# Fireside chat: what IFA 2026 shows about stage formats

Author: Marin Niehues, Stage Starter · Published: 2026-08-26
Topic: Talks & Stage (https://www.stage-starter.de/en/blog/topic/talks-and-stage/)
Source: https://www.stage-starter.de/en/blog/fireside-chat-ifa-berlin-formats/

A fireside chat is a moderated conversation on stage, and in its announcement of 24 August 2026 [IFA Berlin](https://www.ifa-berlin.com/press-releases/ifa-2026-visionary-voices) shows what place this format has in the programme of a major trade fair. Under the title “Visionary Voices”, IFA presents its three stages with programme items from 3 September to 7 September 2026 and lists keynotes, panels, fireside chats, presentations and masterclasses side by side. The two fireside chats in the announcement each bring two guests together: on 4 September the Federal Minister for Digital and State Modernisation, Karsten Wildberger, with Miele managing partner Reinhard Christian Zinkann, and on 7 September the founder of terraalpine AG with a manager from Similarweb. For speakers this means, in our view, that a conversation format needs its own preparation and that conversation slots are filled in other ways than talk slots.

**Key points at a glance**
- On 24 August 2026 IFA Berlin presented its stage programme in the announcement “Visionary Voices”, with dates from 3 September to 7 September 2026 at Messe Berlin.
- The programme runs on three stages (Innovation Stage, Dream Stage, Creator Stage) and in five thematic tracks.
- The announcement names keynotes, panels, fireside chats, presentations, masterclasses and live formats as formats.
- Two fireside chats are listed with title and date: on 4 September at 12:00 on the Innovation Stage and on 7 September at 16:30 on the Dream Stage.
- According to the announcement, the IFA Retail Leaders Summit on 3 September brings together more than 100 C-level executives and decision-makers.

## IFA Berlin “Visionary Voices”: what the announcement of 24 August 2026 lists

The press release by IFA Berlin is called “Visionary Voices: IFA brings the future of technology to the stage” and is dated 24 August 2026. According to the announcement, the Innovation Stage hosts keynotes and announcements, the Dream Stage belongs to pioneers and founders with their visions, and the Creator Stage shows masterclasses as well as live formats. Five tracks complete the programme, among them “World of AI & Future of Tech” and “Retail & Future of Commerce”. The dates of the programme items fall in September 2026, from 3 September to 7 September. The footer of the page, however, gives a date in September 2027, so the year is contradictory there, and anyone who needs IFA for their own planning should confirm the date with the organiser.

The announcement gives no total number of speakers. Instead it lists individual programme items with time, stage and format, and this pairing of person and format is what makes it informative for speakers.

## A fireside chat puts questions at the centre

A fireside chat is a conversation on stage in which a moderator or a fellow guest asks a person questions instead of that person delivering a prepared script. The name recalls the chat by the hearth, and in a conference programme it stands for a calmer, more personal form than a keynote or panel. At IFA it appears in the announcement on equal terms with the keynote, and our article [Which formats are there at a conference?](/en/blog/conference-session-formats/) describes the usual formats of a conference.

In a [panel](/en/blog/panel-discussion-at-a-conference/), the programme items in the announcement seat between two and five guests on stage, whereas in both fireside chats named there two guests talk to each other, so each of them gets considerably more speaking time.

## The two fireside chats at IFA 2026 pose a contested question

The first fireside chat is called “Digital Policy Put to the Test”, with the subtitle “What Germany Needs for Innovation and Competitiveness”. It takes place on 4 September 2026 at 12:00 on the Innovation Stage, in the track “World of AI & Future of Tech”. Karsten Wildberger, named in the announcement as Federal Minister for Digital and State Modernisation, talks with Reinhard Christian Zinkann, managing partner at Miele, and Pinar Atalay moderates.

The second fireside chat is called “Who Controls the Customer Journey? Retail, Platforms or AI?” and is scheduled for 7 September 2026 at 16:30 on the Dream Stage, in the track “Retail & Future of Commerce”. The speakers are Tobias Grote (founder and CEO of terraalpine AG) and Sebastian Klumpp (Solution Business Director at Similarweb and CEO at XPLN). The announcement names no moderator for this slot.

Both titles are questions or tests. They give the conversation a contested question and the guests a position they can defend or weigh up. In our view a fireside chat works when the guests come on stage with a reasoned stance that a counterpart can challenge.

## Keynote, panel, presentation and fireside chat differ in the speaker’s role

The formats at IFA can be sorted by the role the speaker takes. The examples come from the announcement, while the last column is our own assessment:

**Formats at IFA 2026 and who they suit**
Format | Example from the announcement | Speaker’s role | Suits, in our view
Keynote | Jack Huynh (AMD), 4 September, Innovation Stage | Sole speaker with one thesis for the whole audience | Executives with name recognition and a clear message
Presentation | “Retail 2030” by Carine Chardon and Martin Schulte (Oliver Wyman), 3 September | One or two speakers with figures and material | Specialists with their own survey or method
Panel | “The Creator Economy: A Survival Guide”, 6 September, three guests | One voice among several, with a short share of speaking time | Specialists with a sharp position
Fireside chat | Miele conversation, 4 September, two guests with moderation | Conversation partner who answers questions | People with experience, a stance and case stories
Masterclass | Creator Stage according to the announcement | Teacher with a method to work through together | Trainers and consultants with a proven approach

For the choice this means: if you have figures or a method of your own, the talk or the presentation gives you the best platform. If you have experience and judgement that only unfold in conversation, a fireside chat suits you. Each organiser sets the length and running order of the slots itself, and our article on formats gives the usual ranges for keynote, talk and panel.

## As a speaker you usually reach a fireside chat by invitation

The two fireside chats at IFA are staffed with people who represent an institution or a company: a federal minister, a managing partner at Miele, a company founder and a manager at an analytics provider. In our view the organiser curates such conversations, because it pairs two guests who complement or contradict each other, which fits poorly with an open submission process. A [call for papers](/en/blog/what-is-a-call-for-papers/), by contrast, collects talks that a committee assesses.

For experts who do not want to wait for an invitation, two routes remain. The first is to submit a talk or panel that the organiser can turn into a conversation, by offering in your submission to present the core thesis as a moderated conversation as well. The second is direct contact with the programme team or the moderator, a route we describe in the article [Contact conference organisers directly](/en/blog/contact-conference-organisers-directly/).

## How to prepare for a fireside chat

Suppose an organiser offers you a conversation slot. Preparation then consists of four parts:

1. Set the contested question: Put the question your conversation answers into one sentence, similar to the IFA titles.
2. Justify your stance: Back your answer to this question with two pieces of evidence from your practice, such as a figure from a project.
3. Collect case stories: Prepare three short stories you can tell when asked, with the starting point, the decision and the outcome.
4. Hold a preliminary call: Ask the moderator or the second guest for 20 minutes beforehand so that you can agree on the running order and the questions.

What counts after the conversation is decided in the Q&A. How to run it is shown in the article [The Q&A: why it helps decide the talk](/en/blog/why-the-q-and-a-matters/).

**Stage Starter and your appearance in the right format**
Stage Starter is a speaker agency for entrepreneurs and freelancers. We develop your talk with you, write the abstracts in several versions, research the conferences where your clients sit, submit in your name and follow up with the organisers. Marin Niehues, the founder of Stage Starter, has received more than 100 invitations and has spoken at more than 50 conferences in 30 countries on six continents, and Sessionize named him Most Active Speaker in 2024 and 2025. In the [initial consultation](/en/erstgespraech/) we discuss which format will let your topic land best on the stages of your industry.

**In its announcement of 24 August 2026, IFA Berlin shows that a fireside chat belongs to the fixed repertoire of formats at a major trade fair, alongside keynote, panel and presentation. As a speaker it pays to choose the format according to your material: figures and methods belong in a talk, stance and experience in a conversation for which you have prepared a contested question, evidence and stories.**

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a fireside chat at a conference?

A fireside chat is a conversation on stage in which a moderator or a second guest asks one person questions instead of that person giving a talk. At IFA Berlin 2026 two such conversations are on the programme, each with two guests. The format suits experience and assessments that come across better in dialogue than with slides.

### How does a fireside chat differ from a panel?

In a fireside chat two guests usually talk to each other, whereas a panel seats several guests, between two and five in the programme items of the IFA announcement. In a fireside chat each guest gets more speaking time and the conversation follows one line, while in a panel several positions stand side by side.

### How do I get into a fireside chat as a speaker?

Usually by invitation from the organiser, because it puts the guests together for a conversation deliberately. You can improve your chances by naming a concrete contested question and your reasoned stance in your submission or in direct contact with the programme team.

### How do I prepare for a fireside chat?

Set a contested question, back your answer with two examples from your practice and prepare three short case stories. Talk beforehand with the moderator or the second guest so that you agree on the questions and the running order.

### Which formats are there at IFA Berlin 2026?

The announcement of 24 August 2026 lists keynotes, panels, fireside chats, presentations, masterclasses and live formats on three stages. The programme items fall in September 2026.