With more than 1,800 exhibitors in an area spanning 159,000 sq m, IFA 2017 - Europe's biggest consumer technology trade fair - is a great place for start-ups to show off their wares.
But it is also easy to be drowned out by the big boys that have the budget to grab premium locations in the Messe Berlin exhibition halls - especially when you are just a small Singaporean start-up.
Thanks to the Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (SGC), six Singapore companies were able to make their presence felt under the Singapore Pavilion banner. This is the fourth time that SGC, which promotes bilateral trade between Germany and Singapore, has set up a Singapore pavilion at IFA.
The six companies - Aico Technologies, TGI, Igloohome, KonceptC, XMI and Insonotech - were also helped by trade agency International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, which provides support for Singapore companies to go global.
Under IE Singapore's International Marketing Activities Programme, the companies get to save up to 70 per cent of expenses that include construction cost and space rental of the Singapore pavilion, as well as engagement of consultants.
Local start-up Igloohome, which makes smart locks, participated in IFA for the first time. "This opportunity gives us a great way to trial the IFA exhibition for our business at a good cost," said Miss Shermaine Koh, Igloohome's director of marketing and communications.
Mr Liang Yanjie, design and marketing manager of start-up TGI Technology that make UB+ speakers, felt it was a good opportunity as they would not have been able to secure a booth in a premium location otherwise.
"By participating under the Singapore Pavilion banner, there is strength in numbers as the booth is larger and the presence can be felt by the visitors. Potential partners have more confidence in working with us," said Mr Liang.
Mr Jerry Lam, XMI's senior business development manager, felt that participating in IFA provided the company, known for its X-mini speakers, good exposure to business visitors and consumers. "It is also a platform for us to meet up with all our European prospects and clients in one place," said Mr Lam.
Mr Sebastian Zeitler, SGC's head of trade promotion, sees the Singapore Pavilion as a springboard for Singapore companies to access the market and spread their reach globally. "Our aim is to inform even more companies about the advantages of being part of a Singapore Pavilion, to support them and being part of their success story," he said.
