Chicago, IL—Every two years, photokina sets the stage for innovations and trends in the international photography and imaging industry. The event, to be held September 18-23, 2012 in Cologne, Germany, attracts hundreds of North American photo-imaging retailers, distributors, imaging professionals and photographers—all seeking to source the latest in camera equipment, accessories, kiosk software, scrapbooking, lab options and printing equipment.
This year, more than 1,250 exhibitors from all over the world are expected to showcase their photo-imaging products and services during the 35th edition of photokina, which is open daily from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., including the last day.
Koelnmesse Inc., the North American arm of the photokina organizer, issued the following tips for North American attendees to make the most of their travel and photokina experience:
Travel. Book your flight early enough to take advantage of lower rates. Economy class tickets from the East Coast start at $900. All major North American airlines offer service to Frankfurt International Airport (FRA). The airport has its own train station. High-speed Inter-City Express (ICE) trains run three times per hour and will take you to downtown Cologne in a little more than 50 minutes; one-way tickets cost about $50. Discounted airfares are available to photokina attendees at photokina.com using the code DEZUYG.
Entrance Tickets. Discounted entrance tickets ordered online offer a 35% discount. Two-day passes can be purchased for about $60US, and a permanent show pass costs about $98. Entrance tickets provide you with free-of-charge transportation on buses and subways during all show days.
Staying in Cologne. Prebooked hotel rooms in Cologne are available via our New York-based travel partner, TTI Travel, at 212.674.3476, and info@ttitravel.net holds a wide variety of room blocks in Cologne and offers advice to North American attendees on hotels in the proximity of the fairgrounds. The travel agency provides maps, commuting tips to the fairgrounds and a list of Cologne restaurants.
Preshow Preparation. Use the exhibitor listing at photokina-cologne.com to plan your trip and search out the companies you would like to visit. You can sort the listing by product category or geography. We recommend making preshow appointments via photokina’s “online matchmaking services,” a service available six weeks prior to the event. Take some time to learn about products and your competition prior to visiting photokina; make a list of companies you plan to visit and organize it by hall, which will save you time during your photokina visit.
On-site. photokina takes place at the fourth largest fairground in the world, but the halls are connected via a central “Boulevard”—a main artery to all ten halls. Exhibitors at photokina are easy to find in clearly categorized and marked halls. The halls are arranged by industry segments that represent the product cycles of images: Image Input (Halls 2, 3, 4.2, 5, 9); Storage (Hall 9); Processing (Hall 4.1); and Output (Hall 6).
Use your cameraphone to record images of products and people you meet. It will help you to organize your follow-up! Take advantage of the International Buyers’ Lounge at the Congress Center East. The lounge provides detailed trade fair and product information, cell phone charger stations and PCs with Internet access. It is open daily between 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Last but not least, make sure to wear comfortable shoes; the aisles in Cologne are not carpeted.
Things to Do in Cologne. Leave some time to visit the attractions Cologne has to offer, such as the famous Cathedral (Dom) or a visit to the Old Town “Altstadt,” which consists of a large row of unique restaurants and bars. Feel like a hearty dinner and a taste of the locally brewed beer? Try one of the Brauhauses where you will meet people from all over the world during photokina. Some recommended ones are Paeffgen, Frueh and Peters Brauhaus.
North American companies interested in obtaining more information on attending or exhibiting at future photokina events should contact Ken Dickerson, Koelnmesse Inc., 773-326-9926 or k.dickerson@koelnmessenafta.com. For updates visit news.photokina.de/en.
