Canon had just launched a brand-new "Experience Center" in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in which potential customers can treat themselves to taking Canon's cameras and lenses on a test drive, of sorts. Canon plans to launch many more of these Experience Centers around the world, in which the equipment will be set up for demos, classes, or simply for walking up and trying them out. The experience will parallel what Apple has done with its Apple Stores, in that trained staff will always be on hand to answer questions regarding the equipment. Visitors can take photos with the equipment and even modify them via tablets around the store. Canon has also partnered with the image-sharing website 500px, which will curate galleries of work by local Canon shooters.
Of note, however, is that these Experience Centers are not stores, in the classical sense. Their primary purpose is to educate and inform, and should a visitor be interested in purchasing the products on display, the staff will give them information about local retailers or buying directly from Canon. No word yet on exactly where Canon plans to open the rest of their showrooms, but stay tuned to the Unique Blog for more news and information.