The IFA technology convention in Berlin will go ahead as a physical event in September with reduced attendance, organisers have said.
The conference is one of the first since the coronavirus outbreak to confirm it will go ahead with physical gatherings.
Organisers said the show, which normally attracts around 200,000 visitors across four days, will this year be closed to the public and instead hold only four specific, invitation-only events across three days, each with around 1,000 attendees, predominately media.
It will take place between September 3 and 5.
In Berlin, gatherings of more than 5,000 people are banned until October 24 and IFA organisers said they have worked with local authorities to ensure the health and safety of participants and will ensure the enforcement of social distancing, crowd control and other public hygiene measures.
#IFA20 will focus ⁰on its four core functions:⁰
1. An innovation showcase for brands2. A platform for cutting-edge technology3. A global sourcing event for OEMs and ODMs4. As a marketplace where retailers and brands can come together. pic.twitter.com/BK1qndj6Vd
— IFA Berlin (@IFA_Berlin) May 19, 2020
Jens Heithecker, executive director of IFA Berlin, said: “After all the event cancellations during the past months, our industry urgently needs a platform where it can showcase its innovation, so that it can recover and rebound. The recovery of our industry starts here at IFA Berlin.”
IFA is traditionally one of the biggest events in the technology industry calendar and is used by well-known brands such as Sony, Samsung, Huawei, LG and others to announce and showcase their latest gadgets.
Organisers said a number of virtual events would also take place for those unable to attend.
Since the outbreak of Covid-19, a number of high-profile events in the tech industry have been postponed or moved online – including developer conferences from Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft and gaming show E3.
