IFA 2020 closes with a total of 6,100 attendees in person and 78,000 virtually. In the last conferences they announced mergers with the photography and visual world sectors.

This year's most important European technology fair, IFA 2020, was held in the city of Berlin, between September 3 and 5. This year, the organization opted for a hybrid format, in order to disseminate the news presented by companies such as Samsung or LG, both to the in-person and online public.

The last day of IFA 2020 was marked by the conference given by Dr. Christian Göke, Executive Director of Messe Berlin; Kai Hillebrandt, Chairman of the GFU Supervisory Board; and Jens Heithecker, Executive Vice President of Messe Berlin Group, CEO of IFA and special guest. At the press conference, the three interlocutors recalled the importance of calling for this type of fair, both online and in person. We have to unite society and improve their lives with technologies,” Göke remarked.

¨This year at IFA, there were 1,450 exhibitors from 30 countries, virtually and a total of 150 permanent exhibitors, distributed over more than 2,787 square meters,¨ Hillebrandt quoted in his speaking turn and continued indicating that, ¨this year at IFA the attendees have been 6,100 in person and 78,000 virtually, achieving visits of more than 262,000. These are figures that are far from other years, but this shows that the hybrid format works.

IFA Xtended Space opened its virtual doors a couple of days earlier and “generated around 280,000 visits. It is a different way to allow people from all over the world to see the press conferences, the keynote speech, debates or virtual product exploration, Hillebrandt added and explained that, This year's IFA Xtended Space will continue to operate, just before the new edition begins.

In the words of Heithecker, “IFA 2020 was a special edition and showed that technology and the industry are back.” "We have had to greatly reduce the number of attendees, due to the pandemic, but with less physical presence, everyone's great interest in meeting in real life was demonstrated and this puts us on the right path to having a solid and large-scale IFA 2021."

During the conference the merger between Berlin Photo Week and IFA was presented. Berlin Photo Week is an event that lasts one week, with 36 satellites and a capacity for 32,000 attendees. "Where more than 58 conferences have been held with experts in the field of photography, about 18 photography stations are installed inside to carry out work, a total of 42 brands always participate and in previous years more than 32 million news items have been published about Berlin Photo Week," argued Göke and then gave way to Wolfgang Heinen, Director of Berlin Photo Week.

"In the next edition of IFA, there will be a new category of products on photography and images will be added," said Heinen and stressed that, "images have become a very important trend in our world and that is why it is important to focus their function and role in medical technology, autonomous driving or artificial technology."

Berlin Photo Week joins IFA to create a unique and innovative event, “for all photography lovers,” said Heinen, and according to the director, “there will be a fusion of photo sessions, community experiences, creation of moments and artistic inspirations.” ¨We want to make Berlin Photo Week the innovative image event format in the center of public attention,¨ he said.

The dates of the next edition of Berlin Photo Week will be the same as IFA 2021. "This coincidence will allow all participants to visit both events," concluded Heinen.

Hillebrandt concluded the conference by thanking ¨Messe Berlin for creating a concept for a special edition of IFA 2020 and making this fair happen¨, to which he added that, ¨they managed to bring people together, both in front of the screens and on the fairgrounds. IFA had a very important role this year and fulfilled it, because this fair marks global markets.

Electromarket