The Bavarians are very good at
making fantastically refreshing highquality
lager beers. They’re pretty
good at drinking it, too. And this year
in Munich, the Bavarian population has
the perfect reason for doing both—celebrating
the city’s 850th birthday.
So if you’re in town for the electronica
2008, grab a pint and join in. About 45%
of the 80,000 people expected to visit
electronica this year will be from abroad.
If you’re flying into the Munich airport,
you’ve got a few choices on how to get to
the show.
The best option is to get the regular
buses that run from just outside the
airport terminals straight to the Munich
International Trade Fair. Forget the taxis
unless there’s a group of you. They’re
way too pricey. If you’re not going to
the show right away, but instead headed
toward central Munich, then use the S
Bahn trains.
Most people already staying in Munich
get to the Messestadt (show ground) by
U Bahn. Let’s clear up this U Bahn and
S Bahn stuff. Munich has a fantastically
good and efficient train system, but it is
mind-numbingly complex when trying
to figure out what ticket you need.
Simply put, the S Bahn lines are the
suburban trains that run within the city
and also to outlying areas. The U bahn is
the central city lines. You need to get the
U2 line to the show. The Munich rail system
works on an honesty policy, though.
You get your ticket and date- and timestamp
it before boarding the train.
Don’t think that by acting the confused,
non-German-speaking tourist
you’ll get away without a ticket if you’re
suddenly questioned by one of the plainclothes
ticket inspectors that patrol the
trains. You won’t. They speak English,
have heard all the excuses before, and are
members of a very strange and extremely
small group of people who actually
understand the fare system. Oh, and the
fines are hefty.
This is one big Techfest
So you’ve made it to the show. It’s vast,
with over 3000 companies among huge
halls that are all packed with the latest
electronics technology. Take a look at
the Show’s Web site at
www.electronica.de/en/home to get a handle on what’s
available.
Having paid your entry to the exhibition,
you’ll get a show catalogue that
has serious thickness and weight, to the
point where if you dropped it, you could
cause serious blunt force trauma to your
feet. Do not attempt to carry this tome
any distance. Find a place to sit down
and plan your personal route for getting
around the show. Do this for as long as it
takes. Do not be tempted to try and wing
it around the show. Desperation and
dehydration will soon set in.
Key Attractions
The special application halls are a
major attraction. Focusing on subjects
like automotive, RFID, wireless, and nanotechnology,
these are well put together
and make for a good area to visit. If
you’re a designer (14% of attendees fall
into this category) looking for the latest
in semiconductor technology, then the
halls in the A section are a must-go.
See associated image
