Jens Heithecker is the Chairman of CE China, IFA Executive Director and Executive Vice President Messe Berlin; while Dirk Koslowski is the IFA Senior Executive Manager at Messe Berlin.
Jens Heithecker is the Chairman of CE China, IFA Executive Director and Executive Vice President Messe Berlin.
Here are some thoughts from the men behind CE China 2018.
Question: In 2017, you had 120 exhibitors showcasing their innovations to 11,500 visitors from 38 countries, within one exhibition hall with 15,000 square metres of exhibition space. This year, the scale is similar. I understand CE China focuses more on quality and focus rather than on size, but in terms of future evolution, is this the ‘steady-state’ size of the show that you’re looking at for the next five years, or are you planning to scale it up in terms of size.
Koslowski: That’s correct. Anyone who has experienced CE China since its premiere in 2016 has witnessed the level of quality that the organisers of IFA pursue with our international retail events. It continues to be our objective to provide all our partners with the most efficient and effective platform for the continuous exchange between brands and retail, outside of political intentions and issues, purely focused on the core purpose of doing business.
Dirk Koslowski is the IFA Senior Executive Manager at Messe Berlin.
Koslowski: This does not necessarily go hand in hand with huge growth spikes in exhibition space, especially during the introductory phase. What matters more to us is a consistent, credible qualitative development that is based on partnerships – just like outlined above. We may be acting very German in this regard – however, that is exactly what we aspire to and what our partners expect from us.
Jens Heithecker on the roles and significance of CE China 2018.
Question: How do you envisage CE China 5 years from now, in 2023 – in terms of scale and nature? What is your vision for CE China in that timeframe?
CE China kicked off its third installment this morning in an opening ceremony attended by Shenzhen Vice Mayor Chen Biao. The first of three days for CE China 2018 saw the successful completion of the new IFA Retail University.
Ribbon cutting at the opening ceremony of CE China 2018 at the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center in China.
IFA Retail University is a new format in CE China where international exhibitors at trade show presents their latest products and share their brands’ strategies and visions in short 20-minute “power briefings” in the IFA-GPC style.
From right: Guest-of-Honour for the opening of CE China 2018, Chen Biao (Shenzhen Vice Mayor) with Dai Fengjun (EVP, South China, Suning.com Group).
Industry analysts from GfK and IHS Markit also presented their findings on trends and forecasts for the region.
TWG Tea launches a new omni-channel global eCommerce website and membership programme for customers around the globe.
Launching from Singapore, this revolutionary global platform will soon include subsites featuring local shipping, payment platforms, inventories, and customer service centres dedicated to TWG Tea customers in China, Japan and Europe, with other locations to follow.
In conjunction with the 10th anniversary of the home-grown brand, TWG Tea has launched a new eCommerce website and a membership programme that’s by-invitation only.
About TWG Tea
TWG Tea was established in Singapore in 2008 and celebrates the year 1837 when the island became a trading post for teas, spices and fine epicurean products.
TWG Tea, which stands for The Wellbeing Group, was founded by Taha Bouqdib, Maranda Barnes and Rith Aum-Stievenard as a luxury concept that incorporates unique and original retail outlets, exquisite tea rooms and an international distribution network to professionals.
In addition to more than 800 blends of tea, TWG Tea also offers modern tea accessories and tea-infused sweets and savouries.
Three years in the making, this venture opens the door to customers worldwide to purchase its full selection of more than 800 blends of tea, even in countries where TWG Tea does not have brick-and-mortar outlets.
Some of the physical branches are directly managed by the TWG Tea headquarters in Singapore while an increasing number are through franchising – in the UK for instance.
The global website and membership programme currently ships internationally to 48 countries.
Progressively, the global platform will be rolled out across international markets including China, Japan, and Europe later this year with plans to increase this number to 18 international hubs by 2020.
Tableau Software has expanded its analytics platform with Tableau Prep to provide a direct and visual experience to data preparation, making it simple and integrated with its Tableau analytical workflow – enabling users to get insights faster from their data. Available now.
Tableau Prep is a new data preparation product to help users quickly and confidently combine, shape, and clean their data, further reducing the time from data to insight.
The new Tableau Prep features a direct and visual experience for data preparation.
“We’ve been able to save hours of work with Tableau Prep, completely reinventing the way we look at our data, and dramatically shortening the time between data collection and actionable insights,” said Gessica Briggs-Sullivan, Tableau Administrator at Charles Schwab, Inc. “
The application gives customers a deeper understanding of their data; smart features to automate complex tasks; and integration with the Tableau analytical workflow for faster speed to insight.
The new Tableau Creator, Explorer and Viewer subscriptions offers different levels of its end-to-end analytics capabilities to the workforce, ranging from the sophisticated analyst to the casual business user. Pricing structure here.
Brief from Tableau Software at its Singapore office on the new subscription packages. From right: JY Pook, SVP APAC, Tableau; Professor Fermin Diez, Adjunct Professor, SMU; Marcus Loh, Director, APAC Comms, Tableau Software.
Tableau Software today introduced new subscriptions that combine new and existing analytical capabilities into packages appropriate for everyone across an organisation, regardless of skill level.
“With the unprecedented and accelerating growth of data that customers are experiencing, the need to see and understand data is more important than ever before. Professional analysts, teachers, doctors, project managers, marketers, sellers, developers, factory line workers, recruiters – everyone needs data to make better decisions,” said Adam Selipsky, CEO at Tableau.
As a new way to buy and scale Tableau’s analytics platform, Tableau Creator, Explorer, and Viewer subscriptions provide tailored combinations of sophisticated analytics and simplicity.
This allows every customer to create the appropriate mix of analytics capabilities to meet the specific needs of their entire organisation.
From consuming data and performing ad-hoc analysis from curated data sources, to preparing and developing advanced analysis, the new price offerings cover a wide breadth of capabilities.
They also include the newly released data preparation application Tableau Prep, new web authoring capabilities, and the renowned Tableau Desktop.
Customers can choose to work on-premises or in the cloud.
The actual press conference for IFA 2018 in Berlin (31 August – 5 September) will be held at 11am today in Rome, Italy. Stay tuned for the excerpt and press release.
“Technology mega-trends are driving innovation, with components that are ever smaller and ever more powerful, which in turn power emerging technologies like voice control and artificial intelligence. IFA is the convener for all this innovation, it’s the connecting tissue for the global technology ecosystem. That’s because it’s not just one sector innovating, but seven, eight or nine different industries that all try to solve the same problems and push the edge of innovation. Each industry brings its own knowledge, insights and skills to the table. All these industries learn from each other, they inspire each other. That’s co-innovation at its best,” said Dr. Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin.
Smart devices, artificial intelligence and 8K television will be among the big trends for IFA 2018.
“We expect an ongoing positive market development for both segments of home appliances. Growth will continue in almost every country around the world, because the middle classes around the world keep increasing their spending. At the same time, new technologies and design trends are driving the growth potential in many product groups. A great example is the kitchen, where we see innovation in nearly every product category,” said Georg Walkenbach, Member of ZVEI Managing Board of Directors.
Technology megatrends are driving a new wave of innovation in consumer electronics and home appliances.
Smart and connected devices for the home, powerful AI applications that are deeply integrated in consumer electronics and wellness products, and TVs with ever better screen quality are among the big trendsetters that will dominate IFA 2018, the trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances.
At IFA’s Global Press Conference in Rome, fellow journalists here had a chance to get an early sneak peek of some of the products that will wow trade visitors and consumers alike when the show opens its gates to the public from 31 August to 5 September 2018.
The first day of the IFA GPC 2018 comprises a series of power briefs by industry leaders and analysts on the latest trends and products in consumer electronics and home appliances. Here is a rundown on what transpired in those proceedings.
Day 1 of the IFA GPC 2018 kicks off with the MC, Dave Graveline, handing the mic over to Jens Heithecker, Executive Director (IFA) & EVP (Messe Berlin Group), for the opening address.
This year, there are altogether 13 power briefings – a marked increase from last year, which saw eight power briefs and one discussion panel.
As I attend these sessions, I will post a brief synopsis of each session on Instagram and consolidate all the synopsis here.
Power briefing by Philips on innovative solutions for a healthy and joyful life.
Highlight is the new-to-world #SmartSleep solution that will change the way the world sleeps. Philips is positioned to pair clinical research, the latest digital health technologies and design capabilities to create tools that help consumers take better care of themselves and lead a balanced, healthy and energetic lifestyle through nutrition, a clean environment and sleep.
Presenting were Liat Ben-Zur, Senior Vice President, Head of Connected Digital Platforms Propositions; and Bernd Laudahn, Market Leader Personal Health DACH – from Philips.
IFA this year will be from 31 August – 5 September, 2018. As in previous years, the annual consumer electronics & home appliances show will be preceded by a preview cum global press conference for the media from 19-22 April.
This year’s IFA GPC will be in Rome, Italy (19-22 April, 2018). Venues in the past have included Dubrovnik in Croatia (2012), Sardinia in Italy (2013), and Belek in Turkey (2014).
IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin – international radio exhibition Berlin) is a global consumer electronics and home appliances show held annually in Berlin in September.
IFA GPC 2017 outcomes
The IFA GPC 2017 last year resulted in 19.1 billion potential media impressions via TV reports, print reports and online articles.
During the IFA GPC, some of the IFA exhibitors and partners get to show a preview of their IFA offerings and pitch to the international media what their brands offer to consumers.
New products include Spectre, EliteBook & ZBook notebooks; desktop workstations; commercial VR solutions including the HP Z VR Backpack; A3 printers; and the fun Sprocket 2-in-1 instant camera/printer.
Singapore doctors launch healthcare mobile platform to put patients’ needs at the center of an ecosystem that spans a range of services from cradle to grave – literally.
The MaNaDr platform is a holistic healthcare ecosystem that connects patients, families, and friends, to a trusted network of doctors and other healthcare providers.
“Besides using the mobile app to make healthcare affordable and more accessible, MaNaDr’s market differentiation is to provide a holistic suite of services at an affordable price, in the most convenient manner possible. Over time, we want to build a whole online community of doctors, patients, and other health and medical related services. Such a community will validate a doctor’s expertise, share patient experience, for example, and recommend the brand and type of medication and other lifestyle products that are effective. This ecosystem will be built on trust, which is a crucial success factor,” said Dr Siaw Tung Yeng, Founder & CEO, MaNaDr Mobile Health.
These providers include major pharmaceutical companies and key paramedical service providers such as Amgen, MundiPharma, OmniMed Healthcare (HomeCare), QuestLab etc.
Soft launched slightly more than a year ago, the concept has gained traction with the enrollment of 500 private clinics and 600 doctors (general practitioners, dentists & specialists) in Singapore and Australia serving a million patients through its MaNaDr app.
The growing patient database will enable big data analytics that empower doctors to track a patient’s condition to offer pre-emptive and pro-active healthcare.
MaNaDr mobile healthcare platform is owned by Mobile Health Pte Ltd (“Mobile Health”), a company set up by a group of Singapore doctors to harness the power of technology to make life-long, healthcare more affordable and accessible to all.
MaNaDr has secured over S$10 million seed funding and is in talks with several large funds and investors for Series funding.
