Trade News ProBusiness
Trade News ProBusiness Comes of Age at IFA IFA key focus for European home appliance initiative in 2012 THE DEAL MAKERS Indigo buyer, Greg Taylor, seeks interesting start-ups and bespoke manufacturers at IFA 2012 IFA 2011 ProBusiness, an award-winning initiative of 16 European electrical home appliance brands, will make IFA its major marketing focus in 2012. As the largest and most important exhibition event on the consumer electronics and home appliances calendar, IFA will be a vital opportunity for innovative ProBusiness brands like Dyson, Melitta and Severin to present their wares. According to market researcher GfK, Europe is the world’s largest consumer electronics market, and ProBusiness will exhibit its own European brands across 3,400 square meters of exhibition space at IFA. ProBusiness will feature 150 high quality new products that emphasise newer, smarter technology, excellent design and outstanding ease of use. Heinz Werner Ochs, president of ProBusiness electrical home appliances, highlights the importance of IFA to the Euro brand stable: “ProBusiness member companies have participated now for five years in IFA, and see the world's most important retailer and buyer exhibition as especially significant for building up national as well as international business. Here they highlight the results of their productdevelopment and intensive market research, and present new products for the most important selling season of the year before Christmas.” ProBusiness home appliances presented in Berlin in 2012 will again be a ‘festival of innovation’. A visit to these renowned brand suppliers will be a unique experience, with home appliances promoted through unusual tasting shows, for example. Demonstrating device functionality through such innovative promotions aims to better achieve subsequent sales success. The ProBusiness European brand initiative is greatly anticipating the opportunity to market its electronic home appliance innovations at IFA in 2012. Look out for the following ProBusiness member brand stands in halls 1.1, 2.1, 4.1 and 6.1 at the trade show: Beurer, Cloer, Dyson, Fakir, Glen Dimplex, Graef, Jura, Kärcher, Laura Star, Melitta Household Products, Nivona, Ritterwerk, Rommelsbacher, Steba, Severin and Thomas. “ProBusiness will feature 150 high quality new products that emphasise newer, smarter technology, excellent design and outstanding ease of use” Greg Taylor, Area director eReading & Electronics at Canada's Indigo Books & Music, will be attending IFA for the first time, looking for engaging content and the sort of stylish, unique products that smaller companies specialise in... Since we established our retail electronics business - which is focused on interesting and unusual lifestyle-type products - part of my job is to look for devices that are different and original. It’s never easy to find those diamonds in the rough, but I am hoping that my first ever trip to IFA will enable me to source the sort of sophisticated and stylish products that Europe is especially known for and associated with. We already have a great relationship with Italian accessories manufacturer Tivoli, and both we and our customers love what they do, but we are looking to expand that side of the business, so that will form a major part of my mission in Berlin. Clearly you won’t find me looking at the latest products from the big brands because that is not Indigo’s area, I’m after the second-tier manufacturers. What made you decide to come to IFA? Mainly it was the size of the event and the dates that influenced me. IFA happens at a very good time in terms of my global travel schedule, and because I’m keen to minimise my long-haul business trips, IFA being in early September is very convenient. It’s a perfect precursor to my trip to China in October. I am really looking forward to meeting as many vendors as I possibly can. How many days are you going to attend IFA? I’ve put aside two days for the event, followed by a further day to see the historical sites of Berlin. www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Monday 27 th August 2012 43
