IFA to welcome to semiconductor, mobile exhibitors next year

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IFA to welcome to semiconductor, mobile exhibitors next year

Published: 18 Oct. 2024, 16:56

JIN EUN-SOO
jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

IFA CEO Leif Lindner speaks to the Korean press at the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in central Seoul on Friday. [KOREAN-GERMAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY]

IFA, Europe's biggest consumer electronics trade show, will embrace semiconductor and mobile exhibitors from next year as the show vies to fortify its presence as an all-rounder.

Leif Lindner, the CEO of IFA who took the helm in rebranding the Berlin-based show this year that celebrated its 100th anniversary, announced the plan in Seoul on Friday.

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"It is our goal to invite major chipmakers from around the world for next year's show, such as Samsung Electronics and Nvidia," Lindner said at the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in central Seoul.

"We will announce which semiconductor companies will participate in the show by the end of this year or early next year."

IFA is considered one of the top three electronics and IT shows in the world along with CES, which takes place every January in Las Vegas, and MWC in Barcelona, Spain. IFA's influence, however, has remained relatively smaller than CES due to the scope and timing of the trade show.

CES invites a wide range of companies such as carmakers, chipmakers and even those from heavy industries and takes place in the very beginning of the year, while IFA takes place mid-year with a focus on consumer electronics.

Lindner said, however, that the show has become more high-tech and young under the rebranding project this year.

"In the past, IFA had the image of being a home appliance show that introduces radios," he said. "But under the slogan of 'Innovation for All' this year, we tried to make it into a show that introduces all types of innovative technology."

Instead of just presenting attendees with new technology, Lindner says IFA offers a communication platform among businesses.

"A lot of deep communication take place at IFA, especially in the area of business-to-business, which I can proudly say no other international trade show can offer," he said. "We are connecting those that are engaged in commerce with those in manufacturing. We have received feedback that this trait is very unique to IFA."

More than 1,800 companies from 44 countries participated in this year's IFA.

The number of participants rose by 18 percent this year to 215,000, with the number of media outlets also up by 28 percent to 4,500.

Of that, 130 companies were from Korea.

"Korean companies contributed much to IFA 2024," the CEO said. "We promise to achieve more growth next year with Korea."

Lindner showed caution toward an inordinate number of Chinese firms on the show floor.

"What IFA wants is diversity so regardless of the country, we want companies with innovative technology to participate in the show," he said. "We are going to be cautious towards IFA being too Chinese due to too many Chinese firms participating."

This year, some 1,300 companies from China are said to have participated in the trade show this year.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]