IFA Show Goes off Without a Hitch
Tuesday, September 8, 2020 at 9:04AM 
A hybrid tech show successfully completes its run!
IFA 2020 Special Edition: A new type of hybrid event
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisers of the IFA 2020 Special Edition had imposed tight limits on the number of attendees, well below those set by Germany’s public health authorities. And yet, over its three days, the IFA 2020 Special Edition made it possible for 6,100 attendees to meet face to face, experience new devices and discuss the opportunities for the global technology industry.
On site, this year’s IFA had 150 companies presenting their ideas, but they were joined by an additional 1,350 exhibitors from 30 countries at IFA Xtended Space and the IFA Virtual Market Place. Even though IFA Xtended Space opened its virtual doors just a couple of days before the IFA 2020 Special Edition got under way, more than 78,000 people followed the IFA 2020 Special Edition online, and generated 262,000 views – watching the keynote and press conferences, following panel discussions and exploring the virtual product demonstrations. This year’s IFA Xtended Space will be fully accessible until just before IFA 2021.
“The IFA 2020 Special Edition showed us the impressive power of innovation. On a deeper level, it also showed us that the world needs these face-to-face meetings between industry, retail, consumers and media, and it is IFA that facilitated these crucial connections, despite the limitations imposed by the pandemic,” said Dr. Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin.
Jens Heithecker, Executive Director of IFA Berlin, added: “The IFA 2020 Special Edition sent an important signal: ‘tech is back,’ and the recovery and rebuilding of the industry starts here and now. Of course, we had to keep the numbers at this year’s IFA low, but it demonstrated the keen interest of everybody to meet in real life, and it sets us on the right track for a strong, full scale IFA 2021.”
Kai Hillebrandt, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of gfu Consumer & Home Electronics GmbH: “First and foremost I would like to thank our partner Messe Berlin for putting together the concept of an IFA 2020 Special Edition, and then making it happen. This was a bold move, but it has been rewarded with the event’s success. The IFA 2020 Special Edition was the first hybrid event in our industry and has set the standard. It brought people together, both in front of the screens and in person on the exhibition grounds in Berlin. IFA had a very special role to play this year and it fulfilled it perfectly. For the global markets, IFA provided important impulses at the right time in the run-up to the highest-turnover period as an innovation platform with numerous new product presentations. But as important as virtual components are in pandemic times, they never can replace human contact. Our goal for IFA 2021 will be to combine the traditional strengths of IFA - bringing together many innovations with even more people in one place - with the experiences of IFA 2020 Special Edition to create a robust future format.”
New product category at IFA 2021 and cooperation with Berlin Photo Week
IFA 2021 will have a new product category and add “imaging” to the show. “Imaging has become a major trend in our world that extends far beyond private life. It plays a central role in medical technology, autonomous driving, AI-technology and many other areas,“ said Heithecker.
Also, Messe Berlin is partnering with Berlin Photo Week, a unique and innovative event format for everyone who loves images. “Combining photo sessions, community experiences, artistic and cultural inspiration, the creation of irretrievable moments, partnerships that reach far beyond photography and media presence, the Berlin Photo Week is destined to become the novel imaging event format at the center of public attention,“ said Wolfgang Heinen from Berlin Photo Week.
The Berlin Photo Week successfully debuted in 2019 when it attracted more than 30.000 primarily young photo-enthusiasts, smartphone consumers, DSLR-users as well as professionals. Berlin Photo Week’s objective is to create a unique way to inspire enthusiasm for making and enjoying photos and videos. It harnesses the diversity of Berlin's landscape with the “Fun Place” as the event’s focal point and numerous “Satellite”-locations dispersed around the city. It also connects with Berlin’s globally renowned creative scene.
The dates of Berlin Photo Week 2021 will overlap with the IFA 2021, enabling participants to profit from visiting both events.
