I've not always worked at Digital Camera World; before that I published books about photography, and shot video with flying cameras. That means I've never left the photography scene, and I've attended photo trade shows in New York, Germany, and more. But the best moment is always the opening of the show we still affectionately call "TPS."
These days it's "The Photography and Video Show," and, as a journalist, my role is more about meeting people, but way back I was also an exhibitor. When I worked for a well-known print publisher, I brought hundreds of books in boxes from offices in Brighton, and colleagues of mine and I would rush in and out of the hall, putting up display boards we'd just had printed, carefully arranging leaflets detailing our special show offers, and generally.
It's fun to be an exhibitor because it changes the work patterns, and because you get to meet your customers face-to-face. And that makes you a better business person – I honestly think that, as a publisher, I helped produce better books because I met so many photographers in real life. Professional, enthusiast, beginner, and many who only concentrate on social.
There is also one magical moment at the show, given an extra bit of spice this year as the show returns to its "spiritual home" – Hall 5 of the NEC. The countdown.
Those of us lucky enough to be involved in the running of the show, or the running of a stand, are inside the hall as it happens, while the arriving photographers can wait in a lobby.
There is a giant screen above the entrance, offering glimpses to the waiting visitors of the hall they're about to get into, but, unlike a football stadium, they're not stuck in the same place when the whistle goes.
When the timer counts down, the gateway between the industry and the people that give life to that industry is taken away. People flood into the room.
The atmosphere is electric. People are grabbing deals. Chatting. Looking at things they wouldn't usually look at.
As I stood there capturing this video with a 360-degree camera people waved, some remembered me from the past.
It's not too late to be part of The Photography and Video Show 2026 this year, either as the four-day exhibition continues until Tuesday.
