photokina 2014: Lets get ready to roll!

photokina´s Position as the world’s leading innovation and business platform for the imaging sector was emphatically underscored – once again some 185,000 visitors from around the globe flocked to photokina in Cologne!

For some, photokina 2014 was an enrichment of their powers of creative Expression – for others, a welcome opportunity to learn something new. With photokina movie, photokina 2014 offered all visitors interested in filming a Special section in Hall 4.1 customised to their needs, where professional users and ambitious film hobbyists were able to find information and further their skills. AF Marcotec for instance presented hot new prodcuts for filmmakers from Glidecam, Kessler Crane, Atomos, Chrosziel, Sachtler, Litepanels, Zeiss, Schneider-Kreuznach, Canon and Blackmagic Design. Experts from platinum sponsor Zeiss and Blackmagic and gold sponsor AF Marcotec ensured the professional quality of the Center stage programme at photokina movie in 2014.

Twice a day AF Marcotec showed showed visitors on the Center movie stage (10:45 a.m. and 01:30 p.m.) what Kind of Equipment it Needs to make dynamic films. AF Marcotec brought professional fimmakers on stage to demonstrate how easy it is to use stabilizers from Glidecam to achieve dynamic shots and judder-free videos. Leading manufactures of the filmindustry like Glidecam, Kessler Crane, Atomos and Chrosziel supported AF Marcotec with product managers and specialists giving photographers and filmmakers the oportunity to learn everything about the latest products first hand.

Pros like Lawrence Richards demonstrated on-stage what equipment really is needed and what photographers should look out for when filming. AF Marcotec was assisted by professional filmmakers and cameramen from the USA, such as John Correira and Scott Coleman.

The 33rd photokina, which ended on Sunday, 21. September 2014, was a great success. Some 185,000 visitors from more than 160 countries experienced a trade fair that presented a rarely seen image of youthfulness and freshness. Action cams and livestyle cams, wearables, multicopters and professional film equipment supplemented the diverse array of the photographic and imaging industry offering and proved that photography and filming is very much on trend. The international (trade) public took full advantage of the opportunity to try out new offerings and exchange news and views with other photo enthusiasts.

Exhibitors as well were highly gratified with the way the trade fair went and marked the highly international trade visitor component out for particular praise. They accounted for 47.7 per cent of visitors, 44.3 per cent of them from abroad. There was particularly strong growth in visitor numbers from the USA, Asia and South East Asia and from the Oceania region. Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH was suitably satisfied: “Cologne is ‘the place to be’ for the photographic and imaging industry.

The unanimous opinion on the stands was that photokina 2014 will exert a strong bellwether effect. Katharina C. Hamma, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH, emphasised the trade fair’s importance as a trendsetter: “The industry is now benefitting from the fact that photokina has constantly embraced trend topics and developed product segments so that it constantly reflects the current market situation.” This is also evident from the number of companies making their début appearance at the fair. With around 180 first time exhibitors, this is higher than ever. They included such well-known companies as Google, GoPro, RED Digital and Blackmagic but also young companies such as Lytro, Helipro or startup Panono.

For Christoph Thomas, President of the photographic industry association, the way the trade fair has turned out is confirmation of the industry’s appetite for innovation: “photokina 2014 has impressively illustrated that nowadays there is scarcely any walk of life in which visual information and communication does not play a significant role. All companies have demonstrated with new and fresh ideas, innovative products and fascinating technical developments that the photographic and imaging industry has its finger on the contemporary pulse and is in fine fettle for the future.”

photokina’s function as a trendsetter for the industry was also emphasised by the exhibiting companies. Dr. Rolf Hollander, Chief Executive Officer of Neumüller CEWE Color Stiftung (Foundation), voiced his delight at the trade fair: “It couldn’t have gone any better”! Because photokina incorporated the ‘mobile’ topic into the trade fair at an early stage, our messages and new offerings fell on fertile ground among visitors – both among trade visitors but also especially with the end consumer. That is photokina’s enduring hallmark. It sets trends and drives topics forward. For us, photokina always drives sales for the months ahead.”

The international audience’s high level of technical competence and receptiveness to new topics also put a contented smile on the new exhibitors’ faces. Simon Westland, Sales & Marketing Director at Blackmagic Design: “It’s our first time at photokina and we are pleased to have been part of the fair. photokina has enabled us to tap into new target groups and is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our new products.” Jim Geduldick, Marketing Manager of GoPro, took a similar view: “For us the fair was definitely worthwhile! The decision to present our products at photokina proved to be spot on. We managed to attract important new target groups and the public was enthusiastic about our presence. For GoPro, photokina is exactly the right platform with a strong external international impact.” The worldwide attention photokina attracts also prompted Canon to unveil its new marketing campaign to the public: “There was a reason why we chose photokina to launch our new, global marketing campaign. You won’t attract more international Attention anywhere in the world”, said Rainer Führes, Managing Director of Canon Deutschland GmbH.

The decision-making competence of the trade visitors was also impressive. In fact, initial results of an independent survey show that around two-thirds of visitors (65 per cent) were either main procurement decision-makers or else had decision-making input. This was also gratifying news for Martin Bongard, Country Manager at Manfrotto Distribution Germany: “We are highly delighted with the way the trade fair has gone. Numerous competent trade visitors – in increasing numbers from North and South America as well and from Asia who had meetings with us and – even more importantly – who placed orders in abundance actually permit only one conclusion: photokina 2014 has been a resounding success for us.”

photokina 2014 figures:

1,074 companies from 51 countries participated in photokina 2014, 68 % of them from abroad. The exhibiting firms included 236 exhibitors and 109 additionally represented firms from Germany and 516 exhibitors and 213 additionally represented firms from abroad. Including the estimates for the last day of the fair, around 185,000 visitors from more than 160 countries came to photokina 2014.

The next photokina Köln – World of Imaging – will take place from Tuesday, 20 September to Sunday, 25 September 2016.

Source: Koelnmesse, Nr. 29, 18 / Köln, September 2014