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Photo Info Booth

PIB: Northwest Sportshow in Minneapolis by Art Netzer Early this April, the Photo Information Booth closed out the 16th season of touring the country at the 75th Annual Northwest Sportshow in Minneapolis. Article rating: 8.18

The PIB is sponsored by PMDA (the PhotoImaging Manufacturers & Distributors Association) and has been traveling the country, setting the booth up at indoor and outdoor boating, ski and sport shows in major metropolitan areas. The PIB purpose is to bring the word about photography to skiers, snowboarders, hunters, fisherman, outdoorsman, sailing and power boating enthusiasts. In general, the PIB provides up to date sponsor information to all these people who are usually carrying cameras along with their outdoor gear.

© 2007 Art Netzer

© 2007 Art Netzer

© 2007 Art Netzer

Art & Gloria Netzer are in charge of the booth and have been traveling with the road show for the past ten years. The season runs from September to April, and for the ’06-’07 show year they did a total of 7 shows, starting at the Norwalk International Boat Show, Chicago Ski Dazzle, LA Ski Dazzle, New Orleans Boat Show, Philadelphia Sail, Chicago Strictly Sail Show, and ending at the Northwest Sportshow. In all cases the goal was the same, to take products of the booth’s sponsors and show them to the general public, answer questions and promote photography through a lot of one on one conversations.

The Photo Information Booth doesn’t sell products, doesn’t endorse one sponsors camera, printer or binocular over the other. Art and Gloria have approximately 75 pieces of sponsors equipment, including digital cameras both point & shoot and SLR‘s, lenses, printers, binoculars and peripheral equipment on display. In order to have their equipment displayed, manufacturers must first be PMDA members. Current sponsors of the booth are Canon, Nikon, Samsung, Panasonic, Olympus, Pentax, Tamron, Epson, Fuji, Popular Photography and American Photo. After a few simple questions to find out the individual’s photographic intentions the equipment best suited to those intentions will be selected and demonstrated, thus helping the consumers to make the best overall decision for their needs when they go to buy at an authorized dealer. They also answer numerous questions as to how digital photography compares to film. Underwater housings for the digital cameras are very popular with divers, boaters, kayakers and sailors. Many express an interest in using them as a camera storage unit. There was a lot of interest as well in the underwater point and shoot cameras Many express an interest in using them as a camera storage unit.

© 2007 Art Netzer

© 2007 Art Netzer

© 2007 Art Netzer

This season the subject of Digital Imaging made up about 90+ percent of the questions, demonstrations, and conversations. People want to know how to make an informed decision when buying a digital camera and they’re not getting a clue from their visits to malls, camera stores and discount stores. It is obvious that many people have researched digital equipment on the Internet and are more knowledgeable now than in past years but with so much out there and things changing so rapidly they are easily confused. At the booth they can see the products and really learn something. We show them the major things to look for according to their needs to help them determine what equipment will satisfy those particular needs.

This year people showed a tremendous interest in the digital SLR’s. The booth featured 21 consumer SLR’s and all these cameras all got a good workout. The majority of those interested were intending to upgrade to an SLR very soon and were glad of the opportunity to actually see and handle these cameras. By the last day of the show most all the sponsors literature was gone, magazines, plastic bags, T-shirts and photo albums. Although people are frequently surprised to see cameras at a sport or boat show, it all becomes clear to them once they understand the Photo Information Booth’s purpose is not there to sell them anything it is there as a manufacturing courtesy. The Northwest Sportshow has an estimated 220,00 attendees during the 6 days obviously they come to see all the fishing and hunting equipment and the numerous boat, resort, RV’s which came from all over the Midwest and as far away as Alaska, South America, and Africa.

Between the 9 to 11 hour days at the show Art & Gloria love to walk the downtown area and frequent the many sights and local restaurants. Minneapolis is a very upscale and progressive town. Some 20 years ago they built an downtown inter-city heated skyway. You can walk from one end of downtown to the other in a heated enclosed downtown skyway. The skyway is several miles and connects hotels, restaurants, office buildings to the convention center and multiple garages. Believe me in Minnesota winter months it is great to be able to walk from one end of town to the other without a jacket. In recent years there has been lots of downtown construction. Many new office buildings, condos, and of course the new convention center which originally opened with one dome 10 years ago and now has expanded to four domes. Although many old buildings have been destroyed the Foshay Tower originally the tallest structure in downtown Minneapolis was saved and now dwarfed by modern office buildin gs. An old historic church was redesigned and integrated into a new modern condominium structure rather than being torn down . There are many excellent restaurants in the downtown area, unfortunately the show only lasts one week each year for the Northwest Sportshow. We were fortunate enough to be in Minneapolis during the annual Macy’s Bachman’s Gadina Africana Flower Show. The entire main floor of Macy’s was filled with African Artworks and absolutely gorgeous flowers in full bloom.

This years weather was mild and lovely and the show was a lot of fun and a great success. It is time to send all the equipment back to the sponsors and start planning for the 2007/08 season which starts in September.

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