In fact, the respective floor space taken up by digital and offset exhibitors have almost exactly reversed between Ipex 2006 and 2010.
Current figures show that digital vendors will occupy 38% of the show’s 100,000sqm. At Ipex 2006, digital comprised 26% – the exact percentage currently booked by offset vendors at Ipex 2010.
The biggest exhibitor at this year’s show will be HP, which at 3,000sqm will have the largest stand at the NEC, up 39% on the size of its 2006 stand.
At Ipex 2006, Xerox had the biggest stand, followed closely by Heidelberg, whose 2010 presence of 2,450sqm is 52% smaller than the 5,120sqm it took in 2006.
Trevor Crawford (pictured), event director for Ipex 2010, said that overall, support for the show was strong despite the GFC.
“Some stands are smaller, but there’s no appetite from vendors to stop supporting the show,” he said.
Crawford explained that in 2006, the top 10 exhibitor had been 40% offset, 40% digital and 20% post-press. At Ipex 2010, the top 10 exhibitors would be 80% digital and 10% for both offset and post-press.
In the offset halls, the few stands that are to increase in size will include Goss, which last year tied with Shanghai Electric, as well as new and used press distributor Printer’s Superstore, which sells Chinese manufacturer Sanxin.
Crawford pointed out that Chinese exhibitors represent one of the strongest growth areas, with more than double the number of Chinese stands than appeared at Ipex 2006 set to feature at Ipex 2010.
Crawford said there were currently some 60 Chinese stands. “There could be more like 100 Chinese manufacturers by the time we finish booking,” he added.
Crawford said Ipex 2010 came at the right time for the global print industry. “The positivity in the market is better than it was six months ago and there’s a new air of controlled optimism in the market.”
He said that in most cases, the prototype technology that had been on show at Drupa would be a commercial reality by the time Ipex opened its doors.
Steven Kiernan is in London for the Ipex Media Summit.
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