Business - Events

FESPA has extended its global reach with the addition of two more Asian associate members, as it welcomes the Sri Lanka Association of Printers (SLAP) and the Nepal Printers’ Association (NPA).

As associate members of FESPA, members of SLAP and NPA will now benefit from a wide range of educational resources, training and best-practice development tools, as well as participating in a growing number of international projects and events. FESPA will benefit by forging even stronger links with the Asia-Pacific region, which as a whole is an increasingly significant player in the global screen, textile and digital printing markets.

FESPA’s firm commitment to the Asia-Pacific region is evidenced by the number of events it runs in the area. FESPA launched the first ever screen and digital print exhibition in India, FESPA India 2005, which has continued to run every two years since the inaugural show, with the third FESPA India taking place in December 2009. Further to the success of these exhibitions, FESPA launched FESPA Digital India in 2008, dedicated to the digital wide format printing industry.  Last year the association also launched FESPA Asia-Pacific, the region’s only international event dedicated to screen and digital printing which will return in 2010.

Sri Lanka Association of Printers
Founded in 1956, SLAP currently consists of 288 printers and 125 suppliers. Based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the association undertakes a wide range of activities on behalf of its members. It provides advice and an array of services to promote the welfare of its members, including researching the latest market developments and trends, as well as developing the industry through the introduction of modern technology. It is firmly committed to training the country’s youth in all aspects of printing work, and provides career guidance and employment opportunities.
The Sri Lanka Association of Printers communicates with public authorities and other associations on matters affecting the interest of its members and the wider printing industry, and enters into arrangements with the government or other authorities to obtain rights, concessions, licences and privileges to support the industry. Its links with the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka, the South Asia Print Congress, the Forum of Asia Pacific Graphic Arts Technology, the Sri Lanka Institute of Printing and the INGRIN Institute of Printing and Graphic Arts provide additional support to the country’s print industry.

SLAP President, Mrs. Dharani Karunaratne went on to say: ''We are honored to be a part of FESPA's global member community. As an association, we are strongly committed to promoting and, overall, developing the printing Industry in Sri Lanka. Being a member of FESPA has great meaning and value that enables us to provide a wide range of educational and training resources, as well as access to a number of other services that FESPA has to offer that includes exhibitions to its members."

Nepal Printers’ Association
Established in 1978, the Nepal Printers’ Association, based in Kathmandu, Nepal, has 211 members consisting of digital, offset, and screen printers, print suppliers and, pre- and post-press-related businesses. The NPA provides its members with a number of services and support initiatives. It organises various training schemes to help members better understand, manage and use the latest printing technologies. It runs a range of interactive printing workshops and seminars and also runs broader business sessions on income tax, the VAT and tax registration to help members develop their commercial awareness. The association provides members with valuable business and economic information that it disseminates via the post, circulars and newsletters.

The NPA is also involved in lobbying and making recommendations to the government on relevant policy matters. It played an integral role in securing projects for the country’s domestic printers, such as the printing and distribution of school texts books with its Public-Private Partnership Approach. It also represents the business community in various governmental and wider organisations, such as the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FNCCI), the South Asia Print Congress (SAPC), the Federation of Small & Cottage Industries (FSCIs), and the Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC), creating strong networking opportunities for members.

Mr. Uday Narsingh Shrestha, President of NPA says: “At the NPA, we pride ourselves on providing members with a wealth of information, resources and support. We are delighted to become an associate member of FESPA, which will enable us to offer our members even greater value, thanks to FESPA’s international links and industry expertise.”

Nigel Steffens, CEO of FESPA, comments: “We are thrilled to welcome both SLAP and the NPA to FESPA’s international community. We are committed to expanding our global reach and influence, particularly in emerging markets in the Asia-Pacific region. We’re confident that our partnership with the SLAP and the NPA will be mutually beneficial and look forward to collaborating with these new members in the coming months.”

Both associations will support FESPA at FESPA India running from 7 – 9 December 2009 at the Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. For more information please visit the FESPA India website at http://www.fespaindia.com

Viscom Germany (1st-3rd October) will be Mutoh Europe’s launch platform for several new printers.

Visitors will be able to discover a brand-new high-performance Mutoh sign cutting plotter family for home, office and professional users. Mutoh will also introduce several additions to its existing portfolio of large format printers for sublimation printing and direct textile printing.

Complementary to the Mutoh booth, Mutoh Deutschland GmbH – Mutoh Europe’s sales office for the German speaking market – will join forces with its authorised distributor Systeam GmbH and the Germany MCP partners (Mutoh Certified Partners). They will present the latest Mutoh inkjet technology, such as ValueJet, Blizzard and ValueJet Hybrid.

The ValueJet Hybrid combi printer is Mutoh's “green” printer. The printer uses non-petrochemical based inks, originating from corn and can print on recyclable media.

The Mutoh MCP booth (Hall 8B – D20) will also feature live wrap demonstrations on special objects and information sessions on Mutoh’s award winning Intelligent Interweaving print technology.

Organised by IIR Exhibitions (an Informa business), the official Ipex 2010 Media Summit will take place in the modern South Gallery conference facilities at the ExCel Centre in London from 7th – 11th February 2010. Providing an impressive group of 100 international media and influencers with an exclusive preview on what will be on offer at Ipex 2010, a selection of key exhibitors will have the opportunity to present their product news, marketing strategy and future vision throughout the conference programme.

Leading industry players such as Canon Europe, Domino Printing Sciences, Fujifilm Europe and Red Tie have already confirmed their participation at the at the International Ipex 2010 Media Summit with many other suppliers set to sign up over the next few weeks.

Complementing 12 manufacturers/service providers, technology previews, new launches and presentations will be some Ipex related sessions as well as the popular evening social functions which will offer an excellent opportunity for vendors to interact with the global media and continue discussions from earlier in the day.

Comments Trevor Crawford, Ipex 2010 Events Director: “Known as the Ipex Inward Mission in the past, the event has always been an integral milestone for all participants in the run up to Ipex. Not only will the Summit provide an excellent platform to promote the global reach of Ipex to the printing industry and its far-reaching innovations. At the same time, we will also update participants on the multi layered visitor marketing campaign and the planned Ipex 2010 visitor initiatives and features.

“Previous Summits have resulted in a substantial return on investment and significant global press coverage for the participating suppliers within the leading global graphic arts publications. The International Ipex 2010 Media Summit provides an unparalleled opportunity to present to the world’s media some 14 weeks out from what we believe will be the most important Ipex event in its history. We’re pleased to have secured the modern facilities at the ExCel London for the event. Its stunning location in the heart of London’s Royal Docks and its close proximity to London City Airport make it the ideal location.”

David Preskett, Director of Professional Print, Canon Europe, comments on the event: “For Canon, attendance at the last pre-Ipex media event was a key element of our communications strategy in the run-up to Ipex 2006. The event offered a rare opportunity to present Canon’s news and vision to such a large audience of international industry media, was a great networking opportunity, and produced a significant amount of quality coverage for us. We’re therefore looking forward to achieving a similar level of success through the Official Ipex 2010 International Media Summit.”

Sheila Richardson, Group Marketing Manager, Domino Printing Sciences comments: “Domino is delighted to be participating again in 2010. Having successfully attended this event previously, we did not hesitate to participate in this unique opportunity to engage members of the press from around the world.”

Says Graham Leeson, marketing communications manager, Graphic Systems Division – FUJIFILM Europe: “The media summit will form a key part of Fujifilm's Ipex communications strategy. It provides the perfect platform from which to update the international media community on some of Fujifilm's ground breaking new print technologies.”

Natalie Pritchard, Sales and Marketing Manager, Red Tie says: ““Our web to print solutions originated in the UK and over the last 2 years our company has expanded on a global level. The International Ipex 2010 Media Summit represents the ideal forum to deliver our message worldwide. We firmly believe that the Summit will represent an invaluable opportunity to communicate with world class journalists. The networking opportunities will be unrivalled and the event forms an important part of our 2010 PR strategy.”

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 to the international event which will take place from 18th – 25th May 2010 at the NEC in Birmingham UK.

Dr. John Warnock and Dr. Charles (Chuck) Geschke, the co-founders of Adobe Systems Incorporated, have been honoured with the global Ipex 2010 ‘Champions in Print’ awards which acknowledge the huge contribution of those who have influenced and shaped the development of the printing industry.

The Ipex Advisory Committee, which represents a broad range of major exhibitors, visitor groups and trade associations, has awarded the accolade in recognition of the roles they played in inventing Adobe® PostScript® technology which revolutionised desktop publishing by providing a radical new approach to printing text and images on paper.

John Warnock says, "We are delighted to accept the Ipex "Champions in Print" award. When Chuck and I founded Adobe in 1982, we hoped our technology would have the potential to make an important contribution to the communication of ideas. But if anyone had told us it would be part of revolutionizing the printing and publishing industry, we would have been sceptical. We were fortunate in that we have always hired bright and creative people at Adobe. I'm proud to say that Adobe has been built on the legacy that has continued to revolutionize how the world engages with ideas and information, whether in print, on the Web and across all manner of devices."

Chuck Geschke says, "We are honoured to accept this award on behalf of everyone at Adobe who has worked with us to advance the future of the print and publishing industry. The revolution that began as desktop publishing in the late 1980s changed the cost, productivity and efficiency of an industry without compromising the 500 years of the traditional aesthetics and quality of the printing trade. The technology and products developed at Adobe since its founding have had a major influence on the evolution of the graphics arts industry. Today, Adobe continues to drive the transformation of print communications from a manual, mechanical process to a fully digital workflow."

Geschke and Warnock met in the late 1970s at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Centre, where Geschke directed research activities in computer science, graphics, image processing and optics, and Warnock worked as a principal scientist. The pair went on to set up Adobe Systems Incorporated in 1982 and launched PostScript which enabled content from a computer file to be printed exactly as it appeared on screen, with all formatting, graphics and fonts intact.

Building on the success of PostScript technology, their company expanded into desktop publishing software with Adobe® Illustrator® and Adobe® Photoshop®. These applications enabled designers to create and manipulate complex images and graphics for print. Later on, the launch of Adobe® InDesign® redefined page layout for publications, allowing many magazines, newspapers and corporate brands to adopt modern production workflows. The development of Adobe® Acrobat® software, and the Portable Document Format (PDF), helped advance the print industry further by enabling the use of electronic files for high-fidelity printing.

Ipex 2010 Event Director, Trevor Crawford, says, “The sheer number of nominations that both Dr Geschke and Dr Warnock have received since the launch of the Champions in Print awards is testament to the impact they’ve had on our industry. Both had a vision for publishing and graphic arts which has forever changed how people create and engage with information. We’re extremely pleased to recognise their outstanding contribution to the graphic arts world and hope we’ll continue to attract large numbers of nominations for different industry figures.”

In addition to chairing Adobe Systems Incorporated, both men serve on the boards of the various educational, arts, technology and other non-profit organisations. Geschke serves on the boards of the San Francisco Symphony, the Commonwealth Club of California, as well as being a board trustee at the University of San Francisco and an advisory board member for computer science at Carnegie-Mellon University. Warnock is active on or has served on the boards of the Sundance Institute, the American Film Institute and the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose.

The Ipex 2010 ‘Champions in Print’ Awards were launched to honour individuals who have influenced and shaped the printing industry across the world. There will be ten ‘Champions’ in the run-up to Ipex 2010, which will take place from 18th - 25th May at the NEC, Birmingham, UK. The first three winners were Indigo founder and industry pioneer Benny Landa, J.K Rowling, author of the top-selling Harry Potter novels, and Professor Frank Romano at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

To nominate a living person for the next ‘Champions in Print’ award, complete a nomination form on-line by visiting www.ipex.org/cip. If a nominee hasn’t yet been selected as a winner, he or she can be nominated again. Entries must be supported by a brief summary of the nominee's achievements.

Océ and Zünd have teamed up to showcase award-winning technologies and products at open days in St Albans, Hertfordshire, on 15-17 September between 9.30am and 5pm.

Océ and Zünd UK Ltd, the UK distributor of Zünd digital flatbed cutters, will provide a series of practical demonstrations. Experts from the two companies will be showing display graphics printers and packaging printers how to streamline their workflow, save labour, reduce waste and increase productivity by combining the leading Océ digital printers and Zünd digital cutting technologies.

The world’s top-selling UV curable flatbed and roll-to-roll inkjet printer, the Océ Arizona® 350 GT, will be on show alongside the Océ CS9160 high quality eco-solvent roll-to-roll inkjet printer, for both media for outdoor and indoor use.

Another top attraction will be the Océ ColorWave600, which uses patented CrystalPoint™ technology, combining all the benefits of toner with the advantages of inkjet technology.

Zünd will show the latest G3 series and how its systems have evolved into full featured, production tools capable of cutting blank and pre-printed vinyl and other roll materials, as well as pre-printed sheets on flexible and rigid substrates. These can be tailored to meet specific requirements of almost any application.

Dominic Fahy, Océ UK’s Business Group Director, Display Graphics, said: “The market remains buoyant. In the world of display graphics the demand for productive direct to substrate printing systems is rapidly growing. Run lengths and delivery times are getting shorter and in almost every graphic production, finishing is now a bottleneck.

“At the demonstrations we will show display graphics printers and packaging companies how to streamline workflows, save labour costs while at the same time reducing waste and increasing productivity. It’s an event not to be missed!”

HP today announced that it will be showing an addition to its range of large format printers on its stand, 9.E.082 at VISCOM Sign España, 22-24 October, Feria de Madrid, IFEMA.

At the show HP will be demonstrating its latest large format printer, which will drive change in the industry and allow Print Service Providers (PSPs) to differentiate themselves.

Other stand highlights include:

- The HP Scitex FB950 Printer - 2.5m hybrid UV printer providing consistent high-quality POP/POS, trade show and event signage on a wide range of rigid or flexible media at high speeds of up to 80m2/hr in billboard mode

- The HP Designjet L65500 Printer - the first of a new category of large-format signage printers with HP Latex Inks that reduce the impact of printing on the environment and offer broad outdoor and indoor application versatility, while delivering quality and high productivity with no drying time needed and at print speeds of up to 79m²/hr (for outdoor) and 34m²/hr (for indoor)

- The HP Designjet Z6100 Printer series - aqueous printers with an embedded spectrophotometer available in 42" and 60" models delivering vivid, high-impact prints at high print speeds. The series is ideal for indoor and short-term outdoor banners and large format applications such as posters, photos and fine art prints, drawings, maps and renders.

- The HP Designjet Z3200 Photo Printer is the perfect printing solution for graphic designers, photo and fine art print service providers, commercial printers and photographers. It enables easy calibration and profiling with an embedded X-Rite spectrophotometer, and features an expanded colour gamut with 12 HP Vivera pigment inks and HP 73 Chromatic Red. The HP Designjet Z3200 Photo Printer is ideal for producing gallery quality, black-and-white and colour photographs, art enlargements, large-format designs and high-accuracy proofs.

- HP Indigo application area, where PSPs will be able to see sample prints and speak to HP staff who will advise them on the best solutions for their business.

"HP's latest graphic solutions will allow our customers to continue to differentiate their businesses," said Santi Morera, vice president and general manager, Large Format Printing Business, Imaging and Printing Group, HP. "PSPs now have the widest ever portfolio of HP printers to choose from, allowing them to enter new market segments with confidence," said Morera.

For more information please visit http://www.viscomspain.com