With over 100 000 visitors expected, this festival is the biggest of its kind in Europe, with more than 120 exhibitors, as well as 60 participating associations and groups. Almost all of the major Slovene governmental and non-governmental organisations dealing with problems of ageing population will be taking part in the Festival.

Organised within the framework of the “e-Inclusion: Be Part of It!” campaign, this year’s edition will feature around 20 lectures and 20 roundtables presenting experts knowledge and good practice with regard to the quality of life, the promotion of social and eInclusion of the elderly and the invention of new positive approaches on intergenerational cooperation.

One of the most important parts of this year’s edition is the ‘Park of solutions for a better life” whose aim is to present the good readymade solutions and services, as well as good practice.

The ‘Park of solutions for a better life’ will consist of two main parts, as follows:

• Exhibition of ICT based-solutions and services for a better life for the elderly and people with disabilities. To be presented are e.g.: text to voice software, finger operated household, telerehabilitation, telediagnostics, etc. Some of these solutions are produced by Slovene High-tech companies;
• Educational events for the general public and expert public. The covered subjects will have to do with the economical aspect of the usage of technological solutions for long-term health and social care, from technology to solutions, as well as the European good practices pertaining to the usage of technology-based solutions in social and health care, etc.

Besides the exhibition of high-tech products, solutions and possible services, an international round table entitled “Information Society for All: Inclusion of elderly people and disabled persons in eServices” will take place on 1 October; many Slovenian experts and experts from abroad will participate, together with representatives of the European Commission and civil society, as well as providers of computer equipment and technological solutions.

The round table participants will present examples of European practices; they will exchange their opinions and experiences and point out new ideas that could be useful for Slovenia’s policy for involving elderly people and disabled persons in the programme.

The main topics of the round table are:

• Social and economical meaning of involvement of elderly people and disabled persons in the programme of eServices;
• Needs of elderly people and disabled persons as users of contemporary eServices;
• Motivation and qualification of elderly people and disabled persons;
• Examples of good practices from European Union and international cooperation;
• Opportunity for developers and service providers;
• Slovene vision and short presentation of the project, financed by Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology.

The visit of the festival and the participation in the round table are free of charge and open to all. All participants are invited to register using the online registration form available at the event website.

Event email: simona.bezjak@f3zo.si