Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM AUGUST 2020 36 THE FOUR IFA 2020 EVENTS ARE: IFA GLOBAL PRESS CONFERENCE IFA has moved its Global Press Conference (which usually takes place in April) to September. The Global Press Conference will invite around 800 journalists covering 50+ countries to Berlin, so brands and manufacturers will be able to show journalists their latest products and devices. All keynotes and company press conferences will take place on just two or three keynote stages curated by IFA. This will keep the numbers down for the on-site production staff and ensure the highest hygiene standards. Industry partners will have the chance to create smart company and brand presentations for interviews and further talks with media representatives. For journalists, this will be the first opportunity after the beginning of the pandemic to see new products and organize face-to-face interviews with the spokespeople for brands. IFA's opening keynote will be delivered by Cristiano Amon, President of Qualcomm, the undisputed global leader in mobile connectivity. Amon will speak about the company's latest developments in 5G, AI and other key technologies. IFA NEXT MEETS IFA SHIFT MOBILITY For this year only, IFA will combine its two innovation platforms – IFA Next and SHIFT Mobility. The event will bring together technology start-ups and companies in the connected mobility sector to help them get the much-needed lifeblood of publicity and industry connections. IFA GLOBAL MARKETS Europe's largest sourcing show for OEMs and ODMs, IFA Global Markets, will be the world's first dedicated sourcing show this year. It offers an ideal opportunity to repair and restructure supply chains hit by the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. IFA BUSINESS, RETAIL & MEETING LOUNGES IFA Berlin is the most important marketplace for consumer electronics and home appliances. In 2019, for example, brands and retailers struck deals worth more than 4.7 billion euro during the event in Berlin. While the pandemic will make it impossible to replicate this level, IFA Berlin will curate the IFA Business, Retail & Meeting Lounges to give brands and manufacturers a much- needed opportunity to meet retailers. VIRTUAL IFA EXPERIENCE Interest in attending IFA 2020 likely will far outstrip the available places. That's why IFA will offer everybody virtual opportunities. "After all the event cancellations during the past months, our industry urgently needs a platform where it can showcase its innovation, so that it can recover and rebound. The recovery of our industry starts here at IFA Berlin." While virtual events were useful, they were "missing the immediacy, hands-on experience and human connections that make events like IFA Berlin so incredibly useful". Jens Heithecker, Executive Director of IFA Berlin Hans-Joachim Kamp, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of gfu Consumer & Home Electronics GmbH, the organizer of IFA, said: "IFA Berlin is the most important event for the consumer electronics and home appliances industry. These past few weeks, we have worked very closely with the IFA team to develop a concept that gives all our industry partners the platform they need to talk about their innovations." Dr. Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin, commented: "Our IFA team really has pulled out the stops for this one. I'm incredibly proud of how they have tackled this challenge and come up with a solution for IFA 2020." For more information visit ifa-berlin.com IFA 2020 RO

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