The annual BETT exhibition at Olympia has indisputably become established as the world’s leading event for educational information and communications technology, attracting over 27,000 visitors over its four days. The show is a unique opportunity for everyone involved in ICT in education to experience the latest innovations in the field of educational technology. Whether you’re a headteacher, teacher, coordinator, lecturer, librarian, administrator – and whether you’re a seasoned expert or just finding your depth in the ICT pool – there’s bound to be something to interest you at BETT 2006.
The show will feature over 600 suppliers of ICT resources for schools and colleges who will be exhibiting their wares, in many cases including brand new products being launched at the show for the first time. The show also includes a comprehensive programme of seminars designed to address issues across the whole educational spectrum, including many subject-specific talks at all levels from primary to further education. The seminar programme at BETT is always extremely popular and many schools use the opportunities offered by some of the sessions as Inset. You’ll find a full listing of the seminar programme on pages 38-41 of this special issue of InteracTive.
As usual, all the major hardware suppliers will be represented at the show, including Apple (E34), Epson (B72), Del (B44), RM (D50) and Toshiba (V40) – and we mustn’t forget the manufacturers of all the popular interactive whiteboards, such as Promethean (W19), SMART (A30), Hitachi (A20) and Interactive Technologies (F55). Software suppliers for ICT in education will also be well represented, prime examples being Granada Learning (E40), Logotron (B30), Sherston (E60), Harcourt Education (W18), Macromedia (E105) and the ubiquitous Microsoft (D30).
Whatever your software needs, BETT has to be the best place to track them down and see them demonstrated before you commit yourself to buying! It isn’t just the purveyors of ICT equipment and software who can be found at this immense event, however. Major government agencies, including the DfES, QCA and Becta, have a presence at the show, and all of the major subject associations also attend. These include the Mathematical Association, ASE, NATE and the Association for Language Learning. In addition, trades unions, consultancies, financial institutions and managed services are also among the myriad of exhibitors you can find at BETT. There really is something for everyone! A full list of all the exhibitors can be found on pages 32-36 of this issue, along with complete floor plans showing where to find them.
SPECIAL ZONES.
As usual, the show will feature specialist areas devoted to specific types of resources, including the ever-popular Special Needs Village (in a new location this year), the Publishing Zone, the New Software Zone, the Library Resources Zone, Policy in Practice and Create @ BETT. A number of special information points will be set up around the exhibition area to dispense advice and information on specific areas.