Mike Dunn at the Samsung press conference in Berlin in September 2015 at IFA, announcing the first Ultra HD Blu-ray releases.
September 6, 2024
IFA, said to be the world’s biggest consumer electronics trade show, today (Sept. 6) opens its doors to trade visitors as well as the public for its five-day 100th anniversary run.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz opened IFA the night before during a gala event, which was followed by a concert of rock legend Bryan Adams in IFA’s famous Sommergarten.
Chancellor Scholz returned to IFA this morning for a walkabout in the halls next to Berlin’s iconic Funkturm. He praised IFA’s success as a “showcase for innovation,” and called on the technology industry to ensure that new technologies are both secure and trusted because these “are the preconditions for technology engagement and technology enthusiasm alike, both of which can be found at IFA since 100 years now.”
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The Chancellor was joined by Berlin’s Governing Mayor Kai Wegner, who highlighted the importance of IFA for the city and stressed that “Berlin and IFA are inseparably linked.”
IFA began life in 1924 as the Grosse Deutsche Funkausstellung, exhibiting the latest radio receivers and even Europe’s first car radio. IFA has since evolved into a trade fair for the full range of consumer electronics and home appliances. This year, the show is hosting more than 1,800 exhibitors across its fully booked floorspace in all the halls of the Messe Berlin fairgrounds.
The big themes at IFA 2024 are Artificial Intelligence, sustainability, connectivity, digital health, gaming, home entertainment, and smart appliances for the home. Numerous keynotes and panel events across three stages will feature more than 150 speakers exploring the future of technology.
To mark its anniversary, IFA has created “100Moments” that reflect its history, celebrate the technology of today and showcase the power of innovation. A holographic Albert Einstein recreates his famous opening keynote from 1930, in which he praised the playful creativity of inventors and scientists and expressed his hope that technology would connect people.
IFA has always drawn heavy U.S. representation. In 2015 the show was used to launch 4K Ultra HD, with then-20th Century Fox Home Entertainment president Mike Dunn and other U.S. home entertainment executives traveling to Berlin to participate in the unveiling.