Barcelona has once again become the European epicenter of imagery. From the Montjuic venue of Fira de Barcelona, the Photo Forum Fest delves one more edition into the world of photography and videography with the forecast of reaching 12,000 attendees and breaking all its records. Professionals and amateurs from all over Europe gather in the Catalan capital to participate in the festival, with specialized congresses, presentations, workshops, exhibitions and, also, offers and opportunities for cameras and all the equipment that accompanies them, in an exhibition area of 3,000 square meters that hosts more than 40 brands in the sector.
"It's the big photo party in capital letters," summarizes Eduard Casanova from the organization, who defends this differential model that groups various formats and experiences —including a night party to provide more spaces for networking—. In short: a festival. The event, moreover, increases its international facet every year, positioning Barcelona as a European reference hub in photo and video.
This format is, according to Casanova, practically unique in Europe. "There are similar events, but few with such a transversal concept, which combines inspiration, training and industry," he defends about a singularity that is key to understanding the international appeal of the festival.
The program is structured around three major congresses that reflect the diversity of the sector: Bodaf Europe, focused on weddings; Family Time, which focuses on family and children's photography, and Life, which focuses on photojournalism, nature, travel and portraiture.
From a wedding congress to a European festival
The festival has grown from one of these pillars: it was born fifteen editions ago as a congress specialized in wedding photography, the embryo of the current Bodaf Europe. That initial, very cohesive community was the engine of subsequent growth. "The wedding congress was the beginning. This community has given us the strength to grow and make it bigger and bigger," explains Casanova, part of the family of the mythical Casanova Foto.Seven years ago, the project took a leap. What had been a congress focused solely on weddings evolved into a broader, hybrid concept: a festival that integrates congresses, workshops, a trade fair, exhibitions, live shootings, book presentations, and networking spaces. "Before, it was much more of a congress, without the presence of the industry or brands. Now we have managed to accommodate the entire sector," he highlights.
This sector has had meeting points such as the one organized with the Italian fashion and portrait photographer Paolo Roversi —who has photographed for Dior, Vogue or Vanity Fair—, with Walter Astrada and Jaime Rojo. However, the festival's lineup has been dominated by female photographers. They have included names such as Aga, one of the best wedding photographers in the world; Mónica Muñoz, with a long international career, and Simona Maria Cannone, who has been documenting weddings worldwide for over a decade.
A pole of international attraction
The international dimension is one of the strategic axes of the Photo Forum Fest. Attendees from France, Germany, Italy, or the United Kingdom, along with national audiences from beyond Catalonia, have traveled to Barcelona. "With Roversi, there were eleven countries represented in the room. It is a reflection that it is the festival," Casanova emphasizes.To facilitate this openness, the organization has for years opted for simultaneous translation and to reinforce its external projection. "The international leg is very important and we want to boost it even more. There are professionals who do not have an event of these characteristics nearby, and they come here," he explains.
The opportunities to find equipment from major brands at a better price also act as an attraction factor. Brands like Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, and Canon present their novelties in a large commercial area that has become, according to Casanova, a kind of Black Friday for the sector: "We have managed to make people come eager to buy. There are very good offers, and many amortize their trip here by taking advantage of the promotions."
All these facets add up when it comes to attracting attendees and positioning the event as a spearhead in the sector. "For Barcelona, being a leader in this photo and video market is positive," and even more so in a context where the city has undertaken a positioning strategy not only as a city of technology or science, but also as a creative and cultural city.
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