The New York State Fair broke previous attendance records for the Inspiration Tour as 26,145 guests visited the Kodak pavilion over the 14-day event.  This is the fifth stop on the tour schedule and so far our team of dedicated Kodak Ambassadors have educated and entertained over 87,360 guests and delivered an incredible 214,902 demonstrations on Digital Cameras, All-in-One Inkjet Printers, Printer Docks, Picture Kiosks, Digital Picture Frames, Custom Creations Software, and Kodak Gallery.

As always, we have some wonderful stories to share with you so let's get to it.  We met a lovely couple on Senior Citizen's Day at the fair who have both been into photography their entire lives and they even have a collection of old format and glass cameras but neither of them have taken time to learn anything about digital.  The gentleman was originally from Ukraine and the woman from Colombia.  They used photography when they first met and they were both very interested in finding out about how everything worked.  They were especially entertained by the kiosks and enjoyed learning about all of the personalization possibilities!

A large family of about 7 or 8 people shared an inspirational story recounting their move to Syracuse from Texas 2 years ago and a flood that caused them to lose many of their family photos to water damage.  Upon visiting the tent, they were understandably attracted to the printer dock's waterproof prints, but when they tried to sign-up for a Kodak Gallery account, they realized they already had one from several years back. Imagine their delight when several of the folders contained pictures that they thought they had lost!  It was really touching to see them gather around the computer and smile and laugh over the recovered pictures.  That is exactly what having a Kodak Gallery account is all about!

Two cousins came in to the tent and shared a picture with us that they had specifically brought in because they had heard Kodak would be at the N.Y. State Fair.  It was of the two of them and their late grandmother taken in the 'Kodamatic - Kodak Youth Booth' with a Kodak camera some time in the 80's.  Not only did we scan in their old photo and give them both a new enlarged print, but we uploaded the scanned image to a Gallery so that they could have a digital copy as well.  Finally, they took another picture in front of a backdrop holding the original picture with the idea that now they have a tradition started!

Parents and kids both love the stylish, colorful V-series cameras.  We had a lot of kids tell us the ability to choose a color was their favorite feature.  A group of girls decided amongst themselves who should have which color as they waited for their pictures to be printed.  Once they all had matching cameras, they wanted to start a photography club at their school! 

The Inspiration Tour delivers on our promise to build an emotional connection with our guests - young and old - by providing a hands-on, personal experience that showcases Kodak's integrated digital products and services.  In return, we are honored and humbled by the gratitude expressed by our guests as they connect with each other through the joy of photography!

Thank you Syracuse, N.Y.  Attendance at this event surpassed our last event in Ohio.  Next, we're heading to California to see what the LA County Fair has in store for us!  Will LA produce more record crowds?  Stay tuned to find out!

Please come back to see more photos and hear behind the scenes stories from LA and the Californians we will have the privilege to inspire!

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