In addition to all of the historic brands you know and love at IFA, 30% of exhibitors are new this year, which means there is a lot to discover and take in. The halls are packed with new products and exciting innovations so make sure you plan for full days and wear comfortable shoes!

I would suggest starting off the day by attending the opening keynote from HONOR on the main stage in Hall 21b at 10:00 a.m. HONOR CEO George Zhao will give a much anticipated presentation, but I won’t give any more details on this, I don’t want to spoil the surprise! Then make sure to attend Hisense’s keynote, opening the IFA Leaders Summit at 11:00 a.m., followed by the conference “Retail media and beyond—unlocking full-funnel advertising with Amazon Ads” at 11:35 a.m.

IFA Next is back bigger and better than ever this year with 350 startups and over 200 registered investors. We are offering a startup safari tour every day at 10:15 a.m. so visitors can really get a taste for the top innovations at the show. IFA Next is an essential part of IFA and it is crucial that this part of the show continues to grow. We are very happy about the response this year, it’s a concentration of innovation you won’t want to miss out on. 

Sustainability is a major priority for IFA, and to illustrate this fully we’ve organised a dedicated Sustainability Village for the first time. Located in Hall 2.2, this dedicated exhibitor area focuses on connecting sustainability leaders with the wider IFA community. There will also be a comprehensive conference forum on sustainability best practices, kicking off today with a keynote from Miele’s Rebecca Steinhage at 2:00 p.m.

If some of you need a little break from being inside, September is a beautiful month to enjoy the outdoors in Berlin. IFA Outdoors offers visitors silent hubs, co-working spaces where you can discuss and negotiate over a cool drink and a number of other surprises along the way.

This historic show has such an important place in the industry, and ahead of IFA’s 100th birthday we wanted to give you a show that lives up to this reputation and all of your expectations. But don’t take my word for it, it’s time to get out there and discover it all for yourselves! I wish you all the best for this first day of business, networking and discovery. See you tomorrow!