Business - Events

An appetite for business rather than frustration with the economic situation: viscom continues on the upswing and sets markers for upturn DISPLAY/POS-World new core segment starting 2010

Düsseldorf. An appetite for business rather than frustration with the economic situation, impulses for an economic upturn and innovations with a stimulating effect: there was hardly a hint of crisis at viscom which, with a marked increase in visitor numbers, set a signal for an economic upturn in the entire sector.

"In a generally difficult economic environment, viscom was able to demonstrate its strength as a positive impulse giver", Hans-Joachim Erbel, Managing Director of Reed Exhibitions Deutsch¬land GmbH, remarked at the close of the three-day event. With more than 10,900 trade visitors, viscom succeeded in growing by more than 22 percent compared to the previous event in Düsseldorf (2007: 8,900), again exceeding last year's top result in Frankfurt. Growth was generated equally at home and abroad.

"Our exhibitors' innovative capacity beats the crisis", is how viscom Director Petra Lassahn delightedly sums up the course of the three fair days. This is also evident from the results of the business barometer, a survey taken at viscom by an independent research institute. According to this survey, more than 80 percent of the companies interviewed expect a positive trend in business, with only one in six expecting the economic situation to deteriorate further. The optimism is due primarily to the business generated by the large number of innovations presented at viscom.

This is not only true for the digital high-tech segments which attracted great interest from a broad range of advertising agencies and retailers at the Digital Signage World, and will continue to expand considerably. The segment of industrial inkjet printing which is used increasingly in industrial production - as in the clothing and furniture industries or in interior furnishings - is also attracting a growing number of customers at viscom who can gain an impression of the possibilities already available in production technology at this stage. There are hardly any limits these days to the industrial processing of all types of materials. More than 150 materials were presented at viscom in the "Industrial Inkjet meets Materials" special show. This is another reason why, with a new visitor structure, viscom is attracting new target groups to the fair and developing more and more into an event also frequented by advertising agencies, decision-makers from industry and the retail sector as well as the manufacturing sectors. A trend that again continued this year.

Yet even in the "classic" segments of advertising technology and light advertising with their predominantly trade character, innovative capacity helps to reach new markets and target groups by using new technologies and materials. A case in point is the first "European Wrap Star" which demonstrated the design possibilities available today with the use of new high-performing films.

All in all, 15 product innovations and best practice applications from the segments of Digital Printing/Large Format Printing, Light Advertising, Signmaking and Digital Signage received awards at this years' viscom (for more detailed information on these, visit www.viscom-messe.de).

In the segments relevant to POS which, with the application of new materials and finishing techniques as well as of digital media and lighting technologies, are growing in importance for product presentation and packaging, viscom further strengthened its leadership. Especially the combination of classic displays, digital POS media and innovations in material technology proves that viscom has the potential to become the POS industry's central trade fair in future.

From 2010 onwards, this is to become another viscom core segment named DISPLAY/POS World, specifically targeting manufacturers and suppliers of display, POS and packaging solutions. "For our exhibitors and visitors, the concentration of exhibitors from the Display/POS sector in a segment of their own represents an additional asset and ideally complements our established core segments advertising technology, lighting technology, digital and individual printing, as well as finishing technology and digital signage", says viscom-Chefin Petra Lassahn. In addition to the exhibition area, the segment will also include an extensive supporting programme as well as the traditional SUPERSTAR contest.

viscom frankfurt will take place from 28 to 30 October 2010 in Hall 3 of the Frankfurt Exhibition Centre.

Sign & Digital UK 2010 will be held on 13 - 15 April at the NEC, Birmingham

Sign & Digital UK, co-located with Screenprint and The Digital Signage Showcase is the leading event for today''s vibrant UK visual communication industry. Spanning 3 days at the NEC, Birmingham, the exhibition attracts unprecedented levels of quality visitors from across the industry. The event offers a unique and unrivalled opportunity to keep pace with a huge range of the latest products and services, as well as the prospect of networking and meeting a broad mix of key industry buyers and decision makers.

With over 21 years experience, this exhibition has continually evolved to give visitors a true insight into the industry today and in the future, which is why it can boast to be the biggest, most visited and longest established  visual communications event in the UK.

The '09 show was again a great success - here are some of the things that have been said about Sign & Digital UK 09:

Mike Lewis, sales and marketing coordinator – Hybrid Services/Mimaki:
“So far the show has been absolutely fantastic. We have been busy from day one, have taken lots of orders already. We shall definitely be booking again!

Allan Ashman, Managing Director - Atech:
“We were delighted when our first client walked on the stand and signed the order form for two products straight away.”

Brett Newman, Head of Product Development - Roland DG ( UK ):
“We took orders from the very first day and I think within a couple of hours of the show opening, which is great! That’s obviously what we are here to do and because of the class of people coming through the door, they’re purposefully coming to make a purchasing decision here at the show. Will we be rebooking? Of course! We’ve done this show forever; it is as simple as that.”

Dean Carpenter, Director, Laserite:
Sign & Digital UK has delivered to us a significant number of high quality leads, several of which have already turned into sales.”

Janice Fairfield - Fairfield Displays & Lighting Ltd:
“The 2009 Sign & Digital show was well planned and has been a great success for us.We will definitely be back next year.”

Mark Dale, Director - PFS:
“The interest we have had was on a more serious level than at any other show.”

Phil Kneale, Sales and Marketing Director - Graphtec (GB):
Graphtec (GB)’s stand was kept busy all three days at Sign & Digital UK. It was our best Sign & Digital UK show in 10 years, despite the recession. Customers came with money in their pockets.

Amy Le Corney, marketing manager - Robert Horne Group:
“We’ve so far sold a couple of laminators, and a couple of printers, and we’ve got some really good leads for some more hardware later on that we hope to close in the next couple of weeks. Sign & Digital UK is a key exhibition for Robert Horne, so we will definitely re-book for next year.”

Sarah Janes of Neschen:
“The show has been lively, informative and above all busy.


Exhibitors: To get involved in the 2010 show please contact the show team

Visitors: To be informed when registration opens click here

More than 35 Chinese manufacturers and suppliers have already confirmed their stand bookings at Ipex 2010, adding more than 1,600 sqm of floor space to the international event which will take place from 18th – 25th May 2010 at the NEC in Birmingham, UK.

Comments Trevor Crawford, Ipex 2010 Events Director, “For many Chinese manufacturers, Ipex 2010 will mark their second or third show which demonstrates the overall growth of their international graphic arts offerings and highlights the importance of Ipex as the number one global graphic arts exhibition in 2010. Equally, a number of Chinese suppliers less well known internationally will use Ipex as a global launch pad. We’ve already exceeded the number of exhibitors from China that participated in 2006, having currently 30 companies contracted compared to 27 in 2006. Demand remains high and we expect the overall numbers of exhibitors from this region to significantly rocket in 2010.”

Of all Chinese manufacturers confirmed so far, joint venture companies Shanghai Electric (Group) Corporation (SEC) & Goss International Corporation have secured the biggest footprint with 1,000 square metres of floor space. They will use Ipex’s international role to promote the merged business.

Shanghai Electric Printing and Packaging Equipment Manufacturing (SPPM) Group's Chairman Mr. Chen Da Xiong says, "As an important business unit of Shanghai Electric Group, SPPM has become an international leading supplier to the sheetfed, web offset and packaging printing sectors. We’ve attended several Ipex shows in previous years and are extremely pleased with the ROI achieved. Ipex 2010 is the ideal platform for us to showcase our strong capabilities and demonstrate our growing product portfolio and differentiating technologies to the international graphic arts community.”

Ipex Organisers are working in close partnership with PEIAC, the Printing and Printing Equipment Industries Association of China, to help exhibitors maximise their participation at the show. Comments Wang Demao, Vice Chariman Executive of PEIAC: “As organisers of two international exhibitions, China Print and Print China, we understand the tremendous contribution to the development of global printing industries made by Ipex over the years. That’s why we are lending our support once again to Ipex 2010 by organising for Chinese companies to exhibit their products at the show. We estimate that the total Chinese exhibition area will reach 2000 square metres.”

Other leading Chinese major players already confirmed and allocated on the floorplan include post-press manufacturer JMD Machinery Corporation Ltd with almost 170 square metres, as well as printing, packaging and consumables suppliers UP Group with 135 square metres. Others include Shanghai Eureka Machinery, Shanghai Hongjing Printing and Packaging Machinery, The Second Film Factory of Lucky Group, Shanghai PrintYoung, Chengdu Xingraphics, Zhejing Zhengrun Machinery and Zhejiang Konita New Materials to name but a few.

Hou Kang, the marketing manager of Longma Aluminium Group of China, which has secured over 40 square metres of floor space at Ipex says that, “Ipex 2010 plays an important part in the company’s export strategy because of its international reach.”

Zhejiang Zhengrun Machinery Co. Ltd will be exhibiting at Ipex 2010 for the first time. Deputy general manager, Wu Yingyi has booked a 60 square metre stand at Ipex. He comments: “Ipex has a wide influence in the global graphic arts world. As a prosperous Chinese company we’ve stepped outside our home borders and today successfully export to 30 other countries. Ipex offers the ideal opportunity to expand our business and relationships even further.”

Pre-registration for all those wishing to attend Ipex 2010 is now officially available via www.ipex.org/register and will result in a £30 saving off the entrance fee. The immediate wave of registrations has been very encouraging and is tracking ahead of the 2006 cycle. So far, registrations have been received from over 80 countries, reinforcing the importance of Ipex on a global scale. The show organisers have confirmed that there will be free fast-track entry for all pre-registered visitors.

As it continues to build its international community, FESPA announces the addition of the Mexican association Amerografics to its member base, only weeks after the Sri Lanka Association of Printers and the Nepal Printers Association join as FESPA associate members.

As an associate member, the members of Amerografics will benefit from a variety of FESPA educational resources and training initiatives, as well as participating in a growing number of international projects and events, including research studies, conferences, industry summits and exhibitions.  FESPA will benefit by forging stronger links with Mexican, and wider Latin American, printing professionals.

FESPA’s firm commitment to Mexican printers is clear from the events that it runs in the country. The organisation held its first successful sign, screenprinting and digital imaging exhibition in the country last August, which was followed by a second FESPA Mexico 2009 event. Attracting over 8,500 visitors to both exhibitions, FESPA Mexico has been established as the region’s leading trade show. In July 2009, FESPA also held its inaugural FESPA Summit in Mexico.  With over 70 delegates, which included printers and suppliers, the one-day summit in Mexico City comprised presentations and workshops on topics including the economic outlook in Mexico, environmental considerations with the introduction of a new law about printing on recyclable materials, and current and future technological developments. 

Founded in December 2008, Amerografics currently consists of screen, signage, digital and textile printers. With an office located in the District Federal of Mexico and another in Guadalajara, the association undertakes a wide range of activities on behalf of its members. Its aim is to strategically manage activities to improve the relationship between manufacturers and suppliers with the print community, as well as promote the exchange of knowledge and information amongst industry peers. Amerografics organises various events in Latin America to strengthen links in the community and offer educational training on topics, such as innovative printing.  It is active in encouraging social responsibility and planet-friendly practices. It seeks to support and develop the printing industry by engaging in open dialogue with relevant political authorities, in addition to representing the rights and interests of members, both nationally and internationally, before governmental bodies. It has already established relations with The Secretary of Economy and the Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) that presented at the Mexico Summit in July.

Mr. Francesco Brocchi, President of Amerografics says: “We are thrilled to be part of FESPA’s global community. FESPA played an integral part in founding Amerografics, recognising the strong need to bring together Mexican printers to support them, as well as developing the industry at both a national and global level. Being a member of FESPA enables us to offer our members additional support with a wider range of educational and training resources, and access to a number of services that FESPA provides, including its world-class summits and exhibitions.”

Nigel Steffens, CEO of FESPA, comments: “We are delighted that Amerografics has become a member of FESPA.  The Mexican printers that we meet are highly engaged, motivated and ready to proactively pursue market opportunities. We see FESPA playing a key role in the positive development of the printing industry in Mexico and more widely in Latin America. We’re confident that our partnership with Amerografics will be mutually beneficial and look forward to collaborating with these new members in the coming months.”

For further information, please visit the Amerografics website at www.amerografics.org

The European TransPromo Summit proved to be a major success, bringing together 315 attendees and 22 sponsoring companies. The truly international audience was made up of attendees from The U.K., France, Greece, Spain, Germany, Finland, Sweden, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Croatia and Slovenia, United States, Italy and others. The inaugural event, held at the Square Brussels Meeting Centre in Belgium last week, was organized by 4IT Group and InfoTrends. The summit was information-packed and provided attendees with valuable business insights, information on industry and technology trends, detailed case studies, and innovative business opportunities. The event also provided attendees and sponsors with several opportunities to network with industry peers.

“There is no question about the interest in the TransPromo Market in Europe. The conference was over-subscribed and participants were not disappointed,” commented Barb Pellow, Group Director at InfoTrends. “In a struggling economy this event was strong and created very positive energy levels throughout the 2 days.”

Day one of the conference kicked off with a state of the industry address focused on the TransPromo value proposition, its current state in Europe, and a view into future opportunities. The program continued with keynote presentations on “Powering TransPromo - Hardware a Critical Enabler” and “Planning for TransPromo Success.” Keynote speakers included industry leaders from Belgian Post, DST Output, GMC, HP, InfoPrint Solutions, Kodak, Océ, and Xeikon.

“It is evident that TransPromo’s time has come,” commented Enrico Barboglio, President, 4IT Group. “There was a tremendous industry buzz from companies that are leveraging the power of bold design, vibrant color and variable data to transform bills and statements into highly individualized customer marketing communications.”

“Conference content was superb, and I believe the sessions were well received by everyone,” commented Roberta McKee-Jackson, Director of Operations, Xplor UK & Ireland. “There was a lot to be learned and presenting the marketing as well as the technology tracks was beneficial to all.”

“I enjoyed the event tremendously with high quality content and a very well managed conference. The insights gained will translate into improved business decisions and help to shape our strategic direction,” stated Bill Parker, CMO, GMC Software AG. “The time I spent was well worth the investment.”

Plans for the 2010 European TransPromo Summit are underway and will be announced in the upcoming weeks. Due to the success of the event many sponsors have already signed up for next year. Sponsorship opportunities are now being accepted for 2010. For more information, please contact Jason Russell at +44 1582 400120 (Jason_Russell@infotrends.com) or Valentina Carnevali at +39 02 26927081 (valentina.carnevali@4itgroup.it)

Medium-sized car or luxury limousine, old-timers or conventional passenger car - the car wrappers transform every vehicle into a unique gem. In this process, they confront even the greatest challenge. Nowadays films adorn motorbikes, aircrafts and even rockets. Often, the wrapping even consists of a single piece. As a result, even motorbikes can be wrapped without seams that might spoil their appearance. The range of possible patterns and colours is endless. For advertisers, this offers unlimited design possibilities.

At viscom 2009, practitioners will show how it's done. Highly qualified car wrappers will compete for the title of first "European Wrap Star". At the international trade fair for visual communication, four identical Hummer vehicles will be wrapped live at a special area in Hall 8a. The contest will be presented by MR Clipart, the SEW Wrap Akademie and the viscom organisers, Reed Exhibitions Deutschland GmbH.

Prizes with a total value of more than 200,000 euros to be won

The competition will begin on Thursday, 1 October, with the task of wrapping one door and one wing. In each of the eight 45-minute first-round matches, eight participants will start out. From each match, four of these will go on to the next round to be held in the morning of Friday, 2 October, when again eight participants will compete in four 45-minute matches. In the third round on Friday afternoon consisting of two matches, the car wrappers still remaining in the competition will then have to do an almost full wrap of one vehicle side within 60 minutes. Four from each match will reach the semi-finals to be held in the morning of Saturday, 3 October, when a complete vehicle side is to be wrapped. In the grand finale on Saturday afternoon, the four best participants will finally face each other over 90 minutes.

The happy winner will then hold the title of "European Wrap Star". Even merely reaching the finals is a very interesting prospect for all participants, however, as each of the four finalists will receive one of the four main prizes: ain Royal Sovereign Laminator worth more than € 7,000.00, a Rollsroller Flatbed Laminator 340/145 worth 13,900 euros, a Summa T140 Cutting Plotter & Opus-Cam & software worth 15,990 euros, or a Mimaki CJV 30-160 cut and print system plus software worth 22,800 euros.

In all, prizes with a total value of more than 200,000 euros can be won. But even those eliminated in the first round will not go away empty-handed: a "consolation package" with product vouchers from the major film manufacturers, a car wrapping seminar, software and a range of "wrapping tools" with a value of more than 2,000 euros is waiting for them. And the value of the prizes increases with each round.

"Catch the Hummer": Big tombola for spectators

Not just for the pros but also for spectators, there will be a large number of prizes to be won at viscom. Tickets will be available at the Systeam and Mutoh Europe N.V. stands. The first prize is a Mutoh ValueJet 1204 Eco Solvent printer worth 10,500 euros. Winners of the second prize can look forward to driving a Hummer H2 for one month, winners of the third to driving a Hummer H3 for a weekend. There will also be a large number of Ed Hardy products to be won. The tombola will take place on the viscom Saturday at the European Wrap Star stand C51 in Hall 8a.