Koelnmesse is expecting to attract around 1,600 suppliers from 50 countries to the event which opens on 26 September 2006, with more than 60% of the exhibitors coming from outside Germany. Also on hand will be major names from the IT and telecommunications segment. Many of these, including Epson, HP, Casio, Samsung and Panasonic, will be enlarging their stands - as will companies such as Nokia and Microsoft. Kuhrt also announced that several other companies have confirmed their participation. "We're particularly pleased that Apple will be taking part in photokina next year. It's a company whose innovative, lifestyle-oriented products have attracted a great deal of attention in recent years," says Kuhrt. "What's more, Europe's largest photofinisher, CeWe Color, will also be attending."
For the first time, the fair will be held in the new halls of the Cologne exhibition centre, which is one of the most modern in Europe. The traditional separation of the consumer and professional imaging product ranges will be dispensed with. The unifying theme in the new trade fair halls will be the progression of the image - from its recording, storage, processing and transfer to its presentation. Kuhrt says: "The distinction between consumer and professional imaging no longer reflects the situation on the market."(Chris Henry)
