Photo Marketing Association International

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PMA • EUROPEAN NEWSLINE • PMA
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Photo Marketing Association International
European Office:
Hiltenspergerstr. 9 • 80798 München • GERMANY • Fax: 0 89 / 2 73 02 91 • Tel.: 0 89 / 54 55 81 28,
pmaeurope@pmai.org
International Headoffice:
3000 Picture Place • Jackson, MI 49201, U.S.A. • Fax: (517) 788-8371 • Tel.: (517) 788-8100
PHOTO MARKETING ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL (PMA), AIE, A PMA MEMBER ASSOCIATION FOR IMAGING
EXECUTIVES, AND FUTURE IMAGE INC., HAVE ANNOUNCED THE FINALIZATION OF THEIR PARTNERSHIP TO HOST THE
6SIGHT FUTURE OF IMAGING EXECUTIVE CONFERENCE. The next conference will be held at the Monterey Conference
Center in Monterey, California, USA, on November 8 to 9, 2007. The two-day program will examine future directions for
devices used to capture, display, share, publish and manage digital still and video images. In addition, industry leaders will
explore the explosion of user-generated visual content, both of which are transforming people‘s lives in their work, home
and community spheres. Innovative technologies and services will be featured and demonstrated at the 6Sight New Tech
Fair – for the first time in a public setting. Companies which are interested in submitting their technologies for inclusion in
the 6Sight New Tech Fair, can submit their request online at http://www.6sight.com/info_please.htm.
CANON EUROPE OF AMSTELVEEN, THE NETHERLANDS, HAS ANNOUNCED THE MERGER OF ITS TWO PORTUGUESE
DISTRIBUTORS. According to a press release, Copicanola and Seque II, SA, will form Canon Portugal, a new fully-owned
subsidiary of Canon. The acquisition is part of the continuing transformation of Canon‘s organization across Europe to
become a truly pan-European business, the company said. The newly formed management team at Canon Portugal will
lead the combined workforce of 245 employees, which together produced a turnover of Euro 40.82 million in 2006.
CALDERA GRAPHICS, THE FRENCH SPECIALIST IN SOFTWARE FOR LARGE-FORMAT PRINTING, HAS ENTERED INTO A
PARTNERSHIP WITH DURST PHOTOTECHNIK, BRIXEN, SOUTH TYROLIA, ITALY. Under the terms of the agreement,
Durst will be able to provide workflow printing solutions based on the Caldera GrandRIP+ package to users of the Durst
Rho printer series. Durst manufactures silver-halide and inkjet large-format equipment in its two factories in Brixen, Italy,
and Lienz, Austria.
ZINK IMAGING, THE DIGITAL PRINTING COMPANY OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, USA, HAS ANNOUNCED ITS
INTENT TO PURCHASE THE MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN WHITSETT, NORTH CAROLINA, FROM KONICA MINOLTA
MANUFACTURING USA, INC. The coating and chemical mix facility was built by Konica Minolta in 1989 for the production
of a variety of imaging products including color negative paper, but has been preparing to shut down after Konica Minolta
terminated its consumer imaging business last year.
According to a press release, Zink Imaging will hire and leverage the expertise of the (currently approximately 60)
employees to manufacture Zink paper – an advanced composite material with dye crystals embedded inside and a
protective polymer overcoat layer outside. The Zink-enabled printers use heat to activate and colorize these dye crystals to
form a permanent color image. Zink Imaging was founded by Robert D. White, who bought the Zink technology formerly
known under the name “Opal” from Polaroid. Bob Harris, President of Konica Minolta Manufacturing USA, told “The
Business Journal” that Zink also plans to manufacture normal inkjet paper and other digital imaging
products at the plant once it takes over. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY HAS ANNOUNCED WHAT THE COMPANY CLAIMS TO BE A GROUND-
BREAKING ADVANCEMENT IN IMAGE SENSOR TECHNOLOGY. According to a press release, the new
sensors will provide a 2x to 4x increase in sensitivity to light (from one to two photographic stops)
President
KEN STRAWBRIDGE
Strawbridge Studios Inc.
3000 Hillsborough Rd.
Durham, NC 27705-4050/USA
President-Elect
ALLEN SHOWALTER
King Photo
Showalter Imaging Group
Harrisonburg, VA/USA
Vice-President
WADE MAYBERRY
Ritz Camera Centers
Beltsville
MD/USA
Treasurer
WILLIAM PARKER
MCPF
Ambiance by Parker
Nashville, Tenn./USA
Volume 18, No. 7 • July 2007
Photos Are Fun, Take Some
Executive Director/Secretary
TED FOX
Photo Marketing Association Int.
3000 Picture Place
Jackson, MI 49201/USA
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PMA • EUROPEAN
compared to current sensor designs. The new sensor design advances the existing Kodak technology that has become a standard in digital
imaging, the company said. The “Bayer Pattern”, an arrangement of red, green and blue pixels, was first developed by Kodak scientist
Dr. Bryce Bayer in 1976. In this design, half of the pixels on the sensor are used to collect green light, while the remaining pixels split evenly
between sensitivity to red and blue. After exposure, software reconstructs a full color signal for each pixel in the final image.
Kodak‘s new proprietary technology adds panchromatic, or “clear” pixels to the red, green and blue elements. Since these pixels are sensitive
to all wavelengths of visible light, they collect a significantly higher proportion in the light striking the sensor. By matching these pixel
arrangements with advanced software algorithms from Kodak, users will be able to experience an increase in photographic speed, directly
improving performance when taking pictures under low light, the company said. Since the new technology enables faster shutter speeds,
motion blur will be reduced and the design of smaller pixels will result in higher resolutions in a given optical format while the performance
is retained.
Currently, Kodak is developing CMOS sensors using this technology for consumer markets such as digital cameras and camera phones. As
the technology is appropriate for use with CCD and CMOS image sensors, it can be expanded across Kodak‘s full portfolio of image sensors,
including products targeted to applied imaging markets such as industrial and scientific imaging. The first Kodak sensor incorporating this
technology is expected to be available for sampling in the first quarter of 2008.
PENTAX CORPORATION OF TOKYO, JAPAN, HAS FORMERLY APPROVED THE TENDER OFFER BY HOYA CORPORATION TO PURCHASE
ALL SHARES OF THE COMPANY FOR A PRICE OF YEN 770 PER SHARE. The decision was made on a board meeting on July 2, 2007,
following the Pentax Annual Meeting on June 27, 2007. At the Annual Meeting, Pentax shareholders elected Yukio Ohara (President of Hoya
Service Corporation, an affiliated company of Hoya Corporation) and George Stuart Souther (General Counsel of Hoya Corporation) as
Directors of the company.
PHOTOCHANNEL NETWORKS INC. OF VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, HAS TAKEN IMMEDIATE CONTROL OF PIXOLOGY
PLC, SURREY, UK. According to a press release, the company, which has received acceptances from the holders of over 94 percent of the
outstanding Pixology plc shares, has determined to complete the acquisition of Pixology under the proposed terms originally announced on
April 25, 2007. According to a press release, funds for the acquisition of the Pixology shares tendered will be delivered to Pixology
shareholders within the next 14 days from existing cash.
PhotoChannel operates primarily in North America, while Pixology has largely focused on the UK where it provides digital solutions for the
UK‘s largest photofinishing retailers, including Tesco, Asda (Wal-Mart UK), Boots and Jessops. The company also serves Costco in the USA.
PhotoChannel Networks‘ CEO Peter Fitzgerald commented: “With the acquisition, PhotoChannel will become a complete solutions provider
with an offering covering all three digital image printing segments – online, in-store kiosks and mobile. The company will be in an optimal
position to address its retail customers‘ current and future needs and capture the market‘s global potential with new retailers moving
forward.”
FUJIFILM CO. LTD. AND NORITSU KOKI CO., LTD. HAVE AGREED TO FORM A NEW COMPANY TO PROVIDE AFTER-SALES SERVICE FOR
PHOTOFINISHING EQUIPMENT IN THE JAPANESE MARKET, EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2007. In March 2006, both companies formed a global
alliance in the photofinishing field to expand the demand for retail printing. According to a press release, Fujifilm‘s domestic maintenance
company for photofinishing equipment (FIC Techno Service Co., Ltd.) and Noritsu Koki‘s company will be integrated into a new domestic
maintenance company called N&F Techno Service Co., Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The new company will employ approximately
300 people.
THE ASSOCIATION OF IMGAGING EXECUTIVES (AIE), A PMA MEMBER ASSOCIATION, HAS ELECTED A NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT
ITS EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE FROM JUNE 27 TO 29, 2007, IN MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, USA. Kim Toren-Freeman, Allied
Photographic & Imaging, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, was elected new President, succeeding Mark Lane, American Color Imaging
Inc., Cedar Falls, Iowa, who is now immediate past President. Other newly-elected board members include: Tom Rieger, Rieger Communications
Inc., Clarksburg, Maryland (President-elect), Ken Wilson, Lustrecolor Inc., Canon, Mass. (first Vice President), Susan Rau, Northwest
Professional Color, West Fargo, ND (second Vice President), Tom Hayes, Visual Image Photography Inc., Cedarburg, Wisconsin (Treasurer).
Ted Fox, PMA, Jackson, MI (Secretary and Executive Director), Steve Troup, Buckeye Color Lab, North Canton, Ohio (past President Directorat-large),
Glenn Paul, Exclaim, West Trenton, NJ, John Rak, The Artona Group, Vancouver, BC, Canada, and Larry Apple, Associated Photo
& Imaging Inc., Miami, FL (Directors-at-large).
Copyright: 2007 Photo Marketing Association International.

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MEMORY TRENDS CONFERENCE & EXPO (MTCE) AND PHOTO MARKETING ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL (PMA) HAVE ANNOUNCED A
CO-LOCATION BETWEEN THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS. According to a press release, MTCE and PMA will co-locate January 31 to February
2, 2008, during the PMA International Convention & Trade Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The new
event offers expanded, targeted educational and buying opportunities to retailers in both the photo and scrapbooking markets and will also
deepen the prospect pool for show exhibitors. MemoryTrends will work with PMA on its international shows as well, focusing on bringing
dynamic conference programming to a new market and providing new global exhibiting opportunities to manufacturers. The international
events will be held in Canada in September 2007 and Australia in 2008. In its eighth year, MTCE serves the scrapbooking, paper crafting and
rubber stamping markets, providing educational programming to assist retailers in building successful businesses. With over 300 exhibitors,
the award-winning MTCE is the largest exhibition dedicated solely to these markets. MTCE is owned by CKMedia, a multimedia company
that produces products, magazines, websites and events serving the scrapbooking, paper crafting, crafting, quilting and sewing markets.
LOGITECH, THE GLOBALLY OPERATING MANUFACTURER OF WEBCAMS BASED IN FREMONT, CALIFORNIA, USA, AND ROMANEL-
SUR-MORGES, SWITZERLAND, AND CARL ZEISS, THE OPTICS SPEZIALIST BASED IN OBERKOCHEN, GERMANY, HAVE ANNOUNCED AN
EXCLUSIVE COLLABORATION. According to a press release, the first Logitech webcams featuring a Carl Zeiss lens are expected to be
available in the U.S. and Europe in July for a suggested retail price of Euro 99.99 (Europe). Logitech released its first webcam in 1995 and
has been leading the development of webcam technology since the inception of video communication over the Internet, the company pointed
out in press release. The cooperation of both companies is expected to deliver a new level of image quality for video calling and sharing.
JESSOPS, THE UK‘S LEADING PHOTOGRAPHIC RETAILER, HAS ANNOUNCED DETAILS ON ITS STRATEGIC REVIEW. According to a press
release, the company plans to close 81 of its 311 stores in a bid to save £15 million; 550 jobs are affected. Obviously, the decision was
made in view of a pre-tax loss of £ 25.2 million on sales of £178.9 million for the 26 weeks to April 1, 2007, compared with a profit of £5.1
million on sales of £177.8 million in the same period last year. The company has also announced to cut its central overhead by 20 percent
and reduce its total overheads by £15 million.
Jessops pointed out that new banking facilities have been arranged with HSBC, which has agreed on a £66.5 million facility to December
2008, of which £60 million is committed. The agreement includes interests charged at up to 5.25 percent over LIBOR, a deferred
re-financing fee of £7 million, payable in December 2008, and the issue of warrants to HSBC over unissued ordinary shares equivalent to 10
percent of Jessops‘ issued share capital (five percent exercisable from June 2007 and 5 percent after the AGM to be held in January 2008).
Inspite of a slight increase in turnover, Jessops suffered from declining margins in the digital camera business and in the market for memory
cards. The company is the leading camera retailer in the UK with a market share of 21.7 percent in March 2007 (March 2006: 19.7 percent).
Under its strategic review, the company will particularly focus on the digital printing (online and in-store) and photo gifts business, including
photo books and calendars. According to a press release, Jessops averaged 1.5 million digital prints per week in the first half of the current
fiscal year, compared with 1.3 million in the same period of the previous year. Jessops‘ Picture House, the online photo printing and storage
site, recorded more than 500,000 registered users by April 1, 2007. The company expects to achieve one million online customers by Spring
2008. In March this year, Jessops launched its new collect@store service, enabling customers to place orders online and collect them from
their nearest Jessops store within as little as one hour.
ROLLEI-BRANDED DIGITAL CONSUMER CAMERAS WILL RETURN TO EUROPE. RCP-Technik GmbH & Co. KG, Hamburg, Germany, has
licensed the Rollei brand for consumer products in Europe. The company is a subsidiary of Supra Foto Elektronik Vertriebs GmbH, which
has been known as a supplier of cameras and accessories for large retailing companies for many decades. Thomas Guettler was appointed
Managing Director of RCP-Technik. He joined the company from the German department store company Karstadt, where he was most
recently purchasing director for multimedia products. According to Guettler, the company intends to launch Rollei-branded digital cameras
in exclusive designs and will target specialty retailers as distribution channel. RCP-Technik, however, will be able to rely on the service
infrastructure and the purchasing power of its parent company, Supra Foto Elektronik. The company will position the Rollei brand exclusively
in the digital camera (and accessories) segment, in line with the traditional reputation of the brand. The first products will become
available in Germany in September this year, with other European countries to follow from the first quarter of 2008. Contact: RCP-Technik
GmbH & Co. KG, Tarpen 40, Gebäude 6b, 22419 Hamburg, Phone: xx49-40-7975571-10, Fax: xx49-40-7975571-60, www.rcp-technik.
com.
OLYMPUS WILL ESTABLISH A NEW RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER FOR LIFE SCIENCE IN MUNICH, GERMANY. According to a
press release, the Hamburg-based European headquarters of the international camera and medical systems manufacturer, Olympus Europe,

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will invest approximately Euro 15 million in the project. The opening of the new facility is scheduled for October 2007. By
2009, the number of employees is planned to rise from 350 to 450. In the new facility, research, development and
production in the areas of molecular diagnostics and laboratory automation as well as a portion of digital imaging
processing in the microscopy area will be brought together under one roof.
FUJIFILM HAS ANNOUNCED A RE-ORGANIZATION OF ITS ELECTRONIC IMAGING BUSINESS DIVISION IN EUROPE. From
October 2007, the business, which includes digital camera and accessories, will be concentrated in the new company,
“Fujifilm Electronic Imaging Europe GmbH”, in Kleve, Germany, which will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujifilm
Recording Media GmbH, Fujifilm‘s European storage media company, which is a subsidiary of Fujifilm Corporation, Tokyo,
Japan. Christopher Brawley, currently General Manager of Fujifilm Recording Media GmbH, has been appointed Managing
Director of “Fujifilm Electronic Imaging Europe GmbH”. From October this year, Go Miyazaki, Senior Manager of Fujifilm
Corporation, will take over general responsibility for Fujifilm Recording Media GmbH.
According to a press release, Fujifilm expects the new company, which will look after Fujifilm‘s whole digital camera and
accessories business in Europe, to benefit from the infrastructure of Fujifilm‘s operations in Kleve, which has been
producing storage media for the European market since 1987.
The business domain Photo Imaging (paper, film and minilabs) will remain at Fujifilm Europe GmbH in Düsseldorf,
Germany, as will the Medical Systems, Life Science and Graphic Arts divisions.
LEICA CAMERA AG, SOLMS, GERMANY, HAS ANNOUNCED ITS RESULTS FOR FISCAL 2006/2007 (MARCH 31, 2007).
Total sales increased 36.5 percent to Euro 145.7 million, with a net profit of Euro 0.5 million, compared with a loss of Euro
9.2 million in the previous year. The result before interest and taxes (EBIT) reached Euro 5.0 million, compared with a loss
of Euro 6.2 million in 2005/2006.
According to a press release, sales of system cameras and lenses increased by 55.5 percent to Euro 53.6 million, mainly
due to the introduction of the company‘s first digital rangefinder camera, the Leica M8. Sales of compact cameras
increased 132.4 percent to Euro 39.3 million, while the Leica sport optics division recorded a decrease in sales of 15.7
percent to Euro 30.7 million. Sales outside Germany increased 40.6 percent to Euro 121.4 million and account now for
83.4 percent of the company‘s turnover. With sales of Euro 37.8 million (plus 44.2 percent), Northern America was Leica‘s
most important export market. Domestic sales increased 19 percent to Euro 24.2 million.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW FOR THE UPCOMING PMA EVENTS:
PMA Peru Digital Conference, August 15–16.
Location: Sheraton Lima Hotel and Casion, Lima, Peru.
PMA Canada Exposition 2007, September 23–25.
Location: Toronto Congress Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
PMA Europe 2007 – France, September 10, 2007
Location: Pavilion Dauphine, Place du Maréchal de Latte de Tassigny, 75116 Paris, France.
PMA Europe 2007 – Russia, September 13, 2007
Location: Hotel Cosmos, 150 Prospect Mira, Moscow 129366, Russia.
PMA Europe 2007 – United Kingdom, October 9–10, 2007
Location: The Chateau Impney, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, WR9 0BN, UK.
PMA Europe 2007 – Italy, October 15, 2007
Location: Unione Commercianti, Corso Venezia 49, 20121 Milan, Italy.
PMA Annual Convention, January 31 – February 2, 2008.
Location: Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev., USA.
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PMA European Newsline
is published monthly by
Photo Marketing Association International,
3000 Picture Place,
USA - Jackson, Michigan 49201.
Editorial Office:
C.A.T.-Verlag Blömer GmbH,
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Telephone ++49-2102-2027-0
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Editor:
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