Confirmed: Fujifilm Will Not Attend Photokina Due to ‘Cost Effectiveness’ and ‘Launch Timing’

diciembre 16, 2019

Confirmed: Fujifilm Will Not Attend Photokina Due to ‘Cost Effectiveness’ and ‘Launch Timing’

Last week, Fuji Rumors reported that Fujifilm would not be attending Photokina 2020, but the report cited no official sources and neither Photokina nor Fujifilm had made any such announcement. Over the past week, PetaPixel was able to confirm this information with official sources from both Photokina and Fujifilm.

A Photokina representative confirmed the report late last week, telling PetaPixel over email that “[Fujifilm] informed us shortly after we informed about Nikon and the others pulling out.” This morning, Fujifilm North America Corporation sent us the following statement confirming the news and explaining why the company has chosen to sit this year out:

After considering exhibiting from an overall perspective, including the launch timing of several exciting new products next year, our sales promotion plans, and cost effectiveness, we have decided not to take part in photokina 2020. We will continue to engage with our customers through other avenues including hands-on, interactive events, increasing opportunities to demonstrate the outstanding value and capability of our products and services directly to users, and strengthening the digital presence of our products. The number one priority for Fujifilm is and always will be our customers, and we will continue to make decisions based on the best ways to engage with our community.

That now makes four companies who will not be at Photokina in May: Nikon, Olympus, Leica and Fujifilm. Meanwhile, Canon, Sony and Panasonic, have all reaffirmed their commitment to the trade show, teasing the possibility of new product launches.

We are, no doubt, witnessing a sea change in the photo industry. As the market continues to shrink and operating budgets are cut to compensate, it’s no longer a given that every major camera maker will attend every photo industry event—even one as established as Photokina. From now on, we may be able to predict who will release new products in April, May and October simply by checking who will be attending NAB, Photokina and Photo Plus, respectively.

Speaking of which, we definitely didn’t miss the big hint Fuji just dropped about “the launch timing of several exciting new products next year.” Expect more from Fujifilm in 2020… just not in May.

Image credits: Photos courtesy of Photokina