59th Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair

Nürnberg
Final report:
International Toy Fair 2008: Industry flagship remains on successful course
Buyers and traders from all over the world came to Nürnberg again for the biggest fair for toys, hobbies and leisure from 07-12.02.2008.
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MEDICA
November 19-22, 2008
The World's Largest Forum for In-Patient and Out-Patient Medicine

MEDICA is the center of attraction for all those involved in the health service. More than 135,000 visitors are expected to again obtain information on ..,

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Featured Trade Shows

photokina | Globally unique and successful
Sept. 23-28, 2008

With its new products, innovative ideas and pioneering technologies, photokina is the global business Globally unique and successful

With its new products, innovative ideas and pioneering technologies, photokina is the global business and communication platform for the imaging sector.

At photokina, the focus is on image communication. The event is an impressive presentation of the shared future of photography, IT and telecommunications. Imaging is more - and that also applies to photokina 2008. The fair's structure, which is based on an imaging workflow, permits an integrated presentation of the topics of image capturing, image storage and processing, image transmission and service, image output, equipment and supplies.

photokina makes connections clear for consumers and professionals alike. Its strength and expertise lie its presentation of entire value chains. The unique breadth of photokina's offerings throughout its more than 50 years in the business have given it an unmistakable character and a dynamism of its very own.
 
TTI Travel, the official travel agency for Koelnmesse, is pleased to offer specially priced hotel accommodations to PHOTOKINA exhibitors and visitors. All hotels are well located and offer easy access to the fairgrounds.

Final Report: photokina 2006 impresses the international imaging world

The top event of the year for traders and users
- Impressive sector presentation, buoyant mood at the end of the fair
- Even greater supply and demand than in 2004
- 1,579 suppliers from 46 countries
- Over 162,000 visitors from 153 countries
- Positive feedback for new halls and new concept
- Wider range of consumer electronics, IT and communications technology on show
- Brisk ordering for the Christmas business
- Technical photographic and imaging innovations for everyone
- Worldwide media coverage of the trade fair

This year's photokina was the largest ever, and one of the most fascinating since Cologne's first photo fair took place in 1950. The action-packed six-day event, which closed on October 1, bridged the gap between the "analogue click and the digital double-click" and was extremely well received by all the participants: professional and amateur photographers, the photographic and imaging sector, consumer electronics, IT, communications technology, suppliers of consumer products and professional imaging, the specialist trade, the media, photographic art and the imaging market. The level of supply and demand was comparable to the previous photokina in 2004; this year's fair attracted 1,579 exhibiting companies from 46 countries and over 162,000 visitors from 153 countries. According to Koelnmesse Executive Vice President Oliver P. Kuhrt, the fair reflected "the pure fascination of producing images - every day, in every hall and at every stand. photokina is unique and has an unmistakable profile. No other trade fair offers such a comprehensive range of products and services for the photographic and imaging sector. In the world of global digital communication, photokina is truly the leading event of its kind." The optimistic mood at the trade fair backed up Kuhrt's comments. The exhibitors were highly satisfied with the number of visitors and their level of decision-making authority. "photokina is firmly established as the platform for our entire range of digital imaging products," stated one leading supplier.
Harald Horn, Chairman of the Photographic Industry Association, agrees: "Once again, photokina proved to be the engine that drives market growth," he stated. "It helps the photographic and imaging industry to break into new segments and has certainly lived up to its slogan of ‘imaging is more' this year. It remains an indispensable platform for global sector business."

New halls, new product groupings: "An excellent mix"
There were plenty of new features to discover at photokina in Cologne, especially for regular visitors. The new, state-of-the-art Northern Halls replace the previous Rhineside Halls, and over 162,000 visitors flocked through the two new, spacious entrances. In line with changing market conditions due to digital technology, this year's World of Imaging was restructured. Its previous division into Consumer Imaging and Professional Imaging was replaced by a route that reflected the imaging workflow, from capturing an image to storing it, processing it and presenting it with the appropriate equipment. Exhibitors and visitors unanimously agreed that these changes supported and facilitated the transition to a digital era and contributed to the unique atmosphere at photokina. As in previous years, the synergies between the consumer and professional segments worked extremely well. The professional imaging area is benefiting from the image-promoting public presentation of the sector as a whole, while the consumer market is being boosted by the technical developments available in professional equipment. According to Thomas Knops, Director of Marketing in Europe and Multimedia for Nokia, "The atmosphere at the fair is familiar and international at the same time - an excellent mix."
As usual, all of the big names from the imaging sector exhibited at photokina, including Canon, Fuji, Kodak, Leica, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax and Sony. More recent exhibitors from the area of consumer electronics, IT and communications technology, such as Casio, Epson, Hewlett Packard, Nokia and Samsung, had considerably larger stands this year. Among the major first-time exhibitors were Apple and CeWe Color, Europe's largest photofinisher.

Good results, broad international scope, brisk ordering activity
The exhibitors noted that the level of decision-making authority among the visitors was higher than ever, accompanied by a broad international scope. Trade visitors accounted for 65 percent of all visitors, and 40 percent of them came from outside Germany - an increase compared to the previous event in 2004. A total of 153 countries were represented, enabling photokina to live up to its leading international role. Initial results from an independent survey reveal that 20 percent of the trade visitors were retailers, and 80 percent were professional users. The largest group among the resellers was the specialist photo trade, accounting for almost 50 percent. This group was followed by the electronic specialist trade and electronics retailers (around 15 percent), department stores (7 percent), and computer stores, IT service providers, mail-order companies and Internet retailers (5 percent each). The trade visitors were impressed by photokina, and 95 percent would recommend it to a close business associate. Michael Gleich, Chairman of Ringfoto GmbH, said that the fair had been excellent and that it had generated important momentum for the upcoming Christmas business. He was delighted about the "new, young visitors to Cologne" and that photokina was "fresher than ever."
The great majority of exhibitors from all areas of the fair reported that their results had been good or very good. All of them agreed that a high degree of expertise was apparent among the trade visitors and non-trade visitors, and that they had held constructive, fruitful talks. photokina 2006 had a global impact; Customers and sales partners from a large number of countries within and outside Europe visited the stands of the internationally operating companies. Ordering activity was brisk. Ricky L. Stewart, General Manager at Samsung Opto-Electronics GmbH, stated that his company posted higher turnover than at any other photokina in recent years.

photokina 2006 in figures
photokina 2006 was attended by 1,579 companies from 46 countries, representing an increase compared to the previous fair. A total of 354 exhibitors and 196 additionally represented companies came from Germany, while 711 exhibitors and 318 additionally represented companies were from abroad. This represents slight growth compared to photokina 2004. The number of companies from outside Germany rose by 5 percent. This year's fair occupied 230,000 m² of gross exhibition space, up from 196,500 m² in 2004.*

The next photokina Cologne - World of Imaging - will take place from Tuesday, September 23 to Sunday, September 28, 2008