With the Business Forum Imaging (BFI) on March 1st and 2nd in cologne photokina will present an event that is second to none and underscores its global imaging expertise.The increasing number of cameras, WLAN-capable iPods, expanded game consoles, and Flat TVs with Web access are establishing the perfect conditions for access to digital photo services. photokina takes the occasion of this development to offer representatives from industry and trade a special event. At the Business Forum Imaging Cologne at Koelnmesse’s Congress-Center North manufacturers, service providers and photographic dealers will discuss the future of marketing for digital products.
The motto for the photokina event is “Memories are more… CONNECTED.” It expands photography, which has always been associated with memories, to include a new dimension of meaning: connectivity. The central theme of the internationally-oriented conference is the connectivity of today’s products and the resulting opportunities for marketing of digital photography and imaging products. Leading experts from the photographic and imaging sector but also other sectors such as the american specialist in social networks and online applications Alexandra Gebhardt and Thomas Ross, Industry Leader Media and Management at IBM Global Business Services, who will talk about platforms for the marketing of digital services over the Internet. GfK World Market Briefings, well known from photokina will also be continued at the Business Forum Imaging Cologne.
The primary topic besides new concepts for the marketing of digital imaging products will be how the photographic trade and photographic service providers can use the growing connectivity of cameras, camera phones/smartphones, and television sets to sell digital photo services. The use of apps will also play a role here. The popular mini-programs, roughly five billion of which will be downloaded by consumers around the world this year alone, make possible some interesting imaging applications that include the ordering of services. This is particularly true for the use of camera phones and smartphones, but will soon also apply to the TV sector. An increasing number of televisions are Internet-capable and thus offer their owners the ability to call up their photographs in online albums and to possibly order photo services.
Special offer for the German photographic trade
On March 2, a special program for the German photographic trade will be held concurrent with the international presentations. This portion of the event will include particularly practice-oriented presentations and is intended to give the participants new ideas that can be implemented directly in their businesses. This program will be supplemented with information about the latest products for the spring season.
With Cewe Color, HP, Kodak and Samsung Electronics, some companies from the sectors photo services, system solutions for the production of photo products, and hardware (cameras, camera phones/smartphones, and entertainment electronics) are represented as a Gold sponsor. These are joined by Silver sponsors Felix Schoeller, Fujifilm, Imaging Solutions, Kis, Kolbus, locr maps, Orwo Net, and Tetenal.
The Business Forum Imaging Cologne is being hosted by photokina; the organizers areINTERNATIONAL CONTACT, the global sister magazine of imaging+foto-contact, and the American information service Photo Imaging News. Other partners supporting the event include the Photographic Industry Association as co-organizer of photokina, its Prophoto GmbH subsidiary, and the market research firm GfK Retail and Technology.
The conference of the International Business Forum Imaging will be held on English, simultaneous translation is offered. You can find further information on the individual topic areas at www.bfi-colgne.de.
