PMA 2010 brings success to Anaheim

Southern California proves to be irresistible draw for photo trade and enthusiasts

PMA 2010 crowds looking for retail printing solutions.

PMA 2010, the world’s largest annual photo/imaging trade show, recently concluded at the Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, Calif. The “ultimate event for all things photo,” the 86th annual PMA convention and trade show featured 5 days of industry-leading photo/imaging education and world-class networking, along with a 3-day trade show.

“The Anaheim Convention Center and the entire Southern California region was an ideal location for a PMA annual convention,” says Ted Fox, executive director and CEO, PMA. “Attendance from trade members, including photo specialty retailers, chain stores, and photographers, continued to be strong.”

Networking opportunities were enhanced this year, due to the proximity of official show hotels to the convention center. High-level meetings, including the PMA Hosted Buyer Program, the Association of Imaging Executives (AIE) Output Summit, and the PMA Executive Gathering, also enhanced these informal discussions.

“Participation in conversations at these gatherings is very valuable,” says John Crewson, Foto Source Canada Inc., Oakville, Ontario, Canada. “There are no other events allowing for this kind of exchange of ideas and challenges in the marketplace.”

Trends on display on the 400-plus exhibitor trade show floor included:

• Continued expansion of “mirrorless,” interchangeable lens cameras, including new models shown by Olympus America and concept cameras debuted by Sony Electronics.
• Dozens of new digital cameras from major manufacturers such as Nikon, General Imaging, Sony, Panasonic, Fujifilm, Casio, Pentax, and more. (For a comprehensive roundup, visit the CamerasAtPMA website at www.camerasatpma.com.)
• Environmentally friendly inkjet and thermal retail printing solutions from HP, Fujifilm, Eastman Kodak, Noritsu America/Lucidiom, DNP, Sony, and many more.
• A wide array of “creative expressions” photo products, including greeting cards, posters, collages, puzzles, and many more.

The PMA 2010 convention featured more than 300 speakers and chairpersons and offered approximately 150 educational sessions, covering topics such as digital imaging, employee training, business management, and sales and marketing. Select sessions were spoken in Spanish and German. New features of this PMA convention included the Pro Photographer Business Boot Camp and the DIMA Brand Boot Camp.

Five allied imaging groups – the Digital Imaging Marketing Association® (DIMA®),the Professional School Photographers Association International™ (PSPA™), the Professional Picture Framers Association™ (PPFA®), the Photo Imaging Education Association (PIEA), and the Sports Photographers Association of America (SPAA®) – held their annual meetings and conference sessions in conjunction with the PMA convention. The PrintFest Expo Pavilion and Cross Media West Conference, an event for digital printers and direct marketing firms, also colocated at PMA 2010.

PMA returns to Las Vegas, Nev., Feb. 1-3, 2011.