IFA Berlin 2022 is back at full-scale after two years of disruptions

Tech

Published: 28 Apr. 2022, 18:11

IFA Berlin 2022 is back at full-scale after two years of disruptions

IFA Executive Director Jens Heithecker speaks during an online press conference, Wednesday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

IFA Berlin 2022, the biggest trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances in Europe, will be held as a full-scale in-person event after two years of Covid-19 disruptions.

Devices and technologies involving artificial intelligence, robotics and internet of things will be showcased, with a focus on the latest consumer trends which include gaming gadgets and home theater devices.

“[IFA 2022] will give you your first chance since the start of the pandemic to experience a real and global technology show,” said IFA executive director Jens Heithecker during an online press conference Wednesday.

One of the key themes of this year’s offline event will be “co-innovation" meaning collaborative effort for technological advances between partners, according to Heithecker, as many parts of the world have reopened and companies are resuming in-person collaboration with other industry players.

“We need to co-innovate to drive the innovation,” said Heithecker, emphasizing the importance of “personal contact” and face-to-face interactions.

The event, which will also hold real-time online programs, is set to take place from Sep. 2 to 6 at the Mess Berlin Exhibition Grounds, with Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon as the opening keynote speaker. Electronics retailers including Lotte Himart are coming to Berlin, according to the IFA organizers.

“A major part of the IFA is completely dedicated for the relationship between the industry and the retailers,” said IFA director Dirk Koslowski during a virtual Q. and A. session Thursday.

Heithecker confirmed that 16 of the show’s top 20 exhibitors confirmed their participation in the show, “nearly all of them at the same scale as in 2019, the last year before the pandemic.”

Major exhibitors in IFA 2019 included Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, though both companies have not confirmed their participation in the 2022 event.

Russian companies, however, will be barred from the exhibition if the conflict in Ukraine remains unresolved, said Heithecker, adding that the IFA “will not support any governmental activities from Russia.”

The Korea Electronics Association and the Korea ICT Association will be joining as partners for IFA Next, a live-streaming event for startups worldwide, along with Business France and the Fraunhofer Research Institute. IFA Next is slated for May 5.

In 2020, the event was scaled down significantly with only a limited number of visitors, about 6,100 attendees on-site. While IFA 2019 had some 2,000 exhibitors with more than 245,000 attendees, the 2020 event had 150 companies offline and 1,350 exhibitors virtually. The 2021 show was held only as a virtual event due to concerns about the pandemic.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]