Japan to stage a photokina for Asia

Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) [Representative Director and President: Tsuneji Uchida, Address: JCII Bldg. 25, Ichiban-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo] will hold a comprehensive camera and photo imaging show in March 2010 which widely covers photo imaging, with its target set to the extended field of input and output in the photography and imaging area.

■ Background of the New Event

Since 1960 when Japan Camera Show was held, photo events have been held in Japan with the
cooperation of major manufacturer in the photography and imaging area . Four organizations in
the photography area (Camera & Imaging Products Association, Japan Photo and Video Accessory
Association, Japan Color-photo Finishers’ Association, and The Photo-Sensitized Materials
Manufacturers Association) have been jointly organizing Photo Imaging Expo (PIE) since 2005 to
realize an international photo event comparable with Photokina or PMA.

PIE 2009 was held with Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) as the major organizer
under its concept of “Shooting, Viewing, and Sharing”, and the event was successfully completed
with more than 40,000 visitors (an increase of more than 20% compared with the previous year).
However, the event still has a long way to go to achieve its original target of becoming an
international photo event.

To achieve an even greater development in the Japanese photography industry, it is necessary to
hold a comprehensive photo event based on a mid-term plan, so that the event will “be able to send
out information from Japan to all over the world, and become the largest photo event held in Asia
which is comparable both in reality and in name with Photokina or PMA”. In order to enable the
event to robustly develop into an international show, CIPA has reviewed its current system of
having four organizations hold the event with the role of the major organizer being rotated among
them, to a new system where it is held by CIPA alone.

■ Purpose of the New Event

1. To be an event positioned as a comprehensive camera & photo imaging show held for consumers and businesses to promote the activation of the photography and imaging industry.

2. To send out information on the latest products and technologies for cameras and imaging products from Japan to all over the world so that the event can take on the role of leading the camera and photo imaging businesses in Asia and throughout the world.

3. To communicate the joy of shooting, viewing, and sharing photographs through various events that are mainly focused on photography.

4. To strengthen the cooperation with cultural facilities to promote and develop the photography and image culture.

■ Name of the New Event

CP+ (pronounced “sea pea plus”) (Camera & Photo Imaging Show)

■ Logo

C and P are the initial letters of “Camera & Photo Imaging Show”. “+“ (Plus) represents future extensity and development. The left part of the figure represents sending out information and intercommunication by a motif of the instantaneous brilliance captured by a camera together with its flash or light source.

■ Outline of the Event

1. Period: Thursday, Mar. 11 – Sunday, Mar. 14, 2010

2. Venue: Pacifico Yokohama

3. Organized by: Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA)

4. Supported by: Japan Photo and Video Accessory Association

5. Management by: CP+ Executive Committee

6. Cooperation by: City of Yokohama, Japan Camera Industry Institute, Pacifico Yokohama, Yokohama Museum of Art, Newspark (application currently being made)

7. Major exhibition subjects: Cameras, lenses, photo accessories, printers, image processing software, mobile devices, communication services, The Internet-based services, displays, HDTVs, projectors, PCs, photo finishing products, photo books, scrapbooking products, printing papers and studio facilities & equipment, etc.

8. Target event size

・Number of participating companies: 150

・Number of exhibition booths: 800

・Number of registered visitors: 50,000

■ About Pacifico Yokohama

Pacifico Yokohama is one of the largest convention complex in Japan where all functions required for MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Convention, and Exhibition) are consolidated. Since its opening in1991, numerous events and conventions have been held there, and APEC is scheduled to be held in the complex in autumn 2010.

Our new photo event will be held with the full cooperation of the City of Yokohama and Pacific Convention Plaza Yokohama which operates Pacifico Yokohama.

Editor’s note: the timing is very close to both Focus on Imaging (first week of March, UK, for 2010) and PMA USA traditional dates. However, PMA is moving to Feb 21-23rd and – joy of joys! – away from the catchpenny glitz of Las Vegas to a new venue in Anaheim, Southern California.