Japan's big photo fair which was due to open in Yokohama for the first time in three years will be an online only affair again
The annual CP+ trade show has been cancelled as a live event once again. The annual photo exhibition where all the big Japanese camera and lens manufacturers reveal their latest kit will now, once again, be run as a virtual show.
CP+ had been preparing to open its doors in Yokohama for the first time since 2019. However, the organizers have just announced that the physical event due to have run from 24-27 February will now be an online only affair due to the the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The press release cites the rise of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in the Japan as the reason for the cancellation, as well as a shortage of antigen test kits
The full press release (auto translated from Japanese) reads:
"CP + 2022 puts safety and security of visitors and exhibitors as the most important event as an event to be held in the corona disaster. We have been preparing for the Pacifico Yokohama venue and online hybrid holding on the premise of taking thorough safety measures. However, due to the violence of the Omicron strain, which has been expanding rapidly since the beginning of the year, the number of infected people and close contacts is increasing rapidly.
The supply of antigen test kits is tight, which is a hindrance to safe event management. Also, looking at the current infection situation, the number of infected people has decreased significantly by the end of February, and it is unlikely that the event will recover to a state where it can be held safely and securely. The psychological anxieties of visitors and exhibitors cannot be wiped out.
As the organizer, always watching the corona infection situation,
We have taken all possible measures, but the customers who come to the event,
As a result of giving top priority to the safety and security of exhibitor staff and all other event related parties, Judging that CP + 2022 should not be held in real time in this situation, we have decided to cancel the Pacifico Yokohama venue event and hold it online alone.
Customers who were looking forward to the event at Pacifico Yokohama for the first time in 3 years, we apologize for the inconvenience caused to all the exhibitors who have been preparing for the event and many other related parties.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, but thank you for your understanding.
We also sincerely apologize for the announcement of the cancellation just before the event."
What is CP+ ?
In the history of photography, CP+ Camera & Photo Imaging Show is relatively new. It first took place in 2008, and last took place in 2019. The annual show takes place in Yokohama, the Japan's second largest city and a major international port. It takes place over four days and typically attracts some 70,000 visitors to the Pacifico Yokohama exhibition complex.
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The 2020 event was also cancelled at short notice, just as the Covid-19 pandemic was in its first wave - and in 2021 was held successfully as a virtual exhibition.
We will be bringing all the news from the CP+ 2022 online event as it happens.
Chris George has worked on Digital Camera World since its launch in 2017. He has been writing about photography, mobile phones, video making and technology for over 30 years – and has edited numerous magazines including PhotoPlus, N-Photo, Digital Camera, Video Camera, and Professional Photography.
His first serious camera was the iconic Olympus OM10, with which he won the title of Young Photographer of the Year - long before the advent of autofocus and memory cards. Today he uses a Nikon D800, a Fujifilm X-T1, a Sony A7, and his iPhone 15 Pro Max.
He has written about technology for countless publications and websites including The Sunday Times Magazine, The Daily Telegraph, Dorling Kindersley, What Cellphone, T3 and Techradar.
