THE EASIEST way to describe the importance of the IFA consumer electronics show, starting today, is to look at the numbers.

Last year more than 1,200 exhibitors and 215,000 visitors came to Berlin’s tradefair grounds for the event – a higher footfall than any other show in the world.

The IFA, which generated €3 billion in orders in 2008, celebrates its 85th birthday this year as Europe’s biggest and most important consumer electronics show. “The IFA is a motor for the industry in the high season, as retailers place their orders for the Christmas period,” said Dr Rainer Hecker of GFU, which organises the exhibition.

Fears earlier this year that the European consumer electronics market would shrink by as much as 4 per cent have proven unfounded, he said. But he knows visitor numbers and the value of the deals done at the IFA will play a key role in keeping the gadget ship afloat.

Last year’s show was dominated by bigger and flatter television screens. This year, organisers are promising innovative 3D technology, a new generation of navigation devices and wireless technology in unlikely places.

The event expanded last year to include household devices for the first time, and this year there will be some high-tech household solutions on show. Upmarket kitchen manufacturer Siematic is unveiling a large, sleek touchscreen for your kitchen wall that allows you to surf the internet while controlling everything from the stove to the dishwasher.

On cameras, expect more than 50 new models from the major camera companies. The latest generation of point-and-shoot cameras indicate that manufacturers have stopped trying to convince consumers that higher megapixels mean higher-quality pictures. Instead, Canon, Fujifilm and Panasonic have models with sensors that offer greater light sensitivity for better snaps in low-light situations.

Perhaps the most fun camera is the Fujifilm Real 3D model with two lenses. When its images are displayed on a digital picture frame, they can be enjoyed in full 3D – without those silly glasses.

Nikon has packed a small projector into its latest Coolpix camera, allowing instant photographic presentations on the nearest white wall.

The merging of televisions and computers continues apace at this year’s IFA in the form of HbbTV, or hybrid broadcast broadband TV, a European initiative to merge broadcast and internet signals.

On the mobile phone front, expect Samsung to display a budget touchscreen model with a low-energy screen aimed at Facebook and Twitter users. Korean manufacturer HTC, meanwhile, will present phones using both Google’s Android operating system and Windows Mobile.