Imaging World – Visitor figures

Imaging World has now published the visitor figures. 14,800 visitors. More than last year, when – as far as I can remember – there were around 13,000. (If anyone still remembers the exact figures, please correct me!) So far, so good. Unfortunately, not quite. Last year’s target was 15,000 visitors. And this year, 16,000 visitors.

Ambitious targets are good – we need them – but the figures actually highlight a problem. The concept of the trade fair hasn’t changed since last year; even the design of the advertising was almost identical. Only half the workshops were fully booked. There were absurdly long queues at the catering stand – that, too, hasn’t changed from last year. On the other hand, tables in the B2B area were recently reserved for manufacturers’ stand staff – something that wasn’t even the case at the old Ringfoto fairs. (I’d already noticed last year that instead of wild boar goulash with red cabbage, there was now only chilli con carne or potato goulash with a slice of bread. Cost-cutting is happening everywhere. The B2B area is accessed by stand staff, Ringfoto members – dealers – and the press. It makes a brilliant impression.)

Incidentally, the photo above shows part of the B2B area. There were also the inflatable meeting rooms:

And, of course, for the manufacturers too – each with their logo at the entrance. Mostly empty, too. At the very back, there was a barrier manned by staff who stopped ordinary visitors.

Kölnmesse hopes that North Rhine-Westphalia, with its higher population density, will attract more visitors. Marketing and organisation are being handled by Cologne. It will be interesting to see how it goes. One of the biggest advantages in Nuremberg was the Main Stage, where you could always sit down whenever your feet were playing up. Which, of course, meant it was always bustling with activity. At Photokina – and pretty much every other trade fair – chairs are always in short supply. (Unless you want to fall into the clutches of the trade fair catering.)

In 2010, Olympus took the view that one large chair was enough – then you wouldn’t need so many small ones…

By the way: Back then, Panasonic had a huge B2B area at the back of their stand, where they served the famous ‘Panasonic sausages’. Olympus also had a rear area large enough to cater for entire football teams. It all disappeared later on.