The Photo Forum Fest consolidates itself at Fira de Montjuïc

The Photo Forum Fest, a fair for photography professionals and enthusiasts, consolidates its second edition at the Palau de Congressos of Fira de Barcelona in Montjuïc. From Wednesday to Friday this week, the congress allows attendees to learn about the latest trends in equipment and techniques, with product exhibitions and talks. Some of this year's most prominent speakers are Alex Webb, Michael Kenna, and Joan Fontcuberta.

This year, the congress boasts an area of 3,000 square meters where major brands in the sector showcase their latest innovations. Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Canon, Olympus, DJI, and Apple are some of the companies occupying the 50 stands that make up the 2023 edition. With over 10,000 registered attendees, the vast majority are photography enthusiasts, to whom exhibitors will offer discounted prices. They will mingle with those who come to the fair to do business, a profile that organizers quantify at around 1,500.

The origin of the Photo Forum Fest is Bodaf, a congress dedicated to wedding photography that has been held in the Catalan capital for eleven years. It grew edition after edition, until in 2018 its previous location, the Axa Auditorium, became too small, so the organizers undertook an expansion. This involved moving to Fira de Barcelona, but also including more branches of photography, adding works on nature, photojournalism, and travel.

"Barcelona becomes the capital of photography these days, not only nationally but also at a European level," says Eduard Casanova, from Casanova Foto, one of the spokespersons for the fair. In this edition, participants from 16 countries have registered, including Portugal, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

As a novelty this year, four exhibitions have been incorporated, although this is not the main focus of the fair. The Photo Forum Fest does not want to compete with festivals like PHotoESPAÑA or Visa pour l'image, and prefers to focus on providing tools to the sector so that it can meet once a year and close commercial agreements.