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at w w w.ifa-international.org NEWS GOING THE EXTRA MILE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW DR CHRISTIAN GÖKE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER MESSE BERLIN By Richard Barnes Download Video “…after this edition of IFA, there is a broad consensus that the integration of the white goods industry really worked out this year.” .../ Cont’d from page 1 As IFA 2008 draws to a close, we asked Dr Christian Göke to give us his analysis of this year’s event and feedback to this point… Well, happy faces all over the place! It seems as if we brought together the right set of people: the right exhibitors with the right customers and trade buyers. The preliminary figures show the order volume really increased – from 2.5 billion Euros to over 3 billion – and that seems to us to be a large success. The move to home appliances was a big risk – and they say big risk – big rewards... Has this been the case? The integration of the home appliance industry has been THE major event this year, and obviously a major risk for us as well. Please bear in mind that over the last ten years, the trade show industry tried to come up with a convincing concept for the home appliance industry and noone succeeded in doing so. So after this edition of IFA, there is a broad consensus that the integration of the white goods industry really worked out this year. Therefore you are right, that was a big risk, and we succeeded, so the endeavour went well and we feel that we are on the right track. We are trying to build a platform here that will become THE platform for every single industry that is pointing at, or directing or trying to attract the end consumer. So whoever wants to get into contact with the end consumer, and whoever has consumer lifestyle products finds here, from my point of view, a very effective and efficient platform. So we’ve seen that it works. What are the main axes of IFA for 2009? Will you be growing on these themes? We would love to slow down! The last three years brought so much change and so much evolution and revolution that it seems to me that at least the team needs some rest and needs to calm down a little bit (smiles)! Seriously speaking though, we will go into a phase of consolidation and again we have to really concentrate on becoming the number one platform for consumer electronic lifestyle products. I do not care if those are TV sets or cameras or computers. What is really interesting for us is that whatever is directed to the consumer, that should be presented here at IFA in Berlin. You say your team has been working very hard. Do you have a word for your team? What they did is truly amazing. As I said, for the past three years, it seems to me as if my team simply didn’t sleep. They always had to adjust, they had to travel so intensely. If you count the miles collected just by Jens Heithecker and Dirk Koslowski, it’s impressive! So I really feel that this team did its best and did even a little bit more. They really went the extra mile! GATHERED COMMENTS… Hans-Joachim Kamp, Chairman of the Consumer Electronics trade association, part of the electroindustry association ZVEI, and member of the Supervisory Board of gfu: “IFA has now become the leading trade fair of the consumer electronics and home appliances industries. The record number of exhibitors attending reflects this, as well as the size of the display area, at around 122,000 square metres, and the volume of orders, which is expected to exceed EUR 3 billion.” Jens Heithecker, Director of IFA at Messe Berlin: “In our view IFA 2008 has got off to a great start. The phenomenal response by the media impressed everyone. All those who doubted that home appliances could be successfully integrated into the IFA concept have been proved wrong. Our high expectations have even been exceeded.” Dr. Reinhard Zinkann, Chairman of the Electronic Home Appliances trade association, part of ZVEI: “We are very satisfied with our first appearance at IFA. The exhibitors in the Home Appliances section have attracted large numbers and have been doing excellent business.” 4 www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Wednesday, 3 rd September 2008
NEWS IFA 2008 IS COMING TO AN END … BUT THE PARTY AIN’T OVER YET! The management of IFA International, the official international daily of IFA, would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have helped us along the way. This year’s “bigger, better” IFA International had richer content and interviews, thanks not only to the great work of the exhibitor’s PR teams, but also through the will of top executives to find time to speak with us on a true “one on one” basis. This, to us is essential when it comes to efficiently and honestly relating information to our readers. The candid points of view of these “visionaries”, the company Presidents and CEO’s, giving their “road maps” for the industry, is, we feel a great boon to professional attendees at IFA, giving them a true global view of the market. Park Ha Na, assistant manager at Kea and Han Sang-Eun, deputy director of Kotra While IFA draws to a close, IFA International lives on throughout the year thanks to our dynamic website www.ifa-international.org, which hosts “IFA International TV”, quality video reports from IFA, shot by the highly professional cameraman Sacha Le Coroller, and the pdf’s of all 2008 editions. The ultimate “Where to go in Berlin” blog for international IFA attendees can be found at : www.trendset.biz Didier Baverel Photos Sacha Le Coroller Videos Got the Picture? New this year from www.ifa-international.org - a slide show of top images by our “star” French photographer Didier Baverel (… known for his countless covers of magazines like Gala, Paris Match, Oh La, etc…). With IFA International you can really be in the picture. From left to right: Miss IFA Gérard Lefebvre Mareike Vitt Bettina Badon Serge Aznar Masha Polshinskaya Ugo Massacrier Joanna Stephens Mark Dezzani Jooree Cho Hélène Beunat Valentina Russo Jean-François Pieri Jean-Guy Bienfait Emmanuel Poidevin Bruce Cooper And last, but not least… Richard Barnes IFA International is a CLEVERDIS Publication • 65 avenue Jules Cantini - Tour Méditerranée - 13298 Marseille • France • Tel: + 33 4 42 77 46 00 • Fax: + 33 4 42 77 46 01 • SARL capitalised at €128,250 - VAT FR 95413604471 • RCS Marseille 413 604 471 • E-mail : info@cleverdis.com • www.cleverdis.com During IFA : Press Center – Hall 6.3 • Tel: +49 (0)30 3038 81136 • Fax: +49 (0)30 3038 81146 • E-mail : info@ifa-international.org • www.ifa-international.org • Publisher: Gérard Lefebvre • Publishing Director: Jean-Guy Bienfait • Project Manager: Bettina Badon • Editor-in-Chief: Richard Barnes • Associate Editor: Jooree Cho • Editorial team: Bruce Cooper, Mark Dezzani, Emmanuel Poidevin, Gary Smith, Jo Stephens • Photos: Didier Baverel • Videos: Sacha Le Coroller • Art Director: Hélène Beunat • Design & Page Setting: Serge Aznar, Valentina Russo To contact them : first name.last name@ifa-international.org • Cover : © Photo Pixmania • Printing: Möller Druck und Verlag GmbH (Berlin, Germany) • With the participation of: Ugo Massacrier, Jean-François Pieri, Raphaël Pinot, Masha Polshinskaya, Mareike Vitt © CLEVERDIS 2008 - Registration of Copyright August 2008 - ISSN pending Information presented in this publication is purely indicative in order to illustrate subjects contained therein. 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