Retailers and consumers reacted very positively to the record number of product firsts at this year’s IFA. The world’s largest and most important trade fair for consumer electronics and household appliances ended on 7 September in Berlin, with orders placed for more than 3.7 billion Euros. 238,000 visitors (+3%) attended the show. 1,441 exhibitors (+ 1%) exhibited their latest products in a display area covering 140,200 square metres (+ 4%).
“We are delighted the 51st edition of IFA continued the event’s success story and that once again it was an attractive international platform for the trade, the industry and the consumer. We were pleased to see there was significant growth and we were very satisfied with the fair“, said Dr. Rainer Hecker, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of IFA’s organizers gfu – Gesellschaft für Unterhaltungs- und Kommunikationselektronik.
Dr. Christian Göke, Chief Operating Officer, Messe Berlin: “Once again developments at IFA were very satisfactory and we can look brightly into the future. Trade visitor numbers rose to 132,900, an increase of 12 per cent, which was much higher than last year. 51,200 came from abroad, almost twice as many as in 2010.”
“Overall we are very satisfied with the volume of orders placed. Initial forecasts suggest that IFA-related business will total more than 3.7 million euros, making it the largest show for placing orders worldwide“, said Hans-Joachim Kamp, the chairman of the consumer electronics trade association and vice-president of ZVEI.
“We were very satisfied with IFA 2011. It fulfilled all our expectations. This was the fourth time IFA exhibited home appliances and it is almost as though we have always been here. IFA lived up to its reputation as the world’s leading event for the home appliances industry”, said Dr. Rainer Zinkann, Chairman of the Home Appliances Trade Association, part of ZVEI, and Chairman of ZVEI.
Jens Heithecker, Director of IFA: “Once again the global response from the media was impressive. We are delighted to have welcomed more international members of the media than ever before. “
The many innovations and product firsts at the show will have a positive impact on the markets as end-of-year business gets under way. Once again, IFA was able to fulfil its role as the world’s largest and most important trade fair for doing business and for the consumer. According to all the major retailers there is no better time to introduce new products than at IFA. More than 45 per cent of annual sales take place after this event.
Market researchers expect that in 2011 the consumer electronics market will grow to 690 billion euros, an increase of about seven per cent. The European market is anticipated to grow to around 204 billion euros, an increase of six per cent, while the industry’s expectations for Germany are 27 billion euros and four per cent respectively.
In 2010, worldwide sales of large and small appliances at net industry prices reached EUR 160 billion dollars (+ 8 %). In 2011 the industry expects global demand to increase yet again. In 2011 inGermany the industry expects the market for large appliances to expand by two to three per cent and for small appliances to grow by four to five per cent. Energy and water savings, ease of operation, intelligently networked home appliances and smart grids were all topics that attracted keen interest.
New exhibitors in 2011
For the first time the Association of the German Hearing Aid Industry showcased the abilities of modern hearing systems at IFA. In 2011 Dell, Beko and Ford were newcomers to the fair, and Groupe SEB occupied a larger stand. Krups, Rowenta, Tefal and Moulinex were represented directly next to the south entrance. mf consumer electric, a division launched early this year, was also at IFA for the first time.
IFA is the stage for industry CEOs
Toshiba’s CEO Masaaki Osumi delivered the opening speech at the IFA International Keynotes at the world’s largest trade fair for consumer electronics and household appliances. Keith McLoughlin, President and CEO of Electrolux since January 2011, introduced himself to trade visitors with a keynote at IFA in Berlin.
International media interest
Major TV networks such as ARD, ZDF, n-tv, N24 and, a first this year – the International Broadcast Center – were represented with news desks at IFA. Numerous foreign networks such as Al-Jazeera-TV, AP Agentur, Bloomberg, BFM (France), BTV (China), CCTV (China), CETV (China), CNBC/ NBC, I Tele (France), Israeli TV, EBU (Switzerland), Servus TV (Austria) and TF1 (France) broadcast from the International Broadcast Center in Hall 6.2.
medienwoche@IFA and medienpolitik@IFA combine for the fourth time
This was the fourth occasion that IFA cooperated successfully with Berliner Medienwoche, which took place at the same time and was organized by Meienboard Berlin Brandenburg. Under the slogan of “Digital is now!“ this year’s international media congress took place on 5 and 6 September in the ICC. The focus was on the future of the media and the content and device industry.
Bernd Neumann, State Minister of Cultural Affairs, and Dr. Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Springer, held the opening keynotes. Other high-profile speakers included WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, whose address was transmitted live via satellite to the congress. medienpolitik@IFA, a tried and tested format co-organized by gfu and ZVEI, took place on both days of the congress. This year the focus of the round table, of which Minister President Kurt Beck was patron, was The Digital Revolution 2.0.
In 2011, the numerous podium discussions with experts, film screenings and international keynotes at the media congress once again made up a highly attractive programme of events. Finding out about future media and film policy making and the prospects of the content and device industry could be perfectly timed with a visit to IFA, where visitors could find out about the latest products of the consumer electronics industry.
serviceforum@IFA 2011
The sixth series of the panel format serviceforum@IFA took place at IFA 2011 and gathered members representing retailers, retail stores, retail groups from the CE sector, the skilled trades, and members of the industry and the media. Under the slogan of “Added value through digitalisation“ discussion focused on the termination of analogue transmissions on 30 April 2012, along with the opportunities and challenges that this presents. The serviceforum@IFAis jointly organized by the BVT, the ZVEH and the Consumer Electronics Trade Association ZVEI, with the support of gfu and Messe Berlin.
IFA TecWatch 2011: technologies for the markets of today and tomorrow
Tomorrow’s world was in a prominent location at IFA. For the first time, in Hall 11.1, IFA TecWatch presented forward-looking technology for future markets from all the industries represented at IFA. IFA TecWatch is unique in combining a specialist exhibition with a communication and business platform for demonstrating innovation. This outstanding section of IFA is a valuable platform where experts can exchange knowledge, where research and industry can transfer technology know-how, and as a starting point for successful business partnerships.
IFA TecWatch is also a very attractive shop window for technically interested visitors as well as for the retail trade, and enables them to prepare in good time for the new areas of business that lie ahead.People interested in finding out about the digital media and home appliances of the future received a lot of fascinating answers here.
Joint presentations by associations
How will next-generation electric appliances help save resources and in what ways will they be even easier to operate? Life in the networked home was one of the key topics of a joint presentation by the three industry associations ZVEI, ZVEH and VDE. Taking as their slogan “Shaping networked worlds. Securing the future“, the associations were represented in the IFA TecWatch area in Hall 11.1.
Entertainment at IFA
The IFA open air concerts, the daily programme in the IFA Summer Garden, and the stages on exhibitors’ stands – this year innumerable stars and starlets enthralled audiences again with their cooking shows, autograph signing sessions and live music.
Once again, with the innovation, product firsts and entertainment that it offered, from 2 to 7 September IFA was the global meeting place of retailers, the industry, the media and visitors from around the world.
Go to ‘IFA 2011′ Special News Page
About Mia Eun