The Canon Expo will be returning to the Sandton Convention Centre from 30 November to 2 December 2012. TechSmart spoke to Michelle Janse van Vuuren, marketing manager at Canon SA, to find out more about what this year's event hold in store.

TechSmart: Last year's Expo was a resounding success, so much so that you're having another one this year. What are the lessons you've learned from previous event?

Michelle Janse van Vuuren: I think we were overall very well prepared last year and we will again ensure that we cover all the basics this year. We are definitely very excited about the upcoming Expo event and entrance will remain free because we want everyone who is interested in photography or small, medium and large business owners or anyone else who can benefit from our products, to come through and enjoy themselves.

Photographers are always eager to learn more, and your speakers are a big drawing card. Apparently there are even more this year?

When we knew we would be hosting the Expo in 2012 we immediately decided to offer visitors the opportunity to experience more speakers at the event. We will be running two speaker sessions simultaneously and even managed to secure internationally acclaimed photographers and Canon ambassadors including the photojournalist, Ziv Koren, and wildlife photographer, Brutus Östling. For the entire list of speakers and their topics those interested can visit our Expo website at www.csaexpo.co.za.

This was a super year for Canon regarding new releases. Which of the new cameras will be on display?

The Expo is a chance to showcase Canon's latest technology and this year will include the exciting EOS 6D full-frame and EOS M mirrorless camera; new additions to the EOS cinema range for professional independent videographers; and of course the long-awaited PowerShot G15. These are only a few highlights, but we want to encourage everyone to come and touch, feel and experience our product range.

There were some complaints that the specials offered at the Expo was not to everyone's expectations. Any news on the specials for this year?

We will definitely be offering a variety of specials and should we run out of stock, the same show specials can be purchased at dealers in the close vicinity over the Expo period. Visitors interested in purchasing products at the Expo can view the pricelist in the week prior to the event on the website.

We were astounded at the high quality of photos on display for the photographic competition last year. What are the entries like for this year's crop?

They are looking absolutely amazing and we were blown away by the quality of the entries and the thought that went into most of them. I'm sure visitors to the Expo will agree with us once they get a chance to view them in the gallery area at the event.

Considering the array of talent we saw last year, what is your opinion on the state of photography in South Africa at present?

I believe our country has a lot of talent, which is evident when you consider the entries we see through the variety of ongoing photographic competitions we run in the media. We run these competitions because we want to encourage people interested in photography to actually live their passion and enjoy it at the same time. We cannot wait to showcase some of this talent at the Expo.

What advice would you give to someone contemplating buying a new DSLR and/or compact camera at the show?

I think it is very important to utilise this as an opportunity to come and talk to our product managers and experts. Some things to always consider are: 'what you want to use your new camera for', 'how often will be using it' and of course 'what you can afford'. We invite those considering purchasing a camera to ask these questions and then actually play with and experience these cameras at the Expo to make an informed decision.

Any advice for people coming to attend the Expo this year?

There will be registration at the entrance so we please ask everyone coming through to register before entering. Also, if you do intend to bring along your Canon gear, please remember to declare them at the registration desk so that they can be tagged and marked as owned by you.

Should the waiting be long at one section of the Expo, please remember there are many things to experience and you can always come back to that specific area at a later stage.

Check the speaker sessions and topics prior to the Expo on our website to avoid disappointment and if you are interested in purchasing products, please also refer to the pricelist on the website (www.csaexpo.co.za) in the week prior to the event. We cannot wait to welcome you at our Expo.