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News Introducing an Innovative Conference Format for the Connected World IFA+ Summit – a first at IFA this year with more than just one plus This year IFA is setting a new trend by debuting its own conference format. International pioneers, senior executives and entrepreneurs representing the mobility, health, big data, home, design, and new entertainment market sectors will come under a single banner “IFA+ Summit – Next Level of Thinking” for a two-day Congress that will run in parallel with the IFA Consumer Electronics show. BIG QUESTIONS: What will life be like in the future? What will be the trends in the field of mobility and smart cities? Why is design becoming increasingly important? What awaits us through the digitalisation of all areas of life and how will we deal with the resulting data – technologically, entrepreneurially, and with what regulations? What will happen when personalised medical services, wearables, and smart healthcare services converge? What will the connected home of the future be like? What are the business models, hybrid architectures, and entertainment content of the future? The event will try to answer these and more questions. It will also present the latest trends from the hightech scene, give insights into current product development and present state-of-the-art design to offer participants insight into tomorrow’s connected world. The discussion will introduce and highlight new business models and exciting start-ups in the context of the transformation of consumer behaviour and changes in media use. According to the organisers, the combination of outstanding international speakers and topics with the innovative layout of the sessions will ensure inspiration, an exchange of views, and entertainment. In addition to keynote speeches and brief presentations, there will be lively panelmoderated discussions among international guests from big business, start-ups, science and politics. They will be providing insights, expressing new ideas, and debating their views on the latest developments in these sectors, on the future world of consumers, the corporate environment, digital networking, and the challenges they all present. Those keen on securing will be able to continue the debate at ‘Deep Dive’ sessions. The aim over the next few years is for the IFA+ Summit to become one of the world’s leading forums for discussion of trends and ideas for a digital future. The IFA+ Summit will take place in the CityCube at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds, in parallel with IFA, September 8-9 2014. A closing, highprofile session organised in collaboration with the Super Mobility Week powered by the CTIA, which takes place at the same time in Las Vegas, will round off this new conference event. The IFA+ Summit is sponsored by gfu – society for entertainment and communication electronics – and Messe Berlin. Red onion GmbH and Produzentenallianz are responsible for producing the IFA+ Summit. Klaus Wowereit, Governing Mayor of Berlin and Dr Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin, in front of the CityCube (…) the combination of outstanding international speakers and topics with the innovative layout of the sessions will ensure inspiration, an exchange of views, and entertainment. www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Monday 1 st September 2014 9
