To be or not to be at a trade show

Two tradeshows – Ipex in London (March) and Printpack Arabia (April) in Sharjah, are slated in March and April 2014. While there is wide-spread agreement that we are suffering from trade show fatigue, both shows may be important. 

A glimpse of what to expect at Ipex in London and Printpack Arabia in Sharjah.


Ipex 2014: Still important

This time around, there will be a dearth of heavy metal from the press manufacturers like Heidelberg or HP. But there will be other solutions that are crucial to profitability.

Pre-press at Ipex 

Ipex will see workflows, MIS, web-to-print applications in the pre-press segment. Fujifilm with its latest version of XMF remote online job submission and approval system and workflow will ensure high-pagination publications review using fast scrolling mode, and variable data and productivity enhancements.

EFI will showcase its products like PrintSmith Vision, Pace, Monarch, Digital player Konica Minolta has also moved into this area, and will include PrintGroove, a workflow which features a range of modules for web-to-print, job submission and pre-flighting.

    EFI

Optiums, Shuttleworth, among other will showcase their latest MIS.

 
Press at Ipex

Digital will be the star at the show. Domino will try to impress with its range of digital inkjet printers while EFI will continue the trend of having samples and data rather than the actual equipment while showcasing the abilities of its super-wide, wide-format, label and ceramic inkjet presses and inks.

Epson will show off its SurePress and SureColor press, while Fujifilm will exhibit the JetPress 720 B2 sheetfed press and 540 W web press a well as the Graphium digital label press. Konica Minolta will expect the newly developed KM-1 B2 cut-sheet inkjet press to be popular among the packaging printers. Screen will demo its Trupress Jet520 and Jet 350UV presses.

KM-1

Screen Jet350UV

In the conventional offset space, Komori will bring its Lithrone G-540, five-colour with coater at the Eco Zone and demonstrate the green efficiency of Komori’s H-UV drying technology.

 
Post-Press at Ipex

Post-press is expected to step into the unknown, with smaller suppliers demonstrating their flexibility to meet the changing demands of the print world.

Atlas Machinery will showcase Megabound, the Indian manufacturer’s hard-case bookbinding equipment for short-runs and digital market place. Duplo, represented by TechNova in India, is using Ipex as a launchpad for its latest multi-finishing device. MGI will showcase its entire line of digital printing and finishing solutions while Scodix will launch the Ultra machine, for the first time in UK. As it did at Drupa, Scodix will be running thousands of samples daily and also offsite visits to a local user who is running the S75. Scodix is represented by Monotech in India.

Duplo DC646Pro

Morgana represented by Malhotra Graphics will preview its DigiFold Pro and AutoCreaser Pro while Tech-ni-fold will showcase three cost-effective digital creasing and perforating solutions.

PrintWeek's view: The absence of major manufacturers, this Ipex, will provide an opportunity not only to those big ones who are present, but also the small- to medium-sized suppliers to showcase their flexibility and innovation. The show is not in Birmingham. And so Indian visitors can spend the evening watching a football game in London or visit the St Bride's print museum.


Printpack Arabia: Opportunity Knocks for 19 Indian exhibitors

The Middle East print industry comprises of nearly 1,700 print firms and is the print revenue of the region is expected to reach $7-billion by 2015.

A total of 70+ print equipment manufacturing and solutions providers, including 19 from India will tap into this market through the joint efforts of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Indian Printing Packaging and Allied Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (IPAMA), who have taken PrintPack to the Arabian shores for the first time.

From the looks of it, the Indian flavour at Printpack Arabia seems to be finishing. As we know, whether it’s offset or digital – short or wide-format, one thing that is a must have is stitching, folding, binding, coating or even perforating.

Alliance Printech will showcase its latest Precision sheeter machine, APL Machinery will showcase its interdeck UV system, Five Star Printing Machinery will offer a bouquet of products like die-cutting with hot foil stamping and perforating machines, Pratham Technologies its leaflet folding machine, and Baumer India their cold gluing system and hotmelt system.

With IPAMA focussing on encouraging its members on forming joint ventures, we may see Indian manufacturer get into JVs, in a bid to bring in latest technology in to India by harnessing the benefits of research done by global manufacturers.

“If Indian manufacturers align with international brands, the journey would be easier, says CP Paul of APL. At the moment the Indian manufacturers are catering to only 2% of the Indian market. If JVs happens, the untapped 98% can be the catalyst for Indian manufacturers’ growth.