IFA 2008: ideal location for global trade-29 August to 3 September 2008

It is the worlds biggest and/or largest fair for consumer products and any manufacturers,retailers,exporters,importers etc cannot afford to miss this grand exhibition .It is to be held in Germany. We consider it as "must be attended" and give a rating of A+ with ROI upto 80%.Its duration will be 29 August to 3 September 2008.

Combined market places offer even more scope for innovations – International retailers strengthen the IFA – World’s largest consumer show – focus on a number of key topic

With the start of the IFA 2008 only a few weeks away the world’s largest trade show for consumer electronics and domestic electrical appliances is attracting enormous interest. The new Home Appliances section is being fully integrated in the overall event and will represent almost all the major suppliers from the domestic electric appliance industry. With this development the IFA provides a unique combination of markets, a focus for innovation, and the ideal platform for international retailers, buyers, consumers and the industry. The number of exhibitors this year will be well in excess of the 2007 figure.

Innovations are of decisive importance for a dynamically expanding market. In the consumer electronics sector there is keen demand for new products in the areas of home audio, home cinema, mobile navigation, telecommunications and privately used IT, while the trend among domestic appliances focuses on aspects such as lifestyle, simpler controls, health and energy efficiency. The IFA 2008 is the ideal venue for discussions between leading experts and also offers many opportunities to experience memorable entertainment and new products at first hand.

All the major manufacturers of consumer electronics equipment and domestic electric appliances will be exhibiting together in the halls and on the outdoor areas on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds, on an area measuring 152,200 square metres. Jens Heithecker, IFA Director reports: “The IFA 2008 is widening its scope. This year the standard of exhibitors, trade visitors and media representatives from all over the world remains at a high level. By combining consumer electronics and the domestic electric appliance industry we can ensure a highly attractive business environment for our exhibitors, trade visitors and partners. In 2008 the wider scope of the IFA will provide an even larger platform for the writing of orders than in 2007.”

“We expect the integration of the domestic electric appliance industry to lead to increased popularity for the consumer lifestyle products of both sectors, as well as intensified interest in the IFA among international trade visitors and the media”, explains Dr. Rainer Hecker, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the organisers of the IFA, Gesellschaft für Unterhaltungs- und Kommunikations-elektronik (gfu).

International retailers’ cooperatives add strength to the IFA
The leading international retailers’ cooperatives, ElectronicPartner, EURONICS International, expert International and telering, will be continuing their strategic partnerships at the IFA 2008. Close partnership between the industry and competent retailers is the key to effective marketing of all new products. The aim is to bring the entire range of innovations and information together and to make it available at one location to meet the needs of customers.

The successful inclusion of the IFA Home Appliances section has widened the scope of this trade show, opening up new commercial opportunities for retailers because, in its new form, the IFA covers all the different product sectors served by today’s retailers. Many years of partnership with international retailers’ cooperatives have given added strength to the IFA as a major order-writing trade show and emphasises its role as the world’s most important event for the industry.

World’s largest consumer fair
The IFA continues to gain in popularity and quality, not only through the inclusion of the domestic electric appliance industry but also due to renewed growth in its core areas. The IFA has established a reputation for introducing a whole range of new technologies and products. At the same time the IFA provides an exciting and entertaining show, combined with a unique diversity of innovations. Berlin is the place where the direction of future media policy is set, and the thousands of German and foreign journalists who attend ensure that it attracts the maximum publicity.

The constant improvements that have taken place mean that the IFA 2008 will be more international and more entertaining, with a greater emphasis on media policy and on the trade than ever before. Its dynamic expansion matches that of the period of growth that has been experienced by the various markets for consumer electronics products and domestic electric appliances for several years. As a result of this process its appeal remains undiminished and it continues to feature new products and developments.

New hall structure in 2008
Beginning in 2008, and against the background of the integration of leading consumer electronics and domestic appliance brands, a number of changes are being made to the hall allocations at the IFA. The International Trade Visitors’ Reception, occupying 800 square metres, is being moved from Hall 1.1 to allow for the inclusion of Home Appliances@IFA. New temporary halls are planned between Halls 1 and 25 in order to accommodate the “International Halls“, which were previously situated in the lower halls at the southern end of the Exhibition Grounds. In response to increase interest from Taiwanese exhibitors the IFA will be setting up a special “Taiwan Image Hall”. The “International Sourcing” section has also been assigned a separate display area in one of the temporary halls on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds.

Showstoppers 2008
During the IFA 2008 Showstoppers@IFA, the IFA’s official partner for the American market, will be creating a new format for business contacts and product presentations.

“Our aim is to make North American exhibitors, trade visitors and media representatives more aware of the global importance of the IFA. The IFA is the ideal place for establishing new business links with retailers, buyers and the “who’s who” of the international consumer electronics industry, for holding meetings and for finalising business”, Heithecker explains.

Main themes of the IFA 2008
As the world’s leading trade show for consumer electronics the IFA 2008 is presenting the entire range of new products from two dynamic and innovative sectors. With everything from giant flat screens to the tiniest TV mobile phones, from mobile media players to complete home cinemas – the IFA is presenting fascinating highlights from every area of entertainment. This year the leading domestic appliance brands will also be exhibiting their products for the first time. In this new section of the display too qualities such as simple controls, intelligent technology and an efficient use of energy and of other environmental resources are vital for ensuring the future of products, their widespread acceptance and growth.

Flat screen televisions in sensational formats: For the first time screens are so thin that they almost melt into the wall. The IFA 2008 will feature LCD models in cases with a thickness of only 1.5 inches (3.8 cm). At the same time screens are now available in dimensions that would have been thought of as impossible only a short while ago, with diagonals of up to 150 inches (381 cm).

High definition on many media platforms: Large, flat screen televisions with HD-Ready or Full-HD capabilities are making increasing inroads into European homes, thereby creating the basis for a generational change in the television field.

Another area of high-definition media will be making a major breakthrough at the IFA: HD entertainment on Blu-ray discs. The end of the competition between the different formats has boosted demand for optical HD media. This trend will also be reflected in the many different models of players, all of which can be seen and admired at the IFA 2008.

Spectacular sound to accompany big screens: Flat “sound bars” and surround projectors which use a single loudspeaker component to produce true to life stereophonic sound from up to seven channels are bound to fascinate the public just as much as the ultra-slim stereo sound columns which can be used to reproduce virtual multi-channel sound.

Mobility as the next big trend: Mobile devices for entertainment, navigation and communication are among the main factors driving the expansion of the consumer electronics sector. For example the latest sat-nav devices can also be used to watch television, and this is made possible by the inclusion of a built-in DVB-T receiver.

Totally networked media: Photos from a digital camera or mobile phone, videos from camcorders, music from MP3 players or from computers, games from consoles or movies from Blu-ray players – all this content can be made available throughout the house. MP3 players with Bluetooth, internet radios, hifi units with WLAN and Bluetooth, digital cameras with WLAN connectivity, TV sets with card readers or ethernet connections – the IFA 2008 will be using countless examples to demonstrate that the consumer electronics manufacturers are ideally equipped to meet the demands of home networks.

Domestic appliances with the focus on health and lifestyle: The new domestic appliances making their first appearance at the IFA reflect a worldwide trend for more comfort in the home and for healthier eating. New types of equipment such as induction cookers, high speed ovens and multifunctional washing machines are being bought in increasing numbers for the home, while more personal care and beauty appliances can be found in today’s bathrooms.

A future which is energy-efficient and free of pollution: In carrying out its development work in recent years the industry has been adopting a more ecologically based approach. In the case of television sets there have been substantial reductions in the power consumed when they are in use and also when they are on stand-by. At the same time the industry is constantly achieving more successes in its efforts to remove pollutants from the production process. And for many years the manufacturers of domestic appliances have been striving to improve the energy efficiency of the equipment that they produce. For example, between 1997 and 2007 the energy consumption figures for washing machines fell by 30 %, in the case of dishwashers by 40 %, and for refrigerators the reduction was as much as 45 %.


Press contacts:
Messe Berlin GmbH

Michael T. Hofer
Group Press and Public Relations
Director

IFA

Nicole Jahn
Press Officer
Messedamm 22
D -14055 Berlin
tel.: +49 30 3038-2217
fax: +49 30 3038-2071
jahn@messe-berlin.de

gfu
Press and Public Relations
Roland M. Stehle
tel.: +49 911 3777900
fax: +49 911 3777901
stehle@gfu.de

For additional details:
www.ifa-berlin.com
www.gfu.de
www.messe-berlin.com

Source:www1.messe-berlin.de