08/10/2009 Hasselblad sent out the invitations and they all came. From September 24 – 26, the world’s very best photographers, reporters from 16 countries, Hasselblad partners and dealers and many faithful Hasselblad fans converged on Orlando, Florida to attend the 2009 Hasselblad Global Conference. The singular choice of holding the event at NASA’s legendary Kennedy Space Center was in itself ample incentive for the 220 invited guests to come. The Scandinavian-based company celebrated its history as well as heralding its future by staging part of the conference where Apollo 11 lifted off with Hasselblad moon cameras on board and unveiled the new H4D camera series together with the latest Phocus 2.0 imaging software.

A gathering of leading photography and aerospace experts as prestigious as the one at the Florida event will not be seen again for a long time. Hasselblad CEO Christian Poulsen took part along with senior management from the company’s research and development team to celebrate with familiar friends from NASA. And even the “Man on the Moon” himself appeared in person with his wife Lois: astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second person to ever set foot on the moon as part of the 1969 Apollo mission and one of the first Hasselblad photographers to capture images in space. The 79-year-old veteran astronaut answered journalists’ questions, sharing details about his life and the unforgettable moon flight with equal portions of humor and philosophical insight. One perhaps little-known fact was that Hasselblad cameras are still awaiting the return of humans in the Sea of Tranquility, where the equipment had to be left behind to reduce weight on board the lunar lander. At the conference Aldrin became the proud owner of a Hasselblad camera – a 503CW from the legendary V series – presented to him personally by Christian Poulsen, equipped with farsighted technology in the form of the CFV-39 digital back. The unparalleled combination of proven and ground-breaking technology demonstrates once again how Hasselblad’s faithful customer base can continue to use their cameras far into the digital age.

The three-day program gave attendees many unique glimpses into the mysteries of aeronautics and behind-the-scenes information about Hasselblad. Those taking part in a VIP tour of the spacious Cape Canaveral space center were able to capture images from the past and future of space exploration. As part of a compact university training course, photographers were given useful tips on how to put their Hasselblad equipment to the most effective use from expert Hasselblad engineers themselves.

The impressive conclusion to the 2009 Hasselblad Global Conference was a banquet for the 220 guests in the Apollo/Saturn V Center beneath a huge Saturn V rocket. The 110 m space rocket measuring 10 m in diameter created a genuinely overwhelming backdrop for the closing event.

E-mail feedback from attendees concluded that the Hasselblad Space Event was an unforgettable experience. “We saw things which we could only have dreamed of seeing and were able to do so in the company of many compelling and brilliant people.”

As Hasselblad CEO Christian Poulsen announced during the event, the company will be launching a campaign to counter unfounded myths surrounding Hasselblad products. As part of an international True Photography Tour, photographers will be able to see and try for themselves how far from the truth statements such as “35mm cameras deliver sufficient quality” or “Hasselblad cameras are hard to use” really are. The True Photography Tour will be accompanied by media exposés which convincingly separate fact from fiction one myth at a time.