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With the Coronavirus pandemic Large tech events, which typically gather thousands of attendees in exhibition halls and meeting rooms, had to adapt to dramatically change our 2020 calendars. Some have gone virtual, others have been canceled, but WHEN A, Europe's annual tech show in Berlin, found a middle ground.
This week the tech industry has gathered either in Berlin or via the show's online portal to see new products introduced and hear executives from some of the world's largest technology companies talk about what's next.
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At the press conferences and keynote presentations, it was difficult for the speakers to avoid the constant presence of COVID-19 around the world. At the start of the show on Thursday morning, IFA Executive Director Jens Heithecker spoke head-on about the events of 2020.
"So much has happened since IFA 2019 that it feels like more than a year ago," he said. "Our world has been uprooted in so many ways, be it the pandemic, political tensions, trade wars, natural disasters, the ongoing struggle for equality, Black Lives Matter. I think you will agree, this year has been a difficult one."
The elephant in the room
While Heithecker was sober and frank about the effects of COVID-19, other speakers seemed less interested in spending too much time discussing the problem. The words "coronavirus" and "COVID" were particularly absent from the press conferences and keynote events that took place throughout the show. Instead, Execs only referred to the "pandemic" and "the new normal".
Huawei's Vice President Victor Zhang did not discuss the pandemic at all in his own keynote address, but instead looked directly at the company's ongoing commitment to operations in and outside Europe. Other executives briefly hinted at the pandemic at the beginning of their keynote conversations before quickly moving on.
"Although 2020 was a very challenging year, Honor insists on bringing unrivaled products to consumers at unbeatable value," said George Zhao, CEO of Honor. Like many executives outside of Europe, Zhang and Zhao were unable to travel to the show, which meant that their presentations were virtual.
"We would like to give our blessings to the people fighting the pandemic," said Frederic Langin, TCL's director of sales and marketing, at the start of the company's press conference. "Despite these difficult times, our communities and industries have never been so networked, which is why today's topic is turned on opportunities."
Langin's reference was a straightforward entry into the discussion of the TCL range of products, but several speakers took advantage of their opportunities to examine how COVID-19 has shown the world the importance of reliable connectivity.
"The time has now come for high-performance, reliable and secure connectivity," said Cristiano Amon, President of Qualcomm. "We've all had to change our lives dramatically and in doing so we understand the potential of the incredible technologies we have today. We don't have to talk about a digital future anymore - we see it happening right in front of us."
"Although the pandemic has set limits everywhere, we haven't stopped," said Benjamin Braun, Samsung Europe's chief marketing officer the company's fully virtual Life Unstoppable Event. "We were just in our four walls for quite a while, but technology enabled us to build a bridge to a bigger world. Technology became a lifeline."
The new normal and the future
Returning to normal, or at least moving away from the unusual circumstances people lived through for most of the year, was also a common theme.
"The fact that we are meeting here in Berlin today gives us back at least a bit of much-needed normalcy," said Heithecker. "I see it as a big sign that a normal is imminent - I'm not going to call it the new normal because we don't know our future yet."
Qualcomm's Amon used the event to discuss how the pandemic has changed our expectations of the way technology will serve us in the future.
"It used to be enough to dial into a meeting, but now we expect that call to contain a video. The future will expect a virtual presence expanded reality"The next big innovation, he added," will be the convergence of the visual and physical world to get the best of both in virtually every industry. "
LG went one step further in its own press conference, showcasing its entire range of products with the idea that "life from home is good". The company's President and CTO IP Park discussed how the lockdown has opened up new potential for people's homes. "We have to try new things, new ways of life," he said.
One of the new products from LG was a battery operated air purifying mask designed to help people breathe easier while adhering to health and safety restrictions. Park also referred to using a thermal imaging camera artificial intelligence designed to identify people with a fever.
There was also significant emphasis on home cleaning technology, entertainment products that could ease boredom, and even telepresence robots during LG's product launch. "We strive to offer products and services that create a perfect nest of security," said Park.
At IFA, LG was unique in its approach to fine-tuning its technology for the pandemic, but most of the companies in attendance couldn't be that nimble. They had planned their range of products for the show long before coronavirus got going. The same might not be true CES, the world's largest tech show that will be completely digital in January. Until then, more companies may adapt their products and strategies to accommodate the "new normal" - or whatever we call it, until 2021 is around the corner.
