It's come as no surprise that the organisers of Photokina 2020 have agreed to cancel the international trade fair for photography, video and imaging but now we won't see another instalment of the Cologne show until 18-21 May 2022. 

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Kai Hillebrandt, Chairman of the Photo Industry Association said: "It goes without saying that PIV completely stands behind the decision taken by Koelnmesse to cancel Photokina 2020. The health of exhibitors and visitors is a top priority at the moment. As the conceptual sponsor of Photokina, we will do our utmost to assist the Koelnmesse with the planning of the next edition of Photokina."      

The news was announced after the German Government released guidelines for dealing with the coronavirus epidemic which includes the general closure of trade fairs and exhibitions.

Why the organisers have opted for a 2022 date rather than 2021 is that as well as coronavirus causing problems, they say customer's resources were already under heavy strain due to general economic trends as well as other rescheduled events and there's quite a bit of change happening in the imaging market, too. 

"The orientation towards 2022 gives everyone involved time enough to design the next Photokina with an eye to the needs of the market, of our exhibitors and visitors," says Koelnmesse GmbH. 

Other shows cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic include The Photography Show and CP+ while Canon, Nikon and other manufacturers have all reported factory closures or issues with stock. The Fujifilm House of Photography has also been closed as a precautionary measure due to coronavirus/COVID-19.