Photokina 2016 broadens scope with new events and features

When Photokina 2016 opens its doors to around 185,000 visitors on September 20 at Koelnmesse, the starting shot will be fired for the world’s leading trade fair for the photo, video and imaging industry.

Around 1000 companies from 40 countries will present dealers and professional users with innovative solutions and technological developments. In order to allow the end consumers to experience these trends too, Photokina 2016 is offering more multimedia events and opportunities for interaction than ever before. Photokina is bringing all thematic worlds, as well as all target groups in the imaging industry, together under the umbrella ‘imaging unlimited’.

Photokina 2016 has set itself the aim of moving the boundaries, opening up the event to new technologies and solutions. In imaging, this means themes like Smart Home functions for cameras, cloud services, apps, wearables, audio and video, but also augmented and virtual reality. These encourage a younger target group to engage with photography beyond the smartphone camera.

Lead up events
In the course of the Photokina prologue, the City of Cologne is inviting people to take part from the beginning of September in a series of photo and video workshops. Professionals and amateurs, adults and children can look at the city from another perspective and they will also learn tips and tricks on how to take photographs and make videos.

Spectacular large-format projections on the Rhine are aimed to amaze, and while strolling around one can have a souvenir snapshot taken in one of the Photokina photo booths, and at the same time pick up a voucher code for a day ticket to Photokina.

Music fans can help their favourite band win the chance to perform live on the motion Stage in Hall 5.2 during Motion Picture Award ceremony on September 24. Together with the organisers of the Cologne c/o pop Festival ( August 24 to 28) Photokina is searching for the best videos of upcoming bands.

At the show
This year there will be an open-to-all Indoor Obstacle Challenge in Hall 6. From September 23-25, Germany’s first indoor obstacle race will be captured on camera. For an entry fee of 25 Euro, the first 500 applicants will receive a day ticket for Photokina free of charge: www.photokina.com/IOC

The Copter World in Hall 6 will enable visitors to try their hand at test flights on a drone course with professionals demonstrating how the sky is the limit in this new frontier for imaging.

In Hall 5, the theme at the VLOG CON for video bloggers is also moving images. In live tutorials, experienced YouTubers will give an insight into the special features of online film – from the planning, to the production and editing, through to the distribution of content for video platforms and blogs.

The latest camera models and lenses can be tested in the Photokina zoom area: On the Piazza, tight-walking acrobats, artists and spontaneous acts will offer fantastic photographs and video opportunities from unusual angles. Attendees can simply hire the latest equipment at the new Rental Station on the North Boulevard.

Further events and campaigns as well as the entire supporting program can be found at www.photokina.com. You can see which new products will be presented at Photokina 2016 in the New Products Database, which is maintained and updated by exhibitors.