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10
EXHIBITIONS
PITR:
You managed to stage an event
last year that attracted plenty of
praise. What would you say were the
main reasons for its success?
Chris Davies:
We set out to develop
a show that addressed all areas of the
industry and, with the quality of exhibitors
that were in attendance last year, that is
just what we did. Not every show organiser
can say they had brands such as Konica
Minolta, Ricoh and Grafityp at their first
event.
We also had a tight-knit organising
team that worked tirelessly not only to
bring in this high calibre of exhibitor, but
also to market the event properly. We
spent a lot of time working on campaigns
to ensure that people knew just what the
event was about. This worked very well and
we were able to surpass our initial targets
by bringing in more than 5,300 visitors
over the three days.
PITR:
What have you been doing to
improve on the event and how will
the 2016 show differ in content?
Davies:
Speaking to both exhibitors and
visitors throughout the show, the amount
of positive feedback we got was really
encouraging. It set us up nicely for this
year, with plenty of companies that didn’t
exhibit in 2015 signing up for 2016.
The floorplan also includes a host of key
returning companies, such as Konica
Minolta, Signmaster Systems, Grafityp,
Riso, Antalis, Premier Paper and Intelligent
Finishing Systems.
We’re currently working on the content
programme, which is set to be more
expansive and informative than last year.
Although we are still in the planning
stages, what I can say is that there will
be a whole host of specialist speakers in
attendance, each of whom will be giving
advice on specific sectors of the industry.
PITR:
You recently announced that
The Print Show will be relocating
from the NEC to the International
Centre in Telford for the 2017 event.
Why did you decide to make this
move?
Davies:
We’ve experienced a surge of
interest in the 2017 show, with many
exhibitors this year looking to secure their
place at next year's show as well.
Our floorplan for 2016 is already
getting very choked for the bigger stands,
so we have had to consider taking more
space. On top of that, a large number of
our key exhibitors have been asking us
for space in 2017, to make sure they can
retain the most advantageous spots.
Last year’s inaugural The Print Show was a resounding success, drawing praise
from all corners of the print industry for its content, calibre of exhibitor and
overall approach.
PITR
caught up with Event Director Chris Davies for a sneak
preview of what we can expect at this year’s event, which takes place on
October 11-13 at the NEC, Birmingham.
Bigger and better:
The Print Show 2016
PITR:
Did the decision by IPEX to
relaunch at the NEC have any impact
on the move?
Davies:
It’s no secret that IPEX will be
returning to the NEC next year, and this
has had a big impact on our decision.
Previously, I have spoken out about what
I felt was a very cynical move by IPEX – to
announce the return of their show the day
before The Print Show 2015 opened its
doors, moving from March to October and
a year earlier than originally planned.
It was also the day after we had
announced our commitment to shows
in 2016 and 2017. The final piece of the
puzzle is that IPEX has changed from
being an internationally-focused event
to a nationally-focused one. It can only
leave you with one assumption – that it
is a strategic move to try and block us
from fulfilling our promise to create a
sustainable, annual, UK-focused and right-
sized trade show dedicated to celebrating
UK commercial print and providing it with
an annual economic kick-starter.
Without a slot open at the NEC in 2017,
we embarked on a UK tour of exhibition
venues, ironically ending up a short distance
up the road from where we started, at what
is an excellent, fresh, modern and purpose-
designed 13,000 square metre site that will
be a great host for us.
PITR:
What are your main hopes for
the event this year?
Davies:
The confident and warm response
generated by the success of the 2015
event has definitely driven much earlier
confirmed bookings for 2016, and we are
much further ahead than we were this time
last year. As a result, we are expanding the
show and looking at an event that will be
about 15-20% larger in its second year.
Chris Davies,
Event Director,
The Print Show
