News

IFA: upsurge in international interest (15/7/2005)

Good response to IFA PreViews in Germany Ð Presenting extensive range of new items

For the organisers of the IFA Ð gfu and Messe Berlin Ð the IFA-PreViews in Hamburg and Munich were a complete success. Some 500 journalists from all over Germany came in search of information about new products and trends at the IFA 2005. Jens Heithecker, director of the Competence Centre at Messe Berlin and Project Manager for the IFA, is convinced that "the IFA PreViews 2005 reflect the curiosity that exists about the IFA and about the consumer electronics (CE) sector in general, and proves that this event is on the fast track to more success. Expansion of the rented display area has reached double figures, and the increased interest around the world are all indications that this year's IFA will be bigger than ever."

The dynamic growth of the CE sector is also taking the form of technological developments. "Visitors to the IFA 2005 Ð whether members of the public or from the trade Ð will be delighted with the enormous range of new items", according to Roland M. Stehle, Press Spokesman for the gfu. "From new mobile applications to attractive LCD and plasma screen technology, and high definition television HDTV, all the latest developments can be examined in detail in Berlin starting on 2 September."

The first of the innovations were presented at the IFA PreViews, including the world's smallest PC at the heart of in-car entertainment systems, LCD-TVs, whose technology and styling can be individually configured, and the smallest projector in the world, no larger than a cigarette packet. HDTV is a major topic at the IFA Trend Talk entitled "When will Germany finally get improved television?"

Speaking at this distinguished forum, Dr. Georg Kofler, Chairman of the Board of Premiere AG, emphasised: "HDTV will be the most important development for the next few years and will have a corresponding influence on the worldwide TV industry. The IFA will be launching this new television age this September."

Intel also attracted a great deal of attention with its statement that the IFA is now the most important of all trade fairs anywhere in the world for this IT company, which will accordingly be staging its largest ever presentation at any trade show.

Also participating in the IFA Previews were Blaupunkt, Casio Europe, Daewoo, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Grundig, Hitachi, Intel, LG Electronics, Loewe, Nec, Panasonic, Philips, Phocus Electronics, Pioneer, Sharp, Toshiba and Yakumo.

www.ifa-berlin.de