News Dr Christian Göke speaking at the IFA opening press conference Hans-Joachim Kamp speaking at the IFA opening press conference The Super Bowl of Trade Fairs Messe Berlin CEO Dr Göke welcomes you to IFA 2013 Curtain Goes up on IFA 2013 World’s largest CE and home appliances show grows by 4% [ by Neil Cole ] Dr Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin, spoke passionately about the importance of IFA for industry, consumers and media alike, at Wednesday’s opening press conference. “IFA unites the smartest players in the field of consumer electronics,” he said. “With over 6,000 accredited journalists from 70 countries, IFA is one of the top-10 annual media events, in the same league as the Olympic Games, the Football World Cup and the Superbowl.” He was also keen to point out that product premieres have always been a key attraction, ever since IFA first provided a showcase for the invention of radio-related products in the 1920s. “From the cassette player in 1963, to the MP3 player in 1993 – this year the smart watch will premiere here at IFA,” he said. Stressing the importance of the event as a springboard for innovation, he added: “Also exhibiting this year are 3D printers, phablets and curved TVs.” Dr Göke also highlighted the contact offered by IFA with major players in the market, playing host to prestigious keynote speakers including Pieter Nota, Executive Vice-President, Philips; Dan Hesse, CEO, Sprint Corporation; and, significantly, Alan Mullaly, President and CEO, Ford Motor Company, who recognised the importance of smart technology in all fields by choosing to appear at IFA rather than at the world’s largest motor show in Frankfurt. Dr Göke spoke of the growth of IFA: “In 2012 we welcomed more than 45,000 international trade visitors – an attendance which has doubled in five years.” And he spoke of the many ways these visitors can partake in the consumer electronics dialogue, from TEDx Talks and the iZone to the vibrant Oktoberfest. “In 2012 we welcomed more than 45,000 international trade visitors – an attendance which has doubled in five years.” [ by Neil Cole ] It was standing room only at the IFA 2013 opening press conference, which attracted journalists, television crews and photographers from over 70 countries. IFA is already the world’s largest CE and home-appliance show, and yet continues to grow every year. As Hans-Joachim Kamp, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of gfu; Vice President ZVEI, pointed out: “IFA now occupies 145,000 sq m, a 2% increase in display space compared with the 2012 event. For the fourth time in succession, all available space at IFA has been booked to accommodate the 1,493 exhibitors, which is an increase of nearly 4%”. In addition to providing the world’s media with a snapshot of the trends in some of IFA’s key sectors, the press conference also demonstrated the impact that IFA itself has on those markets. For example, the global CE market posted a slight dip in the first half of 2013. However, the forecast for the second half looks set to reverse the downward trend, as the sales made and products launched at IFA boost the figures. “With €3.8bn of purchase volume at IFA, the timing of the show also swells the market in the run up to the holiday season,” Kamp said. “(…) all available space at IFA has been booked to accommodate the 1,493 exhibitors, which is an increase of nearly 4%” Meanwhile, the householdappliance market continues to grow. Dr Reinhard Zinkann, Chairman of ZVEI Electrical Home Appliance Product Division, said the companies exhibiting at IFA are being forced to innovate to keep pace with fastchanging markets and consumer habits. “Overall, we are expecting a worldwide expansion of between 3%-4% to a total in excess of 0bn for 2013, based on a positive tendency during the first half of the year,” Dr Zinkann said, who also flagged up the growing need for domestic energy efficiency as a “megatrend”. He concluded: “IFA is of continuously increased importance for our sector. It is the world’s leading trade show for the home appliance industry. 6
News Left to right: Dr Reinhard Zinkann, Miss IFA, Hans-Joachim Kamp, Dr Christian Göke Smart is the Word at IFA [ by Neil Cole ] The key word at IFA 2013 is ‘smart’, delegates heard at the show’s opening press conference. Forecasts revealed on IFA’s main conference stage showed sales in smart TVs will grow by 75% in the second half of 2013, despite a drop in standard TV sales of 1.4%, and with sales of 937 million units the smartphone market will see a rise of 37%. “Products with smart innovative features are highly appreciated by the consumers. These products are driving the market significantly,” said Hans- Joachim Kamp, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of gfu; Vice President ZVEI. “60% of consumers are very interested in smart appliances, and interoperability between separate devices” Dr Reinhard Zinkann speaking at the IFA opening press conference Smart homes and smart appliances are also ready to impact. Dr Reinhard Zinkann, Chairman, ZVEI Electrical Home Appliance Product Division pointed to research that claims ‘60% of consumers are very interested in smart appliances, and interoperability between separate devices’. With the smart watch also making its world premiere at IFA 2103, it’s not just the tech that’s smart: as Dr Christian Göke, CEO, Messe Berlin put it: “IFA unites the smartest players in the field of consumer electronics.” www.ifa-international.org IFAInternational • Friday 6 th September 2013 7
