Srajan mentions close up photography and the Canon easily can do this in both low and "normal" light. While the S400 is not fully manual, there are a half decent amount of adjustments in the "manual" mode. i HIGHLY recommend you check out reviews of various digital cameras at www.dpreview.com .
FYI: The S400 is FAR from my first digital camera as the ones i have owned include:
Kodak D40
Olypmus D360L
Olympus D600L
Canon D30
Canon S400
...and a few others.
What i enjoy about the Canon S400 is the good color/white balance, it does well in variable lighting, small form factor, durable metal body, and ease of use. It is nearly set and forget. In an ideal word i would rather have a Hasselblad with digital back, a few umbrellas, a softbox or two, some large white "cards", a few muslins, and other bits. Covering shows means one must be light, fluid, and as such compromises need to be made. This is especially true at the Germany show where chrome and glass are the norm.
No matter what camera you choose, it is your photographic talents/eye that matters most IMHO. It matters not if you use a Leica or an old Pentax K1000... beauty is in the eye of the photographer.