photokina 2020 canceled, will next take place in 2022

Koelnmesse GmbH has canceled photokina 2020, originally planned to be held May 27-30, 2020, and will hold it again May 18-22, 2022. The Imaging Innovation Conference will also not premiere in 2020 as originally planned; a new date will be coordinated. In general, the management team of Koelnmesse has decided not to organize events until the end of June 2020. This decision is supported by the crisis management team of the City of Cologne, which also recommended at its May 13, 2020, meeting.

The statement cited many reasons for the postponement:

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 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.

“It goes without saying that PIV completely stands behind the decision taken by Koelnmesse to cancel photokina 2020,” says Kai Hillebrandt, chairman of the Photoindustrie-Verband e.V. (PIV). “The health of exhibitors and visitors is the top priority at the moment. As the conceptual sponsor of photokina, we will do our utmost to assist the Koelnmesse with the planning of the next edition of photokina.”

Another concurrent event, the SPAC Europe conference, was also postponed to a future date.