some great social events, for example the ConneXion party. And as the event takes place in a theme park, people may also make use of some attractions and venture a thrill ride.