Postings from Germany
Part Three

HASTA la vista, baby!

“See you tomorrow,” said California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as he finished his speech at the opening of the six-day Cebit 2009 trade expo on Monday night.

The line came from his famous movie, Terminator, and just like that he endeared himself to his audience of nearly 2000 German officials and global high-tech bigwigs.

Expo organizer Deutsche Messe hoped that Hollywood Muscle Man would do exactly that and even give the event a much needed shot in the arm, seeing how the global recession had shrunk the show.

Although 4,300 firms will be showing their wares from March 3, it’s a poor number compared to Cebit’s heyday in 2001 when it had 8,000 exhibitors.

The Terminator talks.

Mr Schwarzenegger did not disappoint. He was a polished politician who was giving a rousing speech, calling on the industry to stop whining and to invest in research and education to prepare for the future.

Although most of his speech was in English, the Austrian-born California Governor had the audience eating out of his hand when he spoke in German.

Urte Lutzen, my German guide, told me that “he was cute, speaking in an Austrian-accented German with a hint of American accent”.

Like in his English version, he urged the high-tech industry to persist so as to succeed. As an example, he referred to his early days as a young man when he arrived from Austria to work in a gym in Munich and to train for the ultimate bodybuilding contest, Mr Universe. He won the title twice in his two years in Munich.

It was his work ethic and discipline that helped him to succeed as a bodybuilder, actor, entrepeneur and politician, he said.

With German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Flashing his toothy grin, he was soon mobbed during the VIP reception held after the opening ceremony at the Congress Centre here.

Security was tight around the VIP corner. Those who did not manage to sidle up to him had to be content with taking their photos with a life-size model of Terminator in the Congress Centre’s lobby.

At least they left with a souvenir.