Photokina, the German photography trade show regarded as the most important in the European calendar, has cancelled its 2020 show due to the coronavirus.
The event was due to take place in Cologne from 27 to 31 May.
The cancellation comes more than a week after the 11th-hour postponing of The Photography Show, the UK trade show that was supposed to have taken place in Birmingham from 14 to 17 March.
The first report was on German site Photoscala.de. Photokina later confirmed the cancellation.
The next event will be held from 18 to 21 May 2022 – two years away.
Earlier on Wednesday, Photokina’s partner Koelnmasse, posted the following statement: “We are currently receiving enquiries about whether a potential threat from the occurrence of the corona virus will have an impact on our Koelnmesse events.
For Koelnmesse’s part, we take this topic seriously, because the health of all trade fair participants is paramount.
“For each individual event, we will evaluate the recommendations of the responsible authorities regarding major events and, as before, we will make our decisions after careful consideration. In this respect, preparations for our upcoming events in Cologne are continuing. The preparations for the photokina are continuing as planned according to the current status for the determined date.We look forward to your participation.
“We will provide information about sensible prophylactic measures on site. We are increasingly offering disinfectants, which are considered to be the most effective means against transmission. Highly frequented areas will also be cleaned with increased frequency. Qualified doctors and paramedics in our medical stations are prepared for possible suspicious cases and are available to answer any questions you may have on site. Should a suspicious case arise during the event, all spatial and organisational precautions are taken on the trade fair grounds to ensure immediate remedial actions.”
Cases of coronavirus have now climbed over the 200,000 mark, with some 7,000 deaths. Many countries – including Belgium, Italy and Spain in Europe – have begun isolation measures. Major events such as the Glastonbury festival in the UK and the Roland Garros tennis tournament in France have also been cancelled.
I'm a New Zealander who has been living in London since the mid-1990s, shooting film seriously since the year 2000. Kosmo Foto was launched in 2012 and has since become a film brand, with the release of my first films Kosmo Foto Mono 35mm (2017) and Kosmo Foto Mono 120 (2019).
I’m doing everything I can to promote film photography in the 21st Century, and help it survive and thrive. If you want to write something for Kosmo Foto, please drop me a line at foto.dowling@gmail.com.
