CES or IFA: which consumer electronics show should you go to?
The short answer
CES is trade-only, American, in January, and sets the agenda for the year whether or not the products ship. IFA is European, open to the public after a trade window, in September, and is where hardware that will be on shelves for the Christmas season gets shown to the buyers who stock it. If you are launching a narrative, CES. If you are selling into European retail, IFA. If you are a startup looking for investors, neither: that is Slush or Web Summit.
CES
The Consumer Technology Association's Las Vegas show, 6 to 9 January 2027. Trade-only and 18-plus. Drew an audited 148,392 in 2026, its third consecutive year of growth.
Pick this if
- You need press coverage and an agenda-setting moment
- You sell into North American retail or automotive
- Your buyers, suppliers and press are worth meeting in one week
- You are exhibiting in Eureka Park as an early-stage startup
IFA Berlin
Berlin's consumer electronics and home appliances fair, 4 to 8 September 2026. Around 220,000 visitors and 1,900-plus exhibitors, open to the public after a trade-only Friday morning.
Pick this if
- You sell into European retail and need the buyers
- Your product is home appliances or white goods
- You want to reach consumers directly as well as trade
- September fits your season better than January
CES and IFA Berlin, side by side
| CES | IFA Berlin | |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | 6 to 9 January 2027 | 4 to 8 September 2026 |
| Open to the public | No. Trade only, and 18 or over | Yes, after a trade-only Friday morning until noon |
| Scale | 148,392 in 2026, independently audited | ~220,000 visitors, organiser figure |
| Entry cost | $149 standard through 30 Nov, then $349 | EUR 21.50 online for a private visitor, EUR 28 at the door |
| Centre of gravity | North American retail, automotive, press | European retail buyers and distribution |
| Startup presence | Eureka Park, a separate hall inside the show | Present but not the point of the show |
| What it is for | Setting the year's agenda | Selling the coming season into retail |
The difference that actually matters
The trap is treating these as the same show in two cities. They are not, and the tell is who is allowed in. CES excludes the public entirely, because its job is to put every buyer, supplier and journalist in consumer technology within two miles of each other for four days. IFA sells private-visitor tickets, because a large public audience is part of what a European brand is buying when it takes a stand. That difference cascades: CES rewards a narrative and a press moment, IFA rewards a product that is genuinely ready to ship into a season. A company that turns up at IFA with a concept and no delivery date has wasted the trip, and a company that turns up at CES expecting to write orders on the floor has misunderstood what it bought. Note also that CES has grown three years running on independently audited numbers, which is worth knowing against the widespread assumption that the big trade shows are fading.
CES vs IFA: common questions
Can the public attend CES?
No. CES is restricted to industry professionals and press, and attendees must be 18 or over. This surprises a lot of people every January, because the name suggests a consumer show. IFA is the one that sells tickets to the public.
Which is bigger, CES or IFA?
IFA draws more people, at around 220,000 against CES's audited 148,392 in 2026, but the comparison misleads. IFA's figure includes a large public audience while every CES attendee is trade, so CES has considerably more buyers in the building.
Which is cheaper to attend?
IFA, substantially. A private-visitor ticket is EUR 21.50 booked online against a CES standard pass at $149 early or $349 later, and Berlin absorbs a show of that size far better than Las Vegas does in January, so the accommodation gap is wider than the ticket gap.
Should a startup go to CES or IFA?
CES, if either, and specifically Eureka Park, which is the startup hall and needs no separate badge. IFA is a product-launch hall for brands selling into European retail rather than a founder-and-investor event. If you want investors, Slush or Web Summit is the better week than either of these.
Do I need a different badge for Eureka Park?
No. Eureka Park is part of the main CES show and your standard or premium pass covers it. It does sit away from the main exhibit floors with its own hours, so treat it as a separate visit within the week rather than another aisle.
Which one gets more press coverage?
CES, by a wide margin, and that is most of what it is for. It opens the technology year and the announcements set the agenda for the following twelve months whether or not the products ship. IFA coverage is heavier in Europe and more focused on products that are actually shipping.
Other conferences people compare
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- TOKEN2049 Singapore vs DubaiTOKEN2049 runs two flagship editions a year in different hemispheres with different rooms. Attendance, capital base, side-event scale and the 2026 Dubai postponement, compared.
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