Sonja May on Driving Innovation and Dialogue on the Global Stage

Sonja May has been Director of PR & Corporate Communications at IFA since May 2025. Previously, she held senior positions at Sony Europe, Zattoo and Immobilienscout24. A graduate in German studies, she brings more than two decades of experience in the tech and media industries.

Sonja, you’ve only recently taken on responsibility for communications at IFA. What would you say is your most important task?

In the short term, the focus is on generating strong media attention for IFA once again. But our ambitions go much further. We want IFA to remain present in the international tech world well beyond September. To achieve this, we’re focusing on storytelling, new audience formats and clear thematic positioning.

Innovation, digitalisation and sustainability are your key themes. How do you bring these to life in communications?

We and our exhibitors place these themes at the centre of our communications. We’re evolving existing events, such as the IFA Kick-Off, which marks the start of the hot phase leading up to the event. In addition, we’re creating new communication platforms, such as international press conferences in the run-up to the show. Our approach is cross-media, spanning trade press, traditional outlets and campaigns with content creators. Sustainability, in particular, is a topic we aim to convey in a way that is emotional and approachable.

Sustainability is a broad concept. How is this implemented at IFA?

By putting it into practice. The show itself is more resource-efficient than people often think – it’s a concentrated place for exchange instead of countless trips spread out over the year. We also form partnerships, such as with the NGO Cradle to Cradle, to make circular economy concepts more visible. This is a deliberate statement: we take responsibility and actively raise the topic within industry. For our exhibitors, too, sustainability is second nature and an essential part of their communications. It starts with repairable product design, shorter and more efficient supply chains and the principle of a circular economy.

The media landscape has changed significantly. How are you responding to that?

Our goal is to maintain a presence all year round rather than create isolated peaks in communication. At the same time, we are differentiating more strongly by audience and channel. Content creators and influencers are just as important to us as business and trade media. At the show itself, we offer a Creator Hub that provides space for podcasts, streams and digital formats. For us, it’s an experimental space for new storytelling approaches.

IFA is international. How do you communicate that?

We take a proactive approach to international markets with press conferences in countries such as China, South Korea, Italy, Spain and France. In the United States, we work with the Max Borges Agency, which supports us with PR and building relationships with US media. We are also expanding our media partnerships, for example with Computer Bild, 104.6 RTL, Tagesspiegel and various specialist publications. Our aim is not only to showcase tech but to position it internationally, making it relevant and easy to understand.

What sets IFA apart from other technology shows?