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Special Issue INSIDE: What’s Going On at Kodak? Following the announcement that Kodak has initiated sales processes for the Personalised Imaging and Document Imaging Businesses, understandably Pixel readers and commenters have concerns over the future of Kodak in the UK. With discussions continuing on the future of the Digital Imaging Patent Portfolio, which could be sold or retained, this latest announcement throws further uncertainty on the company’s emergence from Chapter 11 reorganisation. We interviewed Bob Ohlweiler to find out what these changes will mean for Kodak’s UK resellers, Kodak Express members and end consumers. See our Special Report on page 3.
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tickets on sale Changes have been made to the admission process for this year’s event. Read on to make sure you don’t miss out! A shake up to the ticketing system for this year’s Retail Imaging Show has been designed to make the event accessible and rewarding for as much of the UK’s imaging retail sector as possible. As always, the show is only open to retailers, and we implement our ticketing system to ensure that only retailers attend! This means adds value to the show by enabling attendees to do business with the exhibitors without fearing they may be overheard by their customers, which has been the distinguishing benefit of the Retail Imaging Show since it began. Tickets this year will be £5 each - a £10 reduction on previous years’ ticket prices. Each ticket covers
admission, free tea and coffee throughout the event, and includes a voucher which is redeemable for lunch at the venue - you will be given this when you hand your ticket in at the front desk. For your ticket, call the hotline on 08707779778.
The Event for the Future of Imaging
Canon’s Austin Freshwater on why exhibiting at the Retail Imaging Show is important to Canon.
The Retail Imaging Show will showcase the connected future of digital imaging in all its forms on 12th October at Mercedez Benz World, Weybridge, Surrey.
Your Questions Answered: - Why should I vote in the Pixel Trade Awards? - Why was Mercedes Benz World chosen as the venue for this year’s Retail Imaging Show? - How is the event changing to make attendance easier in the tough economic climate?
In the year since the last Retail Imaging Show, Pixel has been reimagined in order to move with the rapid tides of the imaging industry. It may come as no surprise, then, that The Retail Imaging Show is poised to offer more variety and scope for imaging businesses than ever before. Featuring a cross section of exhibitors from across electronics, print and hardware, the Retail Imaging Show is a one-stop shop for businesses looking to gain insight or inspiration in the field of imaging. Open only to retailers, the exhibition will feature product trials on the Mercedes Benz racetrack, the opportunity to network with important names from the key manufacturers, industry analysis from imaging business experts and keynote speakers
News and Views: Jessops appoints new CEO; SmugMug forced to double pricing; Epson partners with Veritek; Sekonic Cashback deal extended; Samsung debuts ‘Superior Speed’ memory and much more.
thoughout the day, providing an enriched programme of demonstrations and education for the benefit of every attendee. Check out www.retailimagingshow.co.uk for constantly updated list of exhibitors. A full list will also be published in Pixel magazine prior to the event. This issue will provide you with everything you know to plan your show attendance: see Page 4 for the seminar schedule including the PMA Retail Theatre and Fujifilm Digital Imaging Services conference; Page 6 for everything you need to know about the venue... why Mercedes Benz World? How do we get there? Can we have a go in the cars? Page 9 for this year’s awards nominees, how to vote and why your vote could make all the difference to the businesses you deal with. We look forward to seeing you there!
reacts quickly, misses nothing
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BEST IMAGING INNOVATION Sony SLT, Translucent Mirror Technology
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SPECIAL REPORT
The new Kodak News Pixel speaks to Bob Ohlweiler about the sale of Kodak’s imaging businesses and what this means for the UK channel.
Bob Ohlweiler, Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Business Europe, Africa and Middle-East, Kodak
Eastman Kodak has initiated sale processes for its Personalised Imaging and Document Imaging businesses, in the hope that it will be the next step towards its successful emergence from Chapter 11 reorganisation. “Kodak believes that the sale of these assets, as well as continued cost-reduction initiatives, curtailment of its legacy liabilities, and the monetisation of the company’s digital imaging patent portfolio, will be significant milestones toward completing the company’s reorganisation and emergence from Chapter 11 during 2013,” said Kodak’s official statement. But what does this mean for Kodak’s UK customers? Pixel got hold of Ohlweiler, for clarification. “First of all it’s really important to understand that these areas of the business are being SOLD, not discontinued. It is our firm intent that the areas of the business we are selling will go to an owner who wants to continue the success of the products and services. The buyer will be offered the use of the Kodak brand, but it’s not guaranteed that they will take this or use it. How might this sale affect Kodak Express Members? “It’s not for me to speculate, but Kodak Express is a massively valuable business to us and to any potential buyer. The brand is a beacon of good standards on the high street for consumers to look for, so it would be my hope that any company buying these assets would want to continue business the way it is. “In the meantime, prior to the sale, we will continue to build on the brand and release products in order to add value to the businesses we are selling. Marketing plans haven’t changed at all as it’s in everyone’s best interest for us to continue building value into the brand, and I understand hwe important this support is for our loyal channel partners. We will continue to launch products, like our instant photobook solution. How are you ensuring continued supply for your channel dealers? “Whilst we’re legally obliged to make our intention to sell public because of the nature of the Chapter 11 process, but this does not necessarily mean a sale is imminent. We are keeping up supplies of our existing lines for the forseeable future. “We’re very committed to not letting the channel down. Kodak has sold businesses successfully before, so I’m confident we’ll be able to make this transition without any major disruption to your businesses. “The Kodak that emerges from Chapter 11 will
focus on commercial printing and packaging, which many may not realise is already accounting for two thirds of our business. The Personalized Imaging business which is being sold consists of Retail Systems Solutions (including kiosks), Paper & Output Systems (including traditional photo paper and film) and Event Imaging Solutions. “We are reshaping Kodak,” clarified Antonio M. Perez, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.“We continue to rebalance our company toward commercial, packaging and functional printing – in which we have the broadest portfolio solutions – and enterprise services. These businesses have substantial long-term growth prospects worldwide and are core to the future of Kodak. “In addition, we continue our initiatives to reduce our cost structure and streamline our operating models in an effort to return the company to profitability.” “We remain steadfast in our commitment to our customers, and we will work to ensure that they continue to receive the exceptional levels of quality and service they have come to expect
“It’s important to understand that these areas of business are being sold, not discontinued. It is our hope that they will go to a buyer who wishes to continue the brand’s success.” from Kodak. Customers remain the top priority of all our businesses – those we intend to sell and those that will remain part of Kodak.” Kodak said it would move forward as quickly as possible and has targeted completing these transactions in the first half of 2013. In accordance with its prior announcement, the company is continuing discussions with respect to the potential sale of its digital imaging patent portfolio. The company reiterates that it has made no decision to sell the portfolio and Kodak may, in consultation with creditors, retain it as an alternative source of recovery for creditors. “As we move forward with the Chapter 11 process, we are focused on delivering the highest value to our creditors so that we can emerge as a sustainable, profitable company that continues to meet the needs of our customers,” Perez concluded. Kodak also continues to own and operate the Consumer Inkjet, Entertainment Imaging, Commercial Film and Specialty Chemicals businesses. www.kodak.com
Sekonic CashBack Deal Extended to September Sekonic and JP Distribution have extended the £20 cashback promotion on the Sekonic L-308s Light Meter. The promotion will now run until the end of September 2012. Claims will need to be received by the Sekonic Product Manager at JP Distribution no later than the 31st October 2012. The Sekonic L-308s is especially favoured by students due to the easy-touse operation, comprehensive features and accurate readings. The extension to the promotion now means that new students can now benefit from the £20 cashback. This offer is only applicable to customers who have purchased their meter from a UK authorised dealer. www.johnsons-photopia.co.uk
RGBuk Becomes Canon Large Format Solutions Accredited Partner RGBuk have become one of the first new Canon Large Format Solutions Accredited Partners. Josh Singer, Large Format Account Manager at Canon said: “We are proud to be working with RGBuk as a specialist reseller and feel that their knowledge of Large Format solutions and applications make them a fantastic resource for anyone interested in Large Format printing. The Canon Accreditation they have received is in recognition of their expertise and should inspire their current and new customers with confidence.” Ben Randall, Managing Director at RGBuk added: “It is nice to be recognised for our hard work over the last year developing our solutions and services alongside the Canon imagePROGRAF range of Large Format devices. Providing our customers with the knowledge of our strong relationship with Canon goes towards our commitment to provide quality products, services and support.” www.rgbuk.com
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SEMINAR SCHEDULE
Seminar Schedule News Discussion and education is an important and highly valued element of the Retail Imaging Show, offering industry professionals the opportunity to share their knowledge and insight. This year, we’re kicking off the conversation with a programme of seminars from the PMA.
The early bird will catch the advice at this year’s Retail Imaging Show, as the educational theatre will open its doors from 8.30am, giving visitors the opportunity to secure a seat and aquaint themselves with the latest industry analysis before entering the Retail Imaging Show itself, thereby giving themselves the best possible standpoint from which to do the day’s business. The PMA Seminar schedule will run as follows: 8.45 Nigel McNaught, PMA - Introduction: Nigel will give an overview of the current market, what’s working and what needs pushing. How can the photo retailer stay ahead of the game? Is “long tail theory” a thing of the past? What are your customers really expecting from you? 9.00 Damien Demolder, Amateur Photographer Magazine - photokina Recap: What was new at photokina? Which products did Damien expect to see and what were the surprises? Are the new products going to bring a change of fortune for our trade?
Special Guest: Ben Mullay Ben Mullay is Managing Director of the Camera Centre, a one-stop photographic store in the Shetland Islands and part of the Kodak Express franchise. Ben took over the Camera Centre in 2011 and quickly took the business in a new direction. A key achievement has been a successful business grant application with the Shetland Islands Council to fast-track Camera Centre’s development by investing in the latest lab technology. Ben has also worked hard to build up new partnerships with suppliers such as Tetenal, Innovamill, Picture Keeper, Kenro and Swains. The biggest achievement to date has been winning Dragons’ Den star Theo Paphitis’ Small Business Sunday (SBS) competition. Ben is also a professionally qualified photographer with a Licentiate of the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers (LSWPP) award. He is now a fully established photographer in Shetland photographing not only weddings but corporate and commercial clients.
Other Seminars and Talks
The PMA theatre will be followed by a meeting of Fujifilm Digital Imaging services members. FDIS Marketing Manager Peter Wiington explained: “We hold meetings with the FDIS network in regions around the country as often 9.30 Nigel Catlow, GfK as possible. It made sense for us to combine - Analysis: Nigel will put the photo market into our London and South East conference with our the context of the whole consumer electronic presence at the Retail Imaging Show because market. What lessons can we learn from the we expect that all the local Fujifilm Digital bigger picture? How is convergence affecting Imaging services members will want to attend the market? this crucial trade event.” The Fujifilm Digital Imaging Services 10.00 To Be Announced conference will only be open to FDIS We are inviting a key specialst to examine an members, and will enable them to hold face exciting slice of the consumer electronics market to face discussions, make plans for upcoming that is increasingly relevant to photo specialists marketing and share ideas with other members. due to convergence. Futher seminars and keynote speakers are to be announced before the day. To ensure you are 10.30 Ben Mullay, Camera Centre Lerwick kept updated with the who and the when up to - How can a photo dealer in one of the most and even on the day itself, make sure you follow northerly points of the UK come up with @pixelmagazine on Twitter, as Pixel’s Twitter marketing ideas to attract new customers and Fuji Quarter Page Advert.pdf 18/11/11 16:44:24 followers will receive live reminders. win an award from Dragon’s Den star Theo www.twitter.com/pixelmagazine Paphitus? Learn from the man himself.
Global 4k TV Launch from Sony Sony has announced that it will begin the phased launch of its latest 4K Bravia LCD television, the KD-84X9005, in all global regions from the end of the year. This new 4K TV comes equipped with a 4K LCD panel comprising approximately 8.29 megapixels, which is 4 times the resolution of Full HD standard. Sony has been involved in building the 4K content viewing and creating environment in the professional field, from rolling out its 4K digital cinema projectors to movie theatres throughout the world, to preparing a range of production equipment. In the consumer electronics field, Sony has released the ‘VPL-VW1000ES’ home theatre projector for family use, which has been very favourably received. www.sony.com
Superior Speed Memory from Samsung Samsung has announced its new external memory cards, highlighting a selection of superior speed, density and reliability. The professional version of the new memory cards, the ‘Pro’ series, provides ultra high speed performance and up to 64 gigabytes (GBs) of data storage. The memory cards are designed to meet users’ expectations for accessing and storing large content of advanced quality such as full HD (1080p) videos. Each of the new cards has been designed with Samsung’s proof technologies to provide users with ultimate levels of durability. The new line-up of micro SD cards delivers added reliability through its reinforced proof factors: Waterproof, Magnetic-proof, X-ray-proof and Temperature-proof. This new line up of memory cards will be available from October, 2012. www.samsug.co.uk
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Call Fujifilm Photo Imaging on 012354 217724 or email photoimaging@fuji.co.uk
Destination: RIS 2012 Since the announcement of the 2012 Retail Imaging Show’s venue, Pixel has been inundated with questions about the location. We put YOUR QUESTIONS to the show’s organiser, Life Media Group Commercial Director Simon Skinner.
What were the decision-making factors when choosing a venue for the 2012 Retail Imaging Show? It’s our ongoing mission to find the venue that offers the best combined benefits for our exhibitors, ourselves as organisers and most importantly our visitors. Convenience for all of these groups means a better show and gives us more to offer, which benefits everyone, but unfortunately there is always an element of trial and error to choosing a venue. Therefore, when we choose somewhere new, we attempt to address issues we have had with past venues in doing so.
“The massive importance of the moving image to our trade dictates that we use moving subjects for product testing and to see the true value of new technologies.”
Whilst our event at the Grove last year was excellent, it would be foolish to turn a blind eye to the issues some had there, including the shortage of suitable parking for visitors and the high prices for refreshments if you were not taking advantage of the free tea and coffee we lay on inside the show. In previous years, we have also experienced varying catering levels and are really looking to provide a clearer standard in this area. With a reputation as THE forum for retailers to interact with the important names from our industry, the Retail Imaging Show has a strong foundation and years of accumulated reputation for being the place to do business. Now, in addition to securing more exhibitors from the wider world of imaging retail, we are working on improving the convenience and entertainment factor of the event so that it offers as much as a day out of the workplace possibly can. Parking was an issue for visitors last year. Has this been resolved with the new venue? Definitely. Mercedes Benz World, Weybridge has thousands of free parking spaces – many more than we could ever use if every single visitor,
exhibitor and member of staff came in separate cars! We appreciate that having moved the event from Central London, where parking is effectively non-existent, to The Grove where parking was more limited than we expected, catering in full for those driving to the show is important and, having seen the parking facilities on my visits to the venue, I have absolutely no doubt that there is room for all this year. Mercedes Benz World is located just off the M25 between junctions ten and eleven, so it really couldn’t be easier to bring a car down. Or a van for all those deals you’ll be going home with! What about those wishing to come by public transport? It couldn’t be easier. Simply take a train to Weybridge station, where a Mercedes Benz shuttle bus meets every London connection to bring visitors out to Mercedes Benz World, and shuttle buses run back to the station in time for every connection back to London. There are no taxi fares or bus timetables to worry about – there’ll be one ready for you to hop on when you step off the train, and whenever you want to go back again. Some commenters have been critical over the choice of such a prestige venue in the current economic climate. How do you answer that? Whilst the venue is prestige, it’s actually considerably less expensive than venues we have used in previous years. The Mercedes Benz name does add a note of class and we’re pleased that this venue is perceived as perhaps more prestige than those we have used before, but let me assure you, five star hotels in central London are not cheap places to hold events! Like all businesses, we needed to look carefully at our costs and those we pass on to exhibitors and visitors, and this year’s venue offers a marked saving on all these fronts, whilst offering more in terms of facilities. For visitors, the most noticeable savings will be on local accommodation, as this has always represented quite a sum in central London. Weybridge is far easier on the pocket for an overnight stay. Refreshments and meals inside the venue, for those staying on or deciding to hold meetings outside of the main show area are also far less expensive than previous events. All in all, it represents a more cost-effective event for everyone. In addition to the cost saving, Mercedes Benz World is still stylish and prestigious, and it’s more
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THE VENUE
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dynamic than a hotel setting with lots of things to do, brilliant lighting for an exhibition and is altogether ticking more boxes for less expenditure. What accommodation is available for those who wish to stay the night? We have secured a group deal for show attendees at the Brooklands Hotel, next door to the venue, that will offer visitors a great rate for double or twin rooms including breakfast. This will be perfect for those who are travelling a long way or for those staying late to attend the awards… why restrict your timing when you can get a good-value room, take your time and travel back on Saturday? Just ask any of our team on the hotline and we will arrange that for you. Are complimentary refreshments still offered for show visitors? They’re all included within the ticket cost. On entry, visitors exchange their ticket for a lunch voucher that they can redeem during the day and of course tea, coffee and water will be available freely throughout the event. Way more parking than we could ever use, right off the M25, all London connections to weybridge are met by a Mercedes bus to transfer you to the venue. If you have any questions of your own or would like any further information, please call our hotline on 0870 777 9778 and one of our team will be pleased to talk you through whatever you need to know.
And lastly, the question that’s been on everybody’s lips: Can we have a go in the cars? Yes! It wasn’t a priority when we were booking Mercedes Benz World as our show venue, but since so many have expressed an interest, we have arranged opportunities to go for a spin. Two drivers and cars will be reserved for our event from 11am til 1pm and from 2pm til 5pm, with up to three visitors in each car at any one time, so there will be plenty of opportunity to go for a drive or be a passenger in some truly impressive vehicles. It’s not just for fun, of course, as there will be a mass of products to test out and no doubt some competitions will be arranged, which is more or less standard for trade shows but we hope our visitors will appreciate having something to aim a camera at which isn’t a bit of hotel décor! In all seriousness, the massive importance of the moving image to our trade dictates that we use moving subjects for product testing and to see the true benefits of the most important new technologies, so this was always going to be something we had to take into account when planning this year’s show. We could have arranged some sort of display in whatever venue we chose, but in finding such a perfect location for our event, we also found a moving subject which our visitors can actively take part in, get involved
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Image credit: Daimler/Mercedes Benz
with and which will add the extra element of an enjoyable attraction to the Retail Imaging Show. We’ve not designed the event as a ‘jolly’, but if you can mix business with fun then why not? Driving a car is neither obligatory nor guaranteed, of course, and those who aren’t fans of motorsports will have plenty to keep them interested and there will be plenty going on to keep all entertained on the day. We’re just pleased to be able to offer this exciting opportunity to our guests.
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THE AWARDS
MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT Don’t forget to register your votes for this year’s Pixel Trade Awards. Yes, every vote does count and voting is already open for certain categories...
The Pixel Trade Awards are your chance to recognise the brands and individuals which make a difference to your business. We at Pixel appreciate that most of the awards in the photographic trade are decided by committees and awards boards, with little to no input from the public, consumers or the businesses in question. That’s why we developed the Pixel Trade Awards, to be voted for exclusively by our readers, with the results decided completely based on their votes. Other than the coverage right here in the pages of Pixel magazine, it’s down to all eligible businesses to promote themselves for an award. And there are plenty of those - there are no pre-selected shortlists for Pixel awards and no nominees to choose from, because we wanted to avoid limiting choices or obtaining ‘false’ results because a voter’s particular favourite was not on the list for an award. This means voters can put absolutely anybody forward for an award. We selected the voting process we currently use - each open for a week - to give suppliers, manufacturers and anyone hoping to be nominated a good, concentrated time period to promote their entry into the awards and get their customers to register a vote for them. It’s the sad fact of the matter that the number of people in our trade is gradually decreasing
For easy reference, the dates the respective categories are open are as follows: Monday 27th Aug - Sunday 2nd Sept: The Suppliers: Accessory Manufacturer of the year, Processing Manufacturer of the Year, Hardware Manufacturer of the Year, Monday 3rd Sept - Sunday 9th Sept: The Retailers: Independent Retailer of the Year, Multiple Retailer of the Year, Mass Retailer of the year, Online Retailer of the Year, Monday 10th Sept - Sunday 16th Sept: Distributor of the year, Consumer Magazine of the Year, Monday 17th Sept - Sunday 23rd Sept: Independent Minilab Retail of the Year, Multiple Minilab of the Year Monday 24th Sept - Sunday 30th Sept: Innovative Product of the Year, Rep of the year, Retail Salesperson of the Year
due to retirements, redundancies and company closures, so individual votes are more important now than ever before. Make sure you support your colleagues and suppliers by registering your vote when the time comes - every vote does count.
Registration is quick and easy and used simply to ensure that voting is fair and kept to one vote per category, per person. Votes are counted manually by Pixel’s dedicated awards team, ensuring a fair and deserved result for everyone involved. This is why the Pixel Trade Awards remains the voice of the industry, and an accolade hugely valued by its recipients. To register and vote, simply visit www.pixeltradeawards.co.uk.
The Winner Takes it All... Previous Pixel Award winners share the secrets to their success . Frosts Photo Centre of Sutton Coldfield have won Pixel’s Independent Minilab Retailer of the Year for two years running. A Fujifilm Digital Imaging Services store, Frosts Photo Centre offers a wide range of photofinishing services that are obviously very much appreciated by their loyal customers We spoke to John Stanley of Frosts just after their most recent win to find out what the accolade means to them. How did it feel to win a second Pixel award? “Very good! I mean personally I was ever so disappointed I couldn’t make it to the awards presentation myself as I’m told everyone had a fantastic time, but it’s brilliant for our business and it’s great to be recognised for hard work. The staff do really well, we’ve all worked really hard for it so it’s lovely for us. “We have a very loyal customer base who did the voting, and it so we owe them a lot of thanks. We told them about the awards using our mail shots and online marketing, but there’s
a fine line between letting them know about something and pestering them to vote. It’s the same as with marketing a product – you want to make your customer aware but don’t want to come off as giving them the hard sell, so you want to show them and then leave them to have a look and decide on their own. You can lead a horse to water and all that!” We also spoke to Wendy Gray of Frosts Photo Centre, Sutton Coldfield about the effect their win has had on their business. “Business is great overall. We’ve seen the benefits of being award winners straight away. We’ve really gone to town on marketing and it’s made a huge difference for us. “Winning a Pixel Trade Award in October was brilliant. We’ve put our award winner logo on all our marketing, our website and will continue to do for as long as we hold the title. We’re really proud of it and the response from our customers has been amazing. “Of course we always aim to give great service and offer our customers everything they want,
so it’s lovely to be recognised with this award. We’ve been here twenty plus years now, and have some very loyal customers. When we announced our Pixel Award win, they came in with cards, chocolates, bottles of wine - it’s been overwhelming! “Fujifilm Digital Imaging Services as a brand also won a Pixel Trade Award, so there may be a knock-on benefit from that too.” www.frostsphotocentre.co.uk
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Retail Photo Gift Solutions Mitsubishi Electric’s latest photo retail solution Gift Kiosk has been designed to offer ID photos, instant print and personalised gifts quickly and easily. Gift Kiosk enables customers to create and print personalised calendars, albums, gift & greetings cards, mosaic and collage prints and instant prints, using their own images stored on memory card, USB memory stick, CD / DVD or via their online Facebook and Picassa accounts.
Mitsubishi are currently offering Gift Kiosk bundle packages starting at £3899 which includes hardware, starter media, point of sale material as well as installation, training and warranty.* For more detail contact Mitsubishi 01707 278684 email printer.info@meuk.mee.com or visit our website! * Check availability
All of our systems include passport photo printing services and Mitsubishi’s integrated biometric ID software makes the process of making a passport or ID photograph, very simple and quick; instant prints are available in 6"x4", 5"x7" & 6"x8" formats in either a gloss or matt finish.
VISIT US AT PHOTOKINA, HALL 6.1 / STAND A21-B20 10Tel: www.pixellive.co.uk 01707 278684 | Fax: 01707 278541 | vis.mitsubishielectric.co.uk | printer.info@meuk.mee.com
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THE CEREMONY
Sparks Will Fly
Longstanding Children’s chairty benefactors of the Pixel Trade Awards, Sparks will once again be fundraising at this year’s event. Once again, the Pixel Trade Awards will support children’s charity Sparks. Over the years, Pixel has hosted numerous charity auctions and party games for Sparks’ benefit, raising thousands of pounds for worthy projects. This year, we’ll once again be raising funds through the popular and low-stakes game “Heads or Tails”. If you don’t know how to play, you soon will! Far from an olbigatory nod to corporate-social responsibility, the Pixel Trade Awards have an established relationship with Sparks, who say: “Over 700,000 babies are now born in England and Wales every year – 1 in 30 will have a condition or disability that may affect them for life. We aim to change this by funding and championing high quality medical research which advances clinical understanding and treatment of conditions affecting babies, children and mums-to-be. We support vital medical research that
will: increase the life expectancy of newborn babies; reduce the health risks for babies born prematurely; combat serious conditions such as spina bifida, cerebral palsy and childhood cancers, such as neuroblastoma, and develop more effective treatments and diagnostic tools for life-limiting conditions affecting babies and young children.” To date, Sparks has committed over £22 million in research funding awarded to leading centres of international excellence throughout the UK. Sparks have also provided celebrity presenters for the Pixel Trade Awards in years gone by, adding an additional element of excitement to the star-studded night. Previous guest hosts include Sally Gunnel, Nicholas Owen and of course the legendary Sir Geoff Hurst. Who might you receive an award and a handshake from this year? www.sparks.org.uk
A Night to Remember Celebrating the industry’s favourites with a touch of glitz So, you think you might be nominated for a Pixel Trade Award, and want to be there just in case. You’ve even perfected your gracious applause just in case one of the competition pips you to it. Perhaps you’re looking forward to seeing a friend or colleague up for an award, or you’d just enjoy a glitzy evening of networking with the trade. Attendees who have previously visited the awards return time and again to celebrate a hard year’s work with their peers and colleagues. It’s the perfect opportunity to set aside the stresses of business in the current economic climate and recognise and reward the hard work that is continuing to make imaging businesses a success despite these challenges. With those challenges in mind, though, moving to a new venue has enabled the Pixel events team to reduce the price of this prestigious event and offer seats, which include the champagne reception, three course dinner, wine, water, coffee and petit fours plus all the enterainment for £95. This is a substantial reduction on last year’s £120 and offers a saving of £250 a table. We firmly hope this will open up the awards to people and companies who have never visited before. Accommodation is also markedly cheaper than it has been in previous years for those who would prefer to stay the night, enabling even more worthy potential winners to treat themselves or their team to this important, enjoyable and worthwhile night out. Award Ceremony will be held at Mercedes-Benz World on the evening of the 12th October in the Brooklands Hall. For tickets, call the hotline on 08707779778.
Pixel Trade Awards: Running Order & Menu 7:30pm: Champagne Reception 8:15pm: Seat for Dinner & bar open 8:30pm: Dinner service begins. Starters - Heirloom Slow Roasted Tomato, Wild Rocket & Parmesan Salad 8.45: “Heads & Tails” game for charity Main course - Pan-Fried Sea Bass with Ribbons of Leek, Courgette & Carrot Pearls with Champagne Sauce or (v) Roast Root Vegtable Tart Tatin with Goat’s Cheese and Garden Leaves, then Dessert - Medjoul Date Sticky Toffee Pudding with Sea Salt Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream 10:15pm: Awards presentation, during which Homemade Chocolates, tea & coffee will be served. 11pm: Entertainment – Disco in main bar area. We have yet to confirm what time last orders will be, but a large residents bar will be open in the Brooklands Hotel for those who are staying overnight. We look forward to sharing this special event with you!
Word Up Word Up is Pixel’s eye on people on the move in the imaging trade. Neil Old has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer of Jessops. Martyn Everett will stay on as Executive Chairman. Neil joined Jessops as Commercial Director in February 2012 from Best Buy Europe where he was European Commercial Director. Prior to joining Best Buy, Neil worked for over 10 years with Dixons Stores Group in a number of commercial roles both in the UK and overseas. These included Commercial Director at PC World and the Managing Director of the Dixons Airport business. Peter Duncombe who had been working as a consultant to Jessops for the last three months will replace Neil as Commercial Director and be responsible for the Buying, Stock functions and Photo Initiatives. Geoff Fisher has joined JJ Vickers & Sons Ltd, UK distributor of Bushnell optics and outdoor technologies, FLIR thermal imaging cameras and manufacturer of Premierlight lighting instruments as Area Sales Manager for the Southwest of England, Wales and North of England. Geoff Fisher joins Vickers from Highland Outdoors, and will be wellknown to many retailers, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience of optics and outdoor tecnologies. Geoff Fisher said ”I am delighted to be joining Vickers, the Bushnell and FLIR brands being exciting innovators in the industry, and look forward to calling on retailers I know of old as well as making new connections”. To make contact with Geoff Fisher or arrange a presentation visit, please contact the Sales Director Stuart Radlett at JJ Vickers & Sons on tel. 01634 201284, or email sradlett@jjvickers.co.uk
Epson Partners with Veritek Veritek has begun a major service agreement with Epson UK. The contract will see Veritek delivering installation, breakdown repairs and preventative maintenance to Epson’s wide range of Large Format inkjet customers. Since July, Veritek has been responsible for the installation and support of all new large format equipment sold directly by Epson to a wide variety of markets across the UK and Ireland. Veritek’s Head of Business Development James Salamon explained: “We have been working hard to diversify into the commercial print market and our partnership marks a big step forward.” www.veritekglobal.com
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THE LAUNCHPAD THE BRANDS
The Stars of the Show
With more than 60 exhibitors, the Retail Imaging Show is a key opportunity for UK retailers to meet with representitives of key brands face to face. Once again, we are pleased to welcome imaging’s biggest names. Canon As one of the world’s most prominent imaging brands and a major sponsor of this year’s Retail Imaging Show, Canon will have a substantial presence at the event. Providing both the company and visiting retailers with an excellent opportunity to meet those they do business with face to face. Canon have won many respective “best stand” awards at various imaging industry events, so it will be exciting to see what they have in store for the Retail Imaging Show. Austin Freshwater, Professional Imaging Group Sales Manager at Canon (UK) Ltd said: “Attending the Retail Imaging Show is important for Canon as it’s one of the few chances each year that allows us to share our strategy with a large number of retailers, demonstrate our products and orchestrate multiple customer meetings with the sales teams in one location. “Events such as this are important for the industry to maintain confidence and momentum in what remain difficult business times. They inspire new ideas and nurture a positive
“It’s important for Canon as it’s one of the few chances to share our strategy with retailers, demonstrate out products and orchestrate customer meetings.” outlook in the build up to the key Christmas trading period. “Canon will be bringing a wide range of products to the event including our latest selection of DSLRs, lenses, video cameras, printers, and compact cameras. It will also be the first opportunity to see the newly launched EOS M at an industry event in the UK.” With its exclusive attendee base and restricted numbers, the Retail Imaging Show is an ideal chance to try out the EOS M without hours of queuing, so don’t miss out!
Canon EOS M
www.canon.co.uk
Fujifilm In addition to holding regional Fujifilm Digital Imaging Services conferences at the show, Fujifilm will be present in the exhibition hall. Peter Wiginton, Marketing Manager for Fujifilm Photo Imaging Group, said: “We will be present at the Retail Imaging Show, supporting our distributors. “As it stands our priorities with them will be introducing retailers visiting the show to our instant print solutions, giving demonstrations and answering any questions which they might have. “We’ll possibly be bringing along some of the cameras which Swains are promoting through their Daily Mail advertising campaigns too, and anything else which proves to be relevant by the date itself. The beauty of a show like this is that we can be quite flexible. “This show is a great venue for our customers to visit, as they will be able to gain a huge variety of industry knowledge and product demonstrations from the event, as well as seeing our products and meeting with us.”
Recently Announced Exhibitors Colour Confidence, who will bring with them a host of vendors including X-Rite, NEC Display Solutions and Epson. Intro 2020 will also once again be present at the Retail Imaging Show. Brands under the Intro2020 banner include Ansmann, Cokin, Crumpler, Hoya, Kenko, Lensbaby, Lenspen, Op/Tech, Phottix, Slik, Steadicam, Steiner, Summit, Tamrac, Tamron and more! Lucidiom will be present to demonstrate and discuss their innovative Photo Finale solution for retailers and more. For a full current list of exhibitors and frequent updates, visit www.retailimagingshow.co.uk and follow @pixelmagazine on Twitter (visit www.twitter.com/pixelmagazine) for more announcements as the event approaches. An exhibitor list will also be published in Pixel.
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INSIDE TRACK Wikipedia: Worlds Largest Photo Contest Thousands of volunteers in more than 30 countries will upload photos of historic sites throughout the month, Wikipedia says, making hundreds of thousands of photos available under a free license on its image database. Billed as the world’s largest photo contest, “Wiki Loves Monuments 2012” runs from September 1st through 30th. In last year’s contest, the organization adds, 5,000 photographers from 18 European countries uploaded more than 168,000 photos. This year’s contest will have significantly greater participation, Wikipedia says, including the United States and many non-European countries for the first time. Volunteers organize the contest in each country. The winning photos from national contests will be considered by an international jury in late October. The international jury will announce the top-ten international photos and the overall best picture winner in early December.
Smugmug Doubles Pricing Online photo service SmugMug has doubled the price for unlimited photo uploads for photographers who sell prints and downloads from the site, from $150 to $300 for new customers; existing accounts will rise to $250. “For the first time in 7 years, we’re raising the price of some SmugMug Pro subscriptions,” the company says, “something we tried hard not to do.” SmugMug says storage rages have increased rapidly. Smugmug says its Pro customers who sell at a markup use far more storage and features than pros who don’t, “so we split our pro account into two types: Portfolio is $150/year or ($20/mo) and provides access to labs for both you and your visitors, plus pro features like watermarking; Business lets you set prices and earn profit. It will be $300/year (or $35/mo) for new customers, but existing subscribers who set prices will be asked to renew at $250/year (or $30/month) beginning October 15, 2012. The price change is of course unpopular, with several hundred complaints and threats to change service providers posted on the company’s blog in just a few days.
Credits & Contacts
Mike Kahn appointed advisor to the PMA Executive Committee. Mike Kahn, director of Alpha Camera Systems for Sony Electronics, has been appointed the first ever Special Advisor to the PMA Executive Committee. In this role, Kahn will take part in bi-monthly calls and face-to-face meetings with the PMA Executive Committee, to represent photo and imaging manufacturers. “Appointing Mike to this role is another way PMA is fulfilling its new mission statement, which is to ‘promote the growth of the imaging industry,’” said PMA President Allen Showalter. “PMA is actively seeking new avenues to provide the support and opportunities needed to help the imaging industry thrive and grow now, and in the future. The voices of photo and imaging manufacturers are critically important to achieving this goal — and PMA is listening to them. We are excited to be working with Mike to make a direct connection between the PMA board and photo manufacturers.”
PMA report shows a shifting demographic in consumer photography.
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Advanced amateur photographers – those for whom photography is a hobby, an art and a passion, rather than merely a means of preserving memories – have become a sweet spot in the imaging market. The new Rise of the Amateur Report just released by PMA, takes an in-depth look at the imaging behaviors and technology use of these photo enthusiasts. The study reveals what these advanced amateur photographers are looking for in cameras, accessories, photo services, social networks, TV photo viewing, and photo printing. “The Rise of the Amateur report represents another way PMA is fulfilling our new mission
Managing Director/Publisher: Lee Mansfield 01323 411601 lee@lifemediagroup.co.uk
Production Design: Laura Knight 01323437964 laura@lifemediagroup.co.uk
Commercial Director: Simon Skinner 01323 433700 simon@lifemediagroup.co.uk Subscriptions Leanne McConnell 01323 433708 leanne@lifemediagroup.co.uk
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Kahn is vice president of the Photoimaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMDA), and is on the Board of Directors for CEA’s Digital Imaging Group. He is a 22year veteran of the consumer electronics industry, and has been with Sony for 16 years. In his current role as Director of the Alpha Camera Systems division at Sony, Kahn is responsible for all aspects of the business unit, including sales, marketing, and product development for the U.S. marketplace. “I am thrilled to join the PMA Board and supply a needed point of view from the photo and imaging manufactures. I am looking forward to helping the PMA board expand imaging sales across all channels,” Kahn said. www.pmai.org
The Rise of the Amateur
Editor: Laura Knight 01323 437946 laura@lifemediagoup.co.uk
Editorial Assistant Harriet Weston 01323 411601 harriet@lifemediagroup.co.uk
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Accounts: Clare Fermor Amelia Wellings 01323 433708 clare@lifemediagroup.co.uk amelia@lifemediagroup.co.uk Published by LMG SE LTD (Life Media Group) Park View House 19 The Avenue, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN21 3YD 01323 411 601
statement, which is ‘to promote the growth of the imaging industry,’” said PMA Executive Director Jim Esp. “The report identifies areas where the greatest opportunities lie for photo retailers and suppliers.” Now in its third year, the new Rise of the Amateur Report shows nearly 80 percent of advanced amateurs take pictures at least weekly, and 17.3% plan to purchase a mirrorless camera in the next year. Further, 71% have purchased two or more photobooks in the past year. Among all respondents, the most common use of a retail or online service is to make 8-by10-inch or larger photo prints, followed by photo books and photo cards/stationery. A slightly larger number of respondents said they printed photo cards/stationery at home, but far fewer produced a photo book on their own. Photo enthusiasts largely remain dedicated to their compact cameras, despite the proliferation of camera phones. Only 7.8 percent of males and 8.5 percent of females have switched entirely to taking pictures with a mobile device. In addition, the vast majority of respondents (84 percent of males and 77.4 percent of females) own a digital SLR.
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reponsibilty for any damage, loss or injury arising from the participation in any offers, competitions or advertisment contained within Pixel Magazine. All prices featured in Pixel Magazine are correct at the time of going to press.
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