Samsung Electronics will not run a large public booth in the main hall at IFA 2026, Europe's largest home appliance trade show set for September in Berlin, and instead will showcase products at a separate venue in the city center. In Jan., at CES 2026, the world's largest home appliance and information technology (IT) show, it also left the main venue, the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), and set up a separate exhibition space at the Wynn hotel. It is shifting its global exhibition and promotion strategy to create an environment where visitors can focus more on its products, moving away from halls where multiple corporations gather.
According to ChosunBiz reporting compiled on the 14th, Samsung Electronics will operate a separate IFA 2026 exhibition at "Humboldt Carré," a venue in central Berlin, starting Sept. 2 (local time). There, it will also hold product briefings and consultations for European retail and business-to-business (B2B) clients and the media. It will meet with partners and the press starting two days before IFA 2026 opens.
Humboldt Carré, about 8 kilometers from Messe Berlin, the main venue, is in central Berlin and offers relatively easier access for visitors. IFA also introduced Samsung Electronics' off-site exhibition outside the main hall as part of the official program.
IFA is considered one of the world's three major IT trade shows along with the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the United States and Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Spain. Launched in 1924, it is Europe's largest home appliance and consumer technology fair, where global manufacturers unveil new products and business strategies.
Samsung Electronics first took part in IFA in 1991 with a 43㎡ booth. In 2003, it moved to Hall 20, a key exhibition space within Messe Berlin, and expanded its booth to 3,600㎡, becoming a major participant at IFA.
Starting in 2014, it effectively used CityCube Berlin, newly opened south of Messe Berlin, on an exclusive basis. It utilized a total of 8,700㎡, including about 6,000㎡ for product displays and about 2,500㎡ for presentations and transaction partner consultations. Until last year, it introduced TVs, home appliances, and mobile devices there, showcasing its product ecosystem and business direction.
Except for 2020, when the event was scaled down due to COVID-19, this is effectively the first time since Samsung Electronics' initial IFA participation in 1991 that it will not stage a large product exhibition at Messe Berlin. The IFA organizers described Samsung Electronics' participation format this year as a "new exhibition concept."
Although Samsung Electronics is setting up a separate exhibition space in central Berlin, it has not given up touchpoints with visitors at the main venue. Samsung Electronics will serve as the official main sponsor of the "IFA Creator Hub," which will be set up inside Messe Berlin, to promote its brand and products. The Creator Hub, located at Palais am Funkturm at Messe Berlin, will feature studio facilities available to influencers, streamers, and content creators. Samsung Electronics plans to run its own programs and hands-on events there.
Samsung Electronics first applied this exhibition strategy at CES 2026. It left the LVCC, where it had operated a large booth for years, and created a standalone exhibition space at the Wynn hotel. Samsung Electronics applied exhibition techniques used in art museums and museums to the Wynn venue to reduce congestion and allow visitors to take a deeper look at AI products and services. At IFA, instead of addressing large crowds in a single space, it plans to convey its products and business strategy with greater density.
Samsung Electronics has not yet appeared on the official IFA 2026 exhibitor list. This contrasts with rivals such as LG Electronics, TCL, and Hisense, whose exhibition categories and hall/booth numbers have already been disclosed.
IFA 2026, under the theme "The Future Is Now," will run from Sept. 4 to 8. It will cover the breadth of consumer technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), smart homes, home appliances, TVs, entertainment, connectivity, and robots. Products from more than 1,900 brands are set to be exhibited.