After a two year COVID-induced hiatus FESPA has declared the recent Global Print Expo and European Sign Expo recently in Amsterdam a success with visitors from over 100 countries attending and the series of livestreams broadcast for those that couldn’t attracting over 5,100 views a day.
FESPA CEO Neil Felton said the feedback from exhibitors has been positive with a sense of optimism for the future.
“Feedback from exhibitors was effusive, with many commenting on the upbeat mood among visitors, the unmatched value of face-to-face conversations with senior decision-makers, the enthusiasm for the new technologies and consumables on display, and the overriding sense of optimism for the future,” Felton said.
“The buzz in the halls was energising and the impression was that delegates felt very confident and happy to be in a live event environment again after such a long time.”
A large contingent of show visitors were from the Benelux region of Germany which accounted for 49% of the audience. Felton said other strongly represented countries were Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Spain and Poland.
In total, the events attracted 7,850 unique visitors, 42% of whom attended for more than one day, bringing total visits to 11,130, Felton said.
Close to half of all visitors (44%) were owners or managing directors, reinforcing the significance of the event as a springboard for business recovery and forward planning. Two in three visitors influence or make final purchasing decisions in their business.
The drawcards
Felton said Printeriors was again a popular attraction for visitors.
The display was inspired by nature and curated by FESPA’s Textile Ambassador, Debbie McKeegan. It featured digitally printed applications targeted at printers operating in or looking to expand into interior decor. Industry suppliers Imageco, Kornit Digital, PONGS, swissQprint and TTS were involved in the display.
The European leg of the Wrap Masters was also held.
Norman Brübach from Germany was crowned the winner and will go on to compete against regional champions in the World Wrap Masters final at FESPA Global Print Expo in Berlin next May.
The ‘FESPA Live’ sessions which were broadcast for those that were unable to make it were also successful delivering live-streamed and virtual content to people around the globe. These sessions attracted over 5,100 views each day of the event.
The recordings of the sessions are also still available to watch on demand.
“The past two years have undoubtedly been challenging for everyone in our community. To move forward, printers and signmakers need to unearth new opportunities, explore the latest technologies and meet with peers to share ideas,” Felton said.
“This year’s events were an important milestone in our collective recovery and we hope that our next Global Print Expo and European Sign Expo, which will return to Messe Berlin, Germany, from 31 May – 3 June 2022, will finally put our whole global community back in motion.”
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