Imaging is more — the new slogan for photokina 2004 in Cologne (September 28 to October 3) reflects the dominance of images in today’s information-based society, a dominance that extends all the way from the media through the business sector and right into the private sphere. Imaging is a dynamically growing market that brings together photography, consumer electronics , IT and telecommunications in equal measure. photokina, the leading global fair for imaging technology and imaging communication, is the only event in the world to provide a full overview of this market in all its complexity. More than any other trade fair, photokina is benefiting from the current boom in digital photography and the increasing convergence of markets and technologies.

The Consumer Center is already practically fully booked. Around 1,600 suppliers from 50 countries are expected to attend photokina 2004, including all the leading companies from the world of global imaging.
More than 60 percent of the exhibitors will be from abroad, with increases from Southeast Asia and the EU candidate countries in particular. The U.S., which will be represented by 140 companies, will form the largest foreign contingent. A number of the U.S. companies will be exhibiting in the USA Pavilion in Hall 14.1, which is being organized by Koelnmesse Inc., Chicago. The largest foreign contingents after the U.S. come from the UK, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. Around 10 companies from Canada are expected at the fair.

From recording to output and storage to communication — the full spectrum of imaging applications and technologies for consumers and professionals will be on show across 200,000 m² (2,150,000 square feet) of hall space. Digital technologies and systems are set to dominate here, while the new product segment of mobile imaging will enrich the range of exhibits. In the Mobile Imaging World, suppliers and network operators will present not only individual products and services but also complex imaging solutions, which they will also be demonstrating in practical applications. The other growth segments are digital cameras, storage media, home printers, digital imaging services, digital publishing, large-format printing and home cinema.

Given the increasing convergence of the various technologies, professional applications are to be grouped together in one area. As a result, photokina 2004 will now consist of just two main areas: Consumer Imaging in Halls 1 to 8 and 11, and Professional Imaging in Halls 10 and 14. Within these two areas, individual product groups will be arranged as far as possible according to content, although a large number of global players with a wider range of products for both target groups will be presenting their full line on one stand.

The Consumer Center is already practically fully booked, with all the major names of the photographic, consumer electronics and IT industries — including the global players — set to present their latest innovations in the consumer imaging market. Companies such as Kodak and Fuji will be occupying entire hall complexes, while Sony, Casio, HP and others have taken enlarged stands.

The Professional Imaging Center has been entirely restructured. The ever growing range of products on show in the field of professional photo and imaging technology, including digital publishing, large-format printing and lab technology, will now be concentrated in Hall 14. Particularly extensive is the range of products in large-format printing.

AV communication will be occupying Hall 10.2 with a broad range of presentation and projection technology for the first time. Here, there will be an increased emphasis on plasma displays and LCD walls for both professional and home use. Suppliers are expecting strong growth as a result of the increasing changeover to HD production by European TV broadcasters.

For the first time, AV software will occupy Hall 10.1, where the complete workflow of digital image processing and communication will be demonstrated in practical applications. Exhibitors include leading companies such as Adobe, Piannacle, Monarch, Macro Systems, Avid, Wacom and, in a premiere, Microsoft, which will be presenting its new products for digital image processing and image communication. As the software suppliers primarily serve the consumer market, Hall 10 will form the link between the Consumer Center and the Professional Center.

The products and services on show will be complemented by an extensive supporting program, which will feature first-rate international trade congresses, an international panel discussion with top figures from the market leaders, centers for specific sectors of the industry, events for the public, and cultural highlights such as the Visual Gallery with stunning photography.