Photokina Is Cancelled: See You in 2022?

Photokina Is Cancelled: See You in 2022?

Koelnmesse GmbH has just announced that they are canceling photokina for 2020. 

Koelnmesse GmbH had come under significant pressure in the last few days to cancel their photokina 2020 show in light of the current pandemic. 

https://twitter.com/photokina/status/1240361885846945793

Given what's happening in Germany and around the world, there really was no other option. 

Surprisingly, they do not plan to reschedule and have notified the photography community that their next show will be in May 2022. 

The decision not to host the next edition of photokina until May 2022 was made with in view of several factors: even before the appearance of the coronavirus, the imaging market was already subject to strongly dynamic movements. This trend will now gain momentum and must be factored into plans for the upcoming photokina. Added to this is the fact that our customers’ resources are already under heavy strain in 2021 — as a result of general economic trends as well as rescheduled events on the global trade fair calendar. The orientation towards 2022 gives everyone involved time enough to design the next photokina with an eye to the needs of the market and of our exhibitors and visitors.

With all of the upcoming photography fairs now canceled, I'm very curious to see how the photography industry will adapt to market their new cameras and equipment.

Clearly, focusing on the health of the world's population is paramount at this time, but it seems clearer and clearer to me that the economic impact of this pandemic will likely usher several major players into bankruptcy.

photokina logo from Koelnmesse GmbH press release.

Mark Dunsmuir's picture

Mark is a Toronto based commercial photographer and world traveller who gave up the glamorous life of big law to take pictures for a living.

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5 Comments

To be expected... The last dinosaur standing are the Olympic Games. Let's see for how long.

The Olympics seems like a tougher choice. There are billions of dollars geared to a few weeks. The damage to Tokyo and Japan’s economy would be disastrous. The question, to me, which would be worse? Importing tens of thousands of potential virus carriers could be worse.
I agree though, that decision must come sooner rather than later.

I think that Koelnmesse should stop the foolishness, resume the old 2-year schedule in late summer because many manufacturers adjusted their schedules in decades for this time of the year. Why to clash with any spring or early summer show? Of course the tragedy happening right now around the world will impact the industry and everybody's life, and finally a purchasing power.

If we will survive, remember the sickness can take anyone of us randomly, we shall meet 2022 in Cologne! I would love that. These shows are not merely places of making business. These are gatherings of fans, and such personal experiences cannot be replaced by internet videos.

I don't think Photokina will come back. Even before the coronavirus, they cancelled for 2019, switched to an every-two-year schedule, changed focus to smartphones, and had several big camera manufacturers had pull out. They then publically attacked those camera manufacturers, saying that they were failing, which basically guarantees that those manufacturers will hold a grudge and never return. Photokina is a big part of the history of cameras, but I don't think it'll be part of the future.

You made it all up. Typical Tony Notorious,