Business - Events

Professor Frank Romano, international analyst and Ipex ‘Champion in Print’ best summed up the mood of exhibitors and visitors when he declared that “Ipex 2010 has demonstrated that the printing industry is back in business”.

With one day of Ipex 2010 to go visitor attendance stood at just under 50,000 from 135 countries, excluding over 20,000 exhibitor, agents, dealers, distributor, OEM’s and 500 international media personnel. Most significantly, the international ratio has increased by 8% compared to 2006, with the overall visitor attendance representing 48%. This makes Ipex more international than any other business to business event in the UK.

The largest overseas visitor groups came from France, Germany, Netherlands with a 4% overall increase from Western Europe. Notable increases in attendance levels came from Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa as well as China and India. Exhibitors commented on the high level of personnel seniority from both overseas and UK companies. 77% of attendees were senior managers, company directors and owner/managers.

Trevor Crawford, Ipex 2010 event director, comments: “We’re delighted with the visitor numbers which are roughly in line with 2006, despite considerable industry consolidation. The notable increase in international visitors underlines the importance of Ipex to the printing industry. A far-reaching integrated marketing campaign, including successful international roadshows and a comprehensive co-marketing programme, came together to deliver an international decision-making and buying audience.”

With over 1,000 exhibiting companies from 40 countries, Ipex 2010 provided a spectacular showcase of the best in printing equipment, workflow and consumables. Continues Trevor Crawford: “Here at Ipex 2010, the industry’s leading suppliers certainly inspired visitors with exciting new technology, but we believe Ipex 2010 will be remembered, first and foremost, as the moment when printers showed renewed confidence and moved to invest in the future of their business.”

Record levels of business

Exhibitors reported record levels of business, with tens of millions of pounds worth of deals closed at the show, for both digital and offset technologies.  HP surpassed its revenue and lead generation targets as of Day Five.  Xerox sold in excess of 100 digital systems at the show.  Canon exceeded targets, with 250 production and light production print engines sold, supported by strong solution sales.  Konica Minolta’s order intake surpassed expectations, with orders taken during the first three days covering the cost of participation.  Heidelberg reported orders for 140 printing units in the UK alone and AGFA generated more than € 25 million worldwide sales. Finishing specialist Duplo lauded Ipex as the company’s most successful show ever, with more than £2 million worth of orders.

Nick Craig Waller, Ipex 2010 Marketing Director says: “Two phrases spearheaded our global campaign for Ipex 2010: Perfect Time, Perfect Place, One Unique Opportunity and Marketing Print’s Potential. Both have resonated extremely well with visitors and exhibitors. Feedback confirms that Ipex has played a key role in re-igniting the global industry and provided the catalyst the market was seeking. While we’ve set our own targets, ultimately, we judge the show on the business results our exhibitors have achieved. By that measure, Ipex has been a tremendous success.”

Over a third of the exhibitor base had never participated in the event, demonstrating how Ipex continues to evolve and attract new companies and reflecting the status of Ipex as an international launch pad to the graphic arts industry. Ipex newcomer, web-to-print company Red Tie has been thrilled with the quality of enquiries, and Israeli digital print supplier Scodix commented on the high volume of sales and have confirmed their attendance at Ipex 2014.

UPEX used machinery dealers also reported a busy and successful show, with organiser Mike Steele commenting: “Dealers reported that visitors are seriously looking to buy and to sell. We have had very positive visitor feedback on the quality being displayed; exhibitors have really raised the bar with the standard of machine and information presentation and stand design.”

Show highlights

At the Opening Ceremony, Trevor Crawford, Ipex 2010 Event Director and George Clarke, Ipex 2010 President and Heidelberg UK MD, paid tribute to the resilience of the industry and the significant technological developments evident at the show. The ceremony also marked the culmination of the Champions in Print initiative, which saw the Ipex Champions presented with an award and honoured for their significant contribution to the industry.

Show features like the Printers’ Profit Zone in association with the Print Coach, Nick Devine (www.theprintcoach.com) and the Great Print Debates (in association with Pira) proved a big hit and played to full houses. Feedback showed that the robust and tangible business advice provided during these sessions was extremely well received by printers. Ipex also hosted a number of high-profile industry events including the PrintIT! awards, Xplor/BAPC seminars, the Digital AdLab meeting, as well as the EDP awards.

At the event’s mid-point, Ipex announced David Preskett, Canon’s European Professional Print Director, as president of Ipex 2014.  David will be the first ever Ipex president from the digital community, and will head up a new Ipex Advisory Committee to prepare a world class event which will reflect the needs of the industry in four years time.

Current Ipex President & Managing Director of Heidelberg UK concludes: “This Ipex has been a huge success. It has been busy, had a real vibrancy and shown itself once again to be a truly international event. Visitors have been informed, entertained and shown glimpses of the future. Suppliers with the right products have generated good sales. Ipex came at a fortunate time in the economic and investment cycle and it will be remembered as the Recovery Show, the most important Ipex ever for our industry.”

György Kovács, Vice-President FESPA, took to the dirt track recently in the Turkish stage of the World Rally Championships. Throughout the race György and his teammate fought valiantly against world-class competitors, eventually finishing third in their category, despite leaving the trail at high speed during the race’s 12th special stage.

“I had an exhilarating few days in Turkey, and despite some minor setbacks I am very proud of the way we performed” says György. “Aside from print, rally driving really is my passion in life and I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel in New Zealand in May, to get the adrenaline pumping in time for a great FESPA 2010 in Munich!”

The annual PrintIT! Awards, now a well-established event in the print industry calendar has taken place at Ipex, the global event for print, publishing and media. Attracting a host of industry figures, print professionals and finalist schools, the event celebrated the hard work and achievements of the thousands of students who took part in this year’s PrintIT! competition. During the event Daniel Smith, a pupil from St Ives School - a specialist technology college in Cornwall was awarded the overall prize of a state-of-the-art iPad and an exclusive all-expenses paid trip to Paris to attend Canon Expo in October.

George Clarke, outgoing Chairman of PrintIT!, congratulated all of the finalists of PrintIT! 2009/10 and commented on the importance of the nationwide competition for the future of the print industry, “This year’s awards have been particularly special taking place at Ipex 2010 and attracting an astonishing range of talent. It’s been a privilege to work with PrintIT! throughout the past year and to see first-hand how this unique programme can introduce and enthuse young people to the exciting world of print.”

Mr Clarke continued, “The winner of this year’s competition submitted an exemplary piece of work; innovate, creative and mature, but as has been said before, the standard of entries submitted from all across the country was outstanding. Choosing just one winner was tough.”

This year the overall winner of PrintIT! 2009/10 was selected by a panel of print, media and graphic arts experts that deliberated over who, out of the thousands of participating students, would win each of the competition’s eight subject categories.

Commenting on Daniel’s success, which included winning the prize for “Best Wall Poster”, Tom Bowtell, General Manager of Proskills, the Sector Skills Council behind PrintIT!, said, “Daniel’s entry emerged as the winner due to his inventive, fresh approach to the competition brief.  Across all categories, Daniel’s work stood out because of the obvious amount of care and attention he’d given the project, teamed with which, the level of understanding he demonstrated for printing methods, and for the environmental concerns of the industry as a whole was exceptional. In addition, his overall winning design of the barcode is relevant to all merchandise across the Fairtrade brand.”

As part of the new ‘Green’ PrintIT!, students this year were challenged to place a greater emphasis on sustainability than in previous years, helping students to develop a better understanding of the environmental issues facing print. Creating a raft of designs to suit a print-based campaign promoting Fairtrade products in supermarkets, the PrintIT! 2009/10 course expanded its focus to include the teaching of wide and large format print processes.  This in turn gave entrants the scope to design a wider variety of end products, from leaflets and shelf wobblers through to posters, mobiles, and aisle and storefront banners.

“Our print industry is still in the early stages of recovery, but you only have to look at the skill demonstrated by these young people and the passion they have displayed for all aspects of print, to know that we have a bright future ahead of us,” comments Terry Watts, Chief Executive of Proskills.

This year Vario Press based in Slough, Berkshire, a printing and finishing company offering a multitude of integrated services including marketing, advertising and graphic design, took home the award for “Best Industry Twinner”. The company was judged to have provided exceptional commitment in supporting its twinned school (Herschel Grammar, Slough) and providing advice to both teachers and students throughout the competition.

“We believe strongly that the competitiveness and success of the Print Industry depends on young people today. Schemes like PrintIT! are some of the best ways of introducing students to the many print career choices available to them, and by Twinning we are taking an active role in educating potential upcoming talent,” says Dave Clarke, Managing Director of Vario Press, commenting on his company’s role as a Twinner.

Mr Watts concludes, “What we have all seen today at Ipex is a glimpse of some of the future talent available to the print industry. The whole event has been a great success and it has been an inspiration, not only to see the students enjoying the awards and Ipex as a whole, but to see so many of print’s key figures in one place. PrintIT! has proved to be a uniting force for this industry since its inception in 2005, and we are sure that it will continue to play this role in the many years to come.”

All eight category winning students were presented with a top of the range digital camera and their schools were gifted print-related equipment for their Design & Technology departments.

 

2010 Category Winners

• Best Wall Poster: Daniel Smith, St Ives School, Cornwall.
• Best Shelf Wobbler: Fiona Shaw, Wycombe High School, Buckinghamshire
• Best ‘Free’ Design: Thomas Gavrie & Edward Johnston, Chatham House Grammar School, Kent
• Best Use of Brand across the Range:  Fiona Liao, Tiffins Girls School, Surrey
• Best Understanding of Printing Techniques: Madeleine Young, Wycombe High School, Buckinghamshire
• Best Use of Materials: Bethany Titcombe, Wycombe High School, Buckinghamshire
• Best Understanding of Environmental Concerns: Jaye Sahota, Herschel Grammar School, Slough
• Best Overall Presentation: Shreeja Basak, Tiffins Girls School, Surrey

 

2010 Special Awards

• Best Industry Twinner : Guy Clarke, Vario Press in Slough
• Best Teacher: Ricardo Arbelaez, The Thomas Deacon Academy

 

Overall Winner of PrintIT! 2010

• Overall Winner of PrintIT! 2010 : Daniel Smith, St Ives School, Cornwall

 

The Ipex organisers are delighted to announce that David Preskett has been appointed President of Ipex 2014. He will assume the role from the current President George Clarke when Ipex 2010 closes on 25th May.

David Preskett is the European Professional Print Director at Canon Europe and has worked more than 16 years in the graphic arts industry. Having joined Canon in 2005, David previously held senior UK, European and Global positions at Agfa’s pre-press and large format arenas.

Says Trevor Crawford, Ipex 2010 Event Director: “David has been an invaluable member of the Ipex 2010 Advisory Committee. We are delighted he has accepted the post and have no doubt that his considerable international industry, marketing and event experience will help us shape Ipex 2014.

Ipex 2010 is a landmark in the shape of international graphic arts exhibitions, in that it is the first time that the ‘digital footprint‘ has occupied the largest floorspace. While Ipex will continue to reflect the complete supply chain, David’s digital expertise will be of enormous help to us. “

Commenting on his appointment as Ipex 2014 President, David Preskett says, “I am particularly honoured to be the first ever Ipex president from the digital community, and look forward to canvassing the views of my colleagues who represent all sectors of the graphic arts industry so that we can assist the Ipex organisers in delivering an international world class event in 2014 that meets the needs of visitors and exhibitors alike. I see one of my key roles working with the team to continue to grow the international attendance figures particularly from Europe where we have the opportunity to further expand Ipex’s position as a ‘must attend‘ event.“

David has a MBA from Henley Management College and also a BSc. Hons in Chemistry from Exeter University. Married with three children – a son and two daughters – David lives in the south of England and counts running, cars and motorsport as hobbies.

At the mid-way stage of Ipex 2010, the organisers are delighted with the overall visitor numbers which are in line with those of 2006, despite industry consolidation. By the end of day three (Thursday, 20th May), over 35,000 visitors from more than 120 countries had walked through Ipex’s doors, with international attendance up by 16%, representing 56% of the overall visitors.

The largest visitor groups to date have come from Germany, France and Benelux. Notable increases to 2006 in attendance levels have come from Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa, China and India, following a number of dedicated country-specific International Days.

Early feedback indicates that exhibitors are achieving or even exceeding sales targets, with a significant number of orders signed during the first half of the show. Exhibitors are equally enthusiastic about the turnout at product demonstrations, the number of serious business discussions, as well as the strong attendance from senior personnel from both overseas and UK companies. An impressive three quarters of attendees were senior managers, managing directors or business owners.

Comments Trevor Crawford, Ipex 2010 Event Director: “The industry has shown enormous resilience despite the ongoing global economic challenges. Encouraging pre-registration figures in access of 75,000 combined with the strong international attendance throughout the first half of Ipex re-iterates the importance of the Ipex brand within the global exhibition calendar. Anecdotally, we are hearing from exhibitors that for the first time, printers are bringing a number of their customers to the show, signalling its growing importance to the marketing audience.”

George Clarke, Ipex 2010 President & Heidelberg UK MD says: “We’ve been excited by the great international turnout, which has not been affected by the Icelandic ash. Ipex has retained its fantastic buzz and vibrancy. Exhibitors have worked hard to impress, visitors seem to be coming well prepared and also there are many orders being signed. We are meeting our show targets.”

Newly announced Ipex 2014 president, and European Professional Print Director at Canon Europe, David Preskett adds, “Canon came to Ipex 2010 with high hopes and so far it is proving to be a fantastic show for us. Ipex provides an ideal platform to talk to an international audience about the opportunities in the industry for business growth and from investment in the complementary technologies of offset and digital. It’s clear from feedback at the show that customers are investing now.”

During a well-attended Opening Ceremony, the Ipex ‘Champions in Print’ were honoured, with Crosfield Electronics founder John Crosfield, Indigo founder Benny Landa, St Ives founder Lord Gavron, and Professor Frank Romano, of the Rochester Institute of Technology, all present to receive their awards.

Concludes Trevor Crawford: “Ipex got off to a flying start but we are judging the success of the show by the feedback we receive from exhibitors. With the number of business deals closed and the quality of international visitors travelling to The NEC, all the indications are that the show is going to be a success.”

At Ipex 2010, Fujifilm is demonstrating how its technologies, solutions and sound business advice will give printers of all shapes and sizes the 'power to succeed' in today's tough economic climate, and invites them to come to its stand (9-CD360) to see its comprehensive range of products in action.

Fujifilm is in the unique position of being able to offer benchmark printing solutions across a wide portfolio of applications, all based on the latest technologies.

Opening up new business opportunities with wide-format

A considerable area of the Fujifilm stand is devoted to wide-format print production.  Here, Fujifilm is exhibiting the recently launched Uvistar UV inkjet roll-to-roll machine. The Uvistar uses Fujifilm's specially developed Uvijet QK inks and can print on rolls up to five metres wide, altering the way that material for both billboard and POP applications will be prepared in the future.

Fujifilm is also showing its brand new Pro-File system, which has been designed to allow screen printers to deliver consistent colour output and optimise production efficiencies across both screen and inkjet technologies. The Pro-File system combines three best-in-class components – Fujifilm Sericol screen inks, Fujifilm Acuity digital printers, and ColorGATE software – to help printers deliver the consistent colour demanded by customers in the 21st century.

In addition, the Inca Onset S20 printer, the latest high performance member of the Onset family, is on the stand alongside the latest Acuity Advance HS wide-format device.  Fujifilm will be demonstrating how both these printers can be used to produce ultra-high quality, innovative print at high speeds to add value to wide-format print operations.  Also, Fujifilm's euromedia experience area takes a prominent position on the stand, where the company is showcasing many different types of creative media applications.

To complete Fujifilm's wide-format offering, the Esko Kongsberg i-XL cutting table is on the stand, perfectly complementing Fujifilm's market leading range of wide-format solutions.