For Thames Distribution, attending IFA every September in Berlin has proven to be an imperative date in the calendar. It allows the team to connect with leading and emergent tech brands, retailers, manufacturers, industry experts and other distributors all in one place, at Europe’s largest consumer electronics and smart technology trade show.
As a successful and expanding UK and EU distribution company, boasting cross-sector smart tech brands and customers as clients, IFA is one of the most important channels for us to identify and introduce ourselves to prospective brands.
It’s always great to see both established companies and start ups showcasing innovative, new tech solutions at a show where representatives of the whole tech product journey get together. Without this event, many products would struggle to be seen.
Every year we are excited to experience the latest state-of-the-art, emergent products and meet the people behind these tech solutions before they hit the mass market. With fewer in-person meetings since Covid, IFA is a great place to connect, chat and build relationships face-to-face. Seeing what’s about to launch, and the direction of tech innovation, means we can tailor our future forecasting and inventory, and start discussions with businesses that have the next must-have products.
While there, checking out the competitive landscape is also a good idea. We always like to see how other distributors are diversifying or making processes sleeker, benefiting from catch ups with industry peers to swap ideas and get updates. What’s more, attending IFA gives the opportunity to form relationships with businesses that are actively seeking distribution in the UK and EU.
It also gives the perfect place to enhance and strengthen brand positioning, through networking, attending or hosting social events, taking advantage of speaking opportunities or getting involved in keynotes or power briefings; the visibility that an event like IFA gives exhibitors and hosts is undeniable.
But to get the most out of it, organisation is key; preparation is essential to getting the most out of IFA. We always research which new products or brands are of interest before attending, and make sure meetings, networking and speaker events are booked well in advance. We’re already diarising meetings for September since announcing in April that we’ll be attending.
The opportunity IFA offers tech sector businesses is second to none in Europe to help gain visibility and brand awareness, get your company’s story out there and enhance business relationships. We’d recommend IFA to all the brands we work with and we’re excited to see many of them there in September.
If you’d like to organise a chat at IFA this September, drop us a line at sales@thamesdistribution.com
