“International IoT Exhibition”: IFA 2018

The IFA takes place in Berlin every year in late summer. The International Radio Exhibition is considered one of the most important technology fairs – and while events such as the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona are mostly reserved for trade visitors, the IFA is open to anyone who wants to take a look at the latest technology trends and the devices of tomorrow.

This year at the consumer electronics fair in Berlin, almost everything revolves around networked IoT devices and their (intelligent) control. The organizers promise a “real flood of innovation” from App-controlled heaters and suction robots to networked sound systems and intelligent cooking stoves.

IFA Next – Room for StartUps

Digitisation has rapidly shortened product cycles in recent years, even for more durable household appliances such as washing machines. For many years there was only talk of networking, but now it has arrived in reality.

IFA also wants to do justice to this rapid change with new formats. Once again, a separate hall (exhibition hall 26) under the IFA Next brand is reserved for start-ups with their creative ideas.

With the IFA NEXT showcases, institutes for research and development, start-ups, innovative companies and leading global innovators present new solutions, concepts and product ideas for the markets of tomorrow.

IFA Global Markets

The IFA Global Markets meeting place, where manufacturers, suppliers and component manufacturers meet, has already been relocated to the Berlin station at the Gleisdreieck – because weeks before the event began, the IFA organisers had already announced that it was fully booked, the space under the Berlin Radio Tower was full.

(Currently a new hall is being built near the radio tower. The “hub27” is to be available as a multifunctional hall with an area of 15,000 square metres from 2019 – announced Christian Göke, Chairman of the Board of Management of Messe Berlin.

In addition to networking, streaming of media content, ultra-HD-TV or three-dimensional audio reproduction, the major trends at IFA 2018 include voice control for devices, said Hans-Joachim Kamp, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the organiser gfu.

“I’m sure voice control will make its breakthrough in consumer electronics this year.”

Daniel Rausch, a representative of Amazon, will also be present at the fair for the first time with an opening lecture. Rausch is responsible for developments around the smart home at the world’s largest retailer.

Google will also be represented at the fair, announced IFA Director Jens Heithecker.

Google’s Android operating system drives numerous modern TV sets anyway. Many new models should also benefit from Google Assistant voice control. With the help of artificial intelligence, handling could become much more comfortable and individual in the future.

This year, the International Consumer Electronics Fair will take place from 31 August to 5 September 2018 at the Messegelände Berlin, Messedamm 22, 14055 Berlin. On 29 August, the press conference will be held on the first day of the press conference on the occasion of the opening. For visitors the event area is open daily from 10.00 to 18.00 o’clock.