IFA Organizers Set April 20-22 for Inaugural CE China Show in Shenzhen

Come next spring, the global CE industry may well find out whether China can support two CE trade shows only three weeks apart. That’s because Messe Berlin, producer of the annual IFA show, has now set April 20-22 as the dates for its inaugural CE China event at the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center. Messe Berlin is billing CE China as “a premier opportunity” for Chinese and international brands to showcase their latest products for a pan-Asian audience, the organizers said Wednesday in a “save the date” alert emailed to journalists. CE China was hatched through a memorandum of understanding announced and signed at the last IFA show in September by Messe Berlin and Shenzhen’s Economy, Trade and Information Commission. Three weeks after CE China shuts its doors, the Consumer Technology Association will take up shop May 11-13 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre for the second installment of CES Asia. In September, a week after Messe Berlin announced plans for CE China, the former CEA released its own announcement trumpeting plans to double the size of the CES Asia exhibit floor in its second year. “China’s rapid growth over the last decade has helped to reshape the global economy, creating a powerful driver of corporate strategies, financial markets, geopolitical decisions and a market ripe for a technology boom," Karen Chupka, CTA senior vice president-CES and corporate business strategy, emailed us in a statement that dwelled on the virtues of CES Asia without mentioning the IFA-backed CE China event. "With twice the exhibit space of 2015, the upcoming CES Asia will serve as the premier event for the Asian consumer tech market for both global brands and budding startups," Chupka said. The inaugural CES Asia last year "featured more than 200 companies, including 10 of the world’s top 100 global brands," she said. "CES Asia is a curated event focused on brands and emerging innovation. Our exhibitors go through a highly selective application process to participate in the show and must produce an innovative, branded product. Our show is located in Shanghai, which has the busiest international hub in mainland China and services 73 international destinations.” Similarly, IFA's September announcement of CE China touted Shenzhen as "an ideal location," not only because it's "at the heart of a center of the country’s electronics industry, but also because of its great transport links, thanks to airport hubs in Shenzhen and nearby Guangzhou, and the fact that both Hong Kong and Macao are very close by."