PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--"Business, Innovation, Foresight and Celebration" will set the tone of the 25^th CARTES & IDentification trade show, the world’s leading event for digital security, smart technologies, payment and contactless which will open its doors in Paris from 7^th to 9^th December 2010. A real focal point for innovation, the 20,000 visitors and 1,300 delegates expected will be the very first to discover all the latest news from the international market of smart technologies and identification from the 500 companies present at the reference event.

25 years already

Launched in 1986, just a few years after the first smart cards appeared, the CARTES trade show in Paris brought together a handful of experts for a programme of strategic conferences covering payment and e-money.

Over its 25 years, CARTES has certainly grown up and undeniably established itself as the international event bringing together the entire digital security, payment and contactless community. The event has become the trend setter for the global market and the sector’s innovations.

Taking advantage of the festive atmosphere which will already prevail in Paris in early December, we will be fittingly celebrating 25 years of the trade show. Those three intense days will provide a special opportunity to combine socializing and networking, with informative conferences without forgetting a few amusing retrospectives and original events.

2010: The Internet of Things is setting up camp

For the 2010 event, the CARTES trade shows and congress are offering new inroads into new markets.

M2M and radio communications technologies enabled a growing number of “things” to exchange data without human intervention. The Internet of Things was born. The potential is significant and the challenges in terms of communication methods (M2M, RFID, NFC, WIFI, ZIGBEE, etc.), auto ID, network infrastructure, data and data transfer security, as well as respect for confidentiality are crucial.

As a result of its international dimension, the representativeness of the technologies exhibited and the topics addressed, CARTES is the ideal platform to bring together the IoT community. The trade show will be an opportunity to transform ideas into practical projects and to revive real opportunities for new business.

To achieve this, the Internet of Things area will welcome a new target of visitors from the communicating vehicles, smart buildings, leisure and consumer technology sectors.

This space will include an exhibition area, specific events and dedicated workshops.

A series of conferences specific to the Internet of Things will be held over the three days of the exhibition.

The SESAMES Awards celebrate 15 years

Established as undisputed badges of innovation, global benchmarks for smart card and identification manufacturers, they represent a real promotional springboard and give the winners a reputation and credibility guaranteeing their project’s success.

The Awards will be given a slight make-over for their 15th anniversary as the 10 winning categories have been adapted and renamed: Hardware, Software, Identification/Cartes ID, Digital Security, Transport, Banking/Commerce/Loyalty, Mobility, Trusted Internet/Authentication, e-transactions and finally Production & Tests.

The competition is open to all innovative projects in the relevant sectors and consistently attracts more and more candidates. In 2009, 309 applications were submitted for 10 prizes.

Selected by a panel of experts, the Awards will be presented at a prestigious ceremony organized in Paris, on the eve of the opening of CARTES & IDentification.

Finalist products will be on show in the SESAME Area located at the centre of the exhibition.

Sustainable development and the environmentally responsible approach

The CEO members of AFPC* signed the "End-of-life cards" charter at CARTES & IDentification 2007. What role has sustainable development played among manufacturers in the sector over the last three years?

This year, the SESAMES Awards will incorporate the concept of sustainable development into assessment of entries, which may therefore give one project an edge over another.

*Association of Card Manufacturers and Suppliers

CARTES & IDentification 2010 will also include…

The Conferences: undisputed world leader

Real concentration of information and expertise, the Conferences bring together for three days 1,300 delegates to discuss the latest technical developments, marketing and strategic issues and hear feedback on concrete case studies. Based on themes related to cards and also identification, the about 20 conferences (NFC and contactless, card security, debit and credit cards, manufacturing of cards, identification, M2M & IoT) are the best way to assess the market and an indispensable addition to a tour of the stands. Over the years, the Congress has become the forum of choice for communication between leading industrialists in the sector and international decision-makers.

The World Card Summit: heads of industry speak out

The trade show’s opening conference welcomes the leading CEOs in the sector. They will share their vision of the market and their views on the future of their industry, while Eurosmart will exclusively announce its latest figures. This presentation, the highlight of the Conferences, attracted more than 400 people last year.

A blog to discover or rediscover

The CARTES blog, launched on the eve of the 2009 event, received a warm welcome from the public. Building on this success, the Cartes blog went live in April 2010. The blog, intended to be a dynamic information source to complement the CARTES website, highlights this year’s key events with a selection not to be missed on any account. Information and in-depth articles will be accessible in real time prior to and during the trade show. It is aimed at a wide international readership and in particular at the event visitors. In a few clicks, anyone can now immerse themselves in the latest news from CARTES & IDentification. They can discover the latest innovations, discover market trends or explore a selection of the principal exhibitor announcements.

Make a note now in your diary of December 7^th, 8^th and 9^th 2010!

For the latest information on CARTES & IDentification visit:

www.cartes.com / www.blogcartes.com

Useful information

Dates: 7-8-9 December 2010

Place: Paris Nord Villepinte exhibition centre, France