Photokina exhibition and conference day

Dear Members,

I am pleased to announce that once again we have been granted a free display space at Photokina, the world’s largest fair for photography and imaging. This is an opportunity for us to educate the public about VR photography and to promote our work. It is also an ideal time for European members of the panoramic photography community to meet each other and catch up on progress in our field.

In addition to our exhibits and outreach as part of the fair, we are planning a one-day educational conference the day before Photokina starts. This will include sessions on a range of subjects, especially new software and hardware, new markets opened up by the iPhone and iPad, as well as exhibits by our sponsors. It will be an important day for us to explore where VR may be heading.

Following on our success at Tucson 2010 we plan to organize a tutorial day during the week of the fair, where both beginning and advanced photographers can learn how to improve their VR photography and production. Experienced professionals will be leading short photo-safaris in the morning and conducting hands-on computer sessions in the afternoon. Additionally, vendors of related hardware and software will be on hand to assist and provide evaluation units, which may be purchased at a special show discount. These tutorials will be limited to IVRPA members.

There will also be a VR photography contest, with the winning entries and runners-up being displayed at the fair – the largest and most important photography exhibition in the world. The contest will have three categories: printed panoramas; gigapixel panoramas; and interactive VR panoramas. Details of the contest will be posted on the IVRPA website soon.

We will need lots of help to make this exhibition/conference a success -- to staff the booth and answer questions from the public, to help arrange and stage the print exhibition and booth display, to speak at the conference, and instruct on the tutorials day. We cannot sponsor accommodation (as we did in 2008), but various forms of compensation will be offered to volunteers, including free entry to Photokina.

If you are interested in attending either the conference or the fair in Cologne be sure to book your hotel soon as rooms are getting scarce and prices keep rising (there will be no group booking or special IVRPA rate).

If you would like to participate as a volunteer for the conference or exhibition please contact Jan van der Woning: jan.van-der-woning@ivrpa.org

Schedule (subject to change)

Monday, September 20

8 to 10 am conference attendees arrive, meet each other, and visit exhibits of VR hardware and software by our sponsors
10 am to noon educational sessions
noon to 1 pm lunch, more time to visit the sponsors and socialize
1 to 5 pm more educational sessions
5 to 7 pm reception followed by buffet dinner

Tuesday through Sunday, September 21-26

• exhibition of panoramic prints and gigapixel prints on the IVRPA booth walls (contest winners and others)
• display of interactive VR panoramas on monitors and video projectors (contest winners and others)
• “featured stop“ on guided tour of Photokina
• public workshops on VR photography, by IVRPA staff and sponsors

Tuesday, September 21

Tutorial day in our booth (and around the fair) through paid subscription

Wednesday and Friday, September 22 and 24

informal social gatherings after close of show

Jan van der Woning, IVRPA director and Photokina 2010 coordinator