Trade fairs like IFA Berlin or CES in Las Vegas are big opportunities for consumer electronics brands and startups. They give you a chance to showcase your product, meet distributors, and build awareness.
But here’s the reality: simply showing up with a booth isn’t enough. If you don’t prepare properly, you may spend thousands of dollars to stand there watching competitors attract all the traffic while you’re ignored.
Kate from Sofeast just got back from IFA Berlin 2025, and in this post, we share what worked, what didn’t, and how you can get better ROI from your next exhibition.
Listen to the audio here or on Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Amazon Podcasts · Deezer · iHeartRADIO · TuneIn.
Here’s a preview of what this episode covers:
- 00:00 – Intro
- 01:11 – First Impressions of IFA Berlin
- 05:01 – Why PR Preparation Matters
- 10:16 – Capturing Leads & Pre-Orders
- 13:46 – IFA vs. CES Traffic
- 16:31 – Tools, Takeaways & What’s Next
- 18:41 – End | Wrap-Up
To explore all of the topics covered in detail, hit play on the episode to listen to them all!
1. Why PR Makes the Difference
At IFA, we saw the same mistake over and over: teams arrived with great products but no visitors. Why? They didn’t prepare their PR.
Here are the two main approaches:
- Work with a PR agency (~US$10,000)
- Agencies have direct relationships with journalists and media outlets.
- They’ll push your press releases to the right people and secure high-quality coverage.
- You can easily end up with 30+ good mentions during one fair, something that would take months to achieve on your own.
- Use a press release distribution service (~US$1,000–1,500)
- Platforms like PR Newswire or Cision allow you to upload a release and distribute it widely.
- Less guaranteed, since there’s no personal connection, but still better than nothing.
- For example, one release we did was picked up by 500+ outlets, including some big names.
- Without PR preparation, your booth will likely remain empty.
2. Capturing Leads: Go Beyond “Collecting Business Cards”
Trade fairs are not just about awareness, they’re about getting commitments.
What worked best for us:
- Set up a pre-order page (Shopify, WordPress, or similar).
- Offer visitors the chance to leave their contact details and even pay a deposit.
- This filters out casual browsers and helps you identify real customers.
- Later email marketing is much harder, cold messages often end up in spam. A small pre-order commitment during the fair is worth far more.
3. CES vs. IFA: Which One Brings Better Leads?
- CES (USA): Huge crowds, but many “tourists” who are curious but not buyers.
- IFA (Europe): Fewer people, but a higher percentage of qualified distributors and industry professionals.
- If you’re aiming at the European market, IFA is a strong choice, especially since Germany is the largest consumer electronics market in Europe.
4. Expect Strong Competition from Chinese Brands
One striking observation: a large percentage of exhibitors at IFA were Chinese brands.
From small accessories makers to giants renting entire halls, they are investing heavily in Europe.
Full-scale advertising across Berlin.
Sponsorships on badges and pavilions.
Even hiring famous German athletes as brand ambassadors.
For non-Chinese brands, this means:
- You’ll have strong competition.
- But you can also stand out more easily with a differentiated story and product.
5. Bonus: Repurpose Your PR Coverage
PR isn’t just about media traffic during the fair. You can repurpose it:
- Add “As featured in…” badges on your website or Shopify store.
- Use coverage reports to build credibility with investors and distributors.
- Share articles on your LinkedIn page and in newsletters.
Conclusion
Trade fairs are expensive, but they can be very effective… if you prepare properly.
Budget at least US$1,000 for PR distribution, or more if you can afford an agency.
Always capture leads through a pre-order or deposit system.
Choose your fair based on your target market: CES = bigger reach, IFA = higher-quality contacts.
Be aware of the heavy Chinese presence in Europe and position your brand to stand out.
In short: don’t just rent a booth, prepare a plan.
