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at w w w.ifa-international.org news From left to right: Jens Heithecker, Director IFA - Dr Reinhard Zinnkann, Chairman of the Board Division Home Appliances of ZVEI - Dr Rainer Hecker, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, gfu - Dr Christian Göke, COO Messe Berlin Optimism at iFa amid signs OF market recOvery By Mark Dezzani and Neil Crossley .../ Cont'd. from Page 1 “In these difficult times we are extremely pleased that we have sustained what was a record level last year,” said Dr. Christian Göke, Chief Operating Officer of Messe Berlin. “We have major new exhibitors such as Vodafone, and other major players such as Pioneer have returned.” Göke says that IFA is of paramount importance for the consumer electronics market and now also for the home appliances "Home cinema and mp4 will be significant growth sectors in the European consumer electronics market", said Dr. Rainer Hecker, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, gfu, at the IFA Opening Press Conference on Wednesday. Hecker, who stressed that IFA is an accurate mirror of the market, said that the market for consumer electronics and home appliances will be driven by the “cocooning effect” of consumers, who industry. “Trade investment in IFA is at record levels. Globally IFA is the most important show for product launches with the highest number of international visitors. The presence of the most senior executives from Sony, Samsung and Panasonic amongst others demonstrates the importance of IFA.” The addition of home appliances at IFA has proved to be a major success. “We had a great debut in 2008,” will spend on high quality items in hard times. "Energy efficiency is motivating consumers to buy new equipment, as devices such as fridges, TVs and washing machines continue to be replaced," he said. "Flat TV will prove increasingly attractive in the near future," he continued, "while Bluray, mobile entertainment, and broadcast and internet convergence will all gain ground in the marketplace." says Dr. Reinhard Zinkann, Chairman of the Board Division Home Appliances of ZVEI. “Even though we prepared well for it, we still didn’t expect it would be such a great success. Consumer Electronics and white goods actually compliment each other.” The volume of business generated by IFA has risen steadily from e2.5 billion of orders in 2006 to e3 billion last year. Media attendance has grown from 1,308 from 60 countries in 2006 to 1,415 tastes and trends majOr industry players Outline the FactOrs that will shape the markets By Neil Crossley Download Podcast Download Video at w w w.ifa-international.org Hecker outlined how the uptake of HDTV had accelerated significantly in Germany, and he cited as an example the recent increase in HDTV household penetration for the broadcast of the World Championships in Athletics, Berlin 2009. Future trends in the home appliances market were explored by Dr. Reinhard Zinkann, Chairman of the Board Division Home from 67 countries last year. This year sees an increase in pre-registered media, with more international media and communication channels expected. IFA’s full service approach sees another round of vital forums encompassing media trends to future technology and customer service. “Mediawoche is one of the biggest media platforms with 15,000 visitors. TecWatch is an exciting vehicle for retailers to discover new technology and therefore to prepare for new business,” says Dr. Reiner Hecker, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, gfu. “IFA is precisely focused on the needs of exhibitors and their Appliances of ZVEI. "Increased health awareness among consumers is a pivotal trend," he added, citing as examples optimised freshness systems in cooling appliances and a desire for fresh food and healthy cooking, as exemplified by the adoption of appliances such as cooking steamers. "Convenience is also an influencing factor in home appliance market trends," continued Zinkann, with smart electronics superseding mechanics for ease-of-use. He pointed to booming markets for personal care and beauty appliances, and said that energy efficiency is pivotal to the sales of small appliances, goals and as ever is a true reflection of the market. IFA combines a unique mix of innovation, information and entertainment. The combination of Consumer Electronics and Home Appliances has proved to be a winning formula.” IFA COO Göke says that IFA has made impressive progress over the past five years. “We are on the right track. IFA is perfectly positioned to inform our VIP trade visitors and we have made strides this year to restore top class entertainment for the end consumer. IFA is now even more attractive to the youth market. We have the products that they want to buy!” such as vacuum cleaners and coffee machines. Zinkann referred to a 15% rise in the sales of tumble driers in the first half of 2009. He also highlighted the importance of lifestyle product factors, such as fine cuisine in the home and the use of home appliances as designer pieces. “Good taste will become more important, from coffee to cooling wine,“ he said, before highlighting the increasingly integrated openplan design in household kitchens and living rooms. “Kitchen appliances must be adapted to these changing lifestyle habits,” he said. 4 www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Friday, 4 th September 2009
news IFA wILL COnTInUe TO 'DeFIne THe MARKeT AnD seT new sTAnDARDs' IFA sTATUs Is sTeADY As A ROCK We have had a steep and incredible amount of broadcasters sending live feed from IFA, and have doubled this figure in the last three years. On the other hand, we had a shift from the product launches in the beginning of the end to our show. So I don’t know who is influencing who more – does the media coverage launch the product or does the product launch the media coverage? This year, will media coverage be as good as last year or better? The pre-registration of the media this year is significantly higher than last year. And last year, we had the record of 9,000 accredited journalists. Dr Rainer Hecker, chairman of the supervisory board, gfu The economy may be down, but IFA is on the up, says Dr Rainer Hecker, Chairman of the supervisory board of IFA organiser Gesellschaft fur Unterhaltungs- und Kommunikationselektronic (gfu). Interview by Richard Barnes. IFA is a reflection of the market — and the market, at the moment, is going through testing times. However, Germany is not suffering as much as many other European territories. Why do you think that is? In Germany, the government's stimulation package to support the German economy has had a very positive impact. Also, German companies have compensated for the lack of orders by introducing shorter working weeks, which has helped to reduce the unemployment rate. As a result, a lot of Germans are working very flexible hours, have a regular income and are prepared to spend their money on attractive consumer-electronic products. If someone asked you to describe IFA, what would you say? IFA is unique, because it combines several functions. It's a venue for presenting new products. It's an order fair, where dealers from around the world came to buy the latest products. And it's also a media event — not only because it provides a platform for new-media launches, but also because it helps to define the market, set standards and norms, and develop market segments. What are key trends driving the consumerelectronics market? First of all, there is the ongoing process of digitalisation and the change from CRT [cathode ray tube] sets to flat-panel televisions. And now we have a big step ahead with the change to HDTV from standard definition television, which will be especially challenging for the public-service providers. And last but not least, energy efficiency has become a pivotal concern, not only for household appliances, but also across the consumer-electronics spectrum. This year, IFA is pretty much on a level with last year, which is impressive in view of the economic climate. What is your vision for the future? We will look for new partners in the field of audio and hifi — and perhaps also in the games sector. Dr Christian Göke, COO of Messe Berlin This year’s IFA is looking quite good, very different from most other trade shows, In fact, IFA is looking like a steadfast trade show in the industry. How would you describe it? I couldn’t have put it better. 'Steady as a rock' is a good description. Compared to other shows, it was able to maintain the record level of 2008. That’s the punchline of IFA 2009. We’re not out of the difficult times yet. Do you think people are gripping to IFA like an island in the storm? That’s a good comparison. I think that in difficult times, you are looking at the end of the day for security. And who could give you security in these difficult times? For example, if you are a supplier or a consultant in the industry, you need to talk to the real decision-takers and where better than at the No1 trade show worldwide. So I think that exhibitors, visitors and media are looking for valid statements from the heads of the industry and the decision-takers. Therefore, this year it’s more valuable than ever that we have an impressive number of CEOs and the presidents from the industry at our premises. This is also a record for IFA the number of top line people at IFA here this year. That's because these decision takers have noticed that IFA is the place, especially in regard to new product launches. On the other hand, the fact that they are here is so valuable for the others. Speaking of product launches, a lot of companies tend to launch products at the beginning of the year, then come to IFA to reinforce their marketing. Are there more launching products here? You know, it is a kind of 'chicken and egg' situation. Is there a change in the way people are looking at IFA? Dr Zinkann said that it was a change from working tools to lifestyle products. And we thought that was very apt. Yes, I couldn’t express it better. That’s a good way to put it. In the case of the normal apartment, you can’t divide between kitchen, living spaces, entertainment or bedroom. From the design standpoint, there is no difference from the white goods and consumer electronics products. So IFA In a sentence? We are on a very good and stable track. I personally think that this is going to be a very good IFA. IFA International • Friday, 4 th September 2009 www.ifa-international.org 5
