BangaloreIT.com, Asia’s largest Information Communication Media Technology event, has dropped the .com and adopted the .IN extension instead. The eighth edition of the IT event, to be held from October 26-29, 2005, promises to be bigger and better.

Started in 1998, BangaloreIT.com has been attracting IT majors from India and abroad. The event is organised by the Government of Karnataka every year and has been managed by Software Technology Parks of India, Bangalore till now. However, the responsibility for managing this major IT event this year has been given to Bangalore-based EventsTen.

Speaking to exchange4media, Jose Anthony, GM, EventsTen, said, “The intention behind hosting an event of such a scale is multi-fold. Firstly, this event projects Bangalore – and India on a macro level – as the ideal IT destination for market competitiveness and development. The event helps emphasise that the forum provided is a convergence of trade into India and divergence of business opportunities into international markets.”

He added that an event of this scale and dynamics helped showcase the future of information technology and took IT to the common man as well. Besides positioning Bangalore as the Silicon Valley of India, the event is also looked at to help get in foreign investments into Karnataka as well as India.

The shift from BangaloreIT.com to BangaloreIT.in has been attributed to the efforts of the IT Ministry to establish India as the IT destination. The move is not only expected to promote Brand India, but also help equate IT to India.

The public relations for the traditionally high-visibility event will be handled by TBWA India, Bangalore, which started its PR operations earlier this month. Sanjay Bose, GM-South, TBWA India Public Relations, said, “We have just started operations and are delighted to bag such a prestigious account. I think it was the ideas we brought to the table to innovatively enhance visibility that clinched it for us, and are looking forward to the event.”

Companies from nearly 20 countries had been invited to participate in the event, which was being called “An event for the industry by the industry”, EventsTen’s Anthony said. BangaloreIT.in, which will be held at the Palace Grounds, will have pavilions with interactive zones, exhibition, conferences, buyer-seller meets and conclaves. Quiz programmes, global zones, and student interactions are expected to make the event more interactive and fun.