Everything’s Digital at Germany’s Consumer Electronics Show
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Sure, the consumer electronics shows held here in the U.S. are big, but if you want to go to a really big CE show with some history behind it, it's hard to beat the IFA in Berlin, Germany. This year's show was held September 2-7. Keep reading for a taste of the excitement.
I’m ashamed to admit that I hadn’t heard of the IFA consumer electronics show before now. Granted, it takes place in Berlin, Germany, and its full name – Internationale Funkausstellung – is so unwieldy that it is rarely used these days. But it is also the second oldest trade fair in Germany, and may be one of the oldest consumer electronics shows in the world. One of the earliest IFA shows was opened by a local scientist you may have heard of – Albert Einstein. How cool is that?
This year’s IFA started September 2, and continued for six days. Einstein himself was honored at the event with an exhibition staged by the Max Planck Institute. And the show’s website features a flash chronicle for those interested in the significant moments of its history (such as that first Einstein speech, the introduction of color TVs, and other cool events). But I’m sure most of you are wondering what was on tap for this year. Lots of companies bring their best and brightest new products to these kinds of shows; how soon will it be before we see them on the U.S. market?
Before I get to that, let me tell you a little more about the scope of the show. It is so big that it only takes place every two years. Sadly, I couldn’t make it to the show myself, but if I had, I would have brought at least two or three pairs of walking shoes; nearly 1200 exhibitors from 40 countries made the trip. More than 30 percent of these were at the show for the first time. Those who did make it to the show were in good company: the organizers expected more than a quarter of a million people to attend.
Are you looking for big names? IT manufacturing was well-represented, with Intel, Acer, and Siemens showing up. Since it is a consumer electronics show, you would expect the big companies in this field to be there, and you would not be disappointed. Canon, Koninklijke Philips Electronics, LG Electronics, Matsushita Electric Industrial (you may be more familiar with this company through its Panasonic brand), Sony, and Samsung Electronics all had a presence at the show. The show’s website boasts a PDF that lists all of the exhibitors – and only the exhibitors. It runs to 25 pages.
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