RETAILOBSERVER.COM NOVEMBER 2023
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Approximately 182,000 trade visitors and consumers from 138
countries came to Berlin to see the latest products and services in
consumer electronics and home appliances.
This year's IFA featured many new experiential areas, from a
Sustainability Village and Robotics Hub, to IFA Outdoors which was
located in IFA's iconic Sommergarten and was packed with street
food stands, fun activities, and areas for co-working, relaxation, and
contemplation. Soccer fans could meet their heroes of FC Union
Berlin and Victoria Berlin.
Two well-received keynotes were given by Honor and Hisense. Honor
showed how foldable technology will change the future of mobile
devices, and beyond that, how it will be used as a fashion accessory.
Hisense highlighted the seamless integration of consumer-centric
services across all screens in our homes and announced their official
partnership with UEFA's Euro 2024 soccer championship.
The IFA Leaders Summit on Friday and Saturday saw a wide array
of top experts and industry leaders who discussed key issues such
as sustainability and the circular economy, the promise and potential
of artificial intelligence, and disruptive technology trends like the
Metaverse, robotics, the Internet of Things, and new ways of reaching
target groups via social media content.
As always, innovation was at the heart of IFA, from the product
launches and announcements during the two media days, to IFA
NEXT. This innovation hub hosted 350 startups this year, connected
them to more than 400 investors, saw pitched battles, and a series of
talks and panels with topics like "how to build a unicorn" and "how to
successfully collaborate with corporate partners." The first IFA NEXT
pitched battle saw 59 startups competing with each other, and the
winner was French startup Urban Cuisine with their connected indoor
vegetable garden.
IFA BERLIN 2023
