The region’s biggest printing and graphic
communications event was officially opened this morning by PacPrint chairman Ian Martin, and Bill Healey from PIAA,
together with Adrian Fleming representing GAMAA, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
During the course of the five-day event,
held once every four years, more than130 leading Australian and international
suppliers will highlight their solutions, with some 18,000 printers from across
Australia and New Zealand expected to walk the aisles.
The 2013 event
may be slightly smaller than previous editions but is expected to be more
diverse, reflecting the changes and new opportunities that are available today
providing visitors with the chance to see the latest technology, systems and
equipment.
There will be
strong representation in areas from prepress, workflow management, to digital,
offset and wide format, packaging, labels, inks, paper and consumables, with business and
cross-media services in the mix, together with a range of other interesting
products.
PacPrint has
not been blighted by a plethora of major names pulling out, as has happened at
Ipex and other European and US shows, indeed the opposite is true with many
exhibitors putting in significant investments and bringing brand new
technologies over for the show. It will be the first time for instance that
Australian printers will have the opportunity to view the new Fujifilm inkjet
web press, the new B2 HP Indigo and the new Screen digital label press.
PacPrint
organisers says the show will highlight new revenue streams for printers with
many stands having a cross channel approach, and also giving visitors a chance
to experience the new world of 3D printing.
The
theme for the PacPrint Forum Series this year will be An Industry in
Transition, with the organiser just announcing the names of the speakers for
the three day series of sessions, which are free to PacPrint visitors.
The
series will feature former Australian hockey coach Dr Ric Charlesworth,
futurist and business specialist Anders Sorman Nilsson, and a panel of industry
experts including Joan Grace, general manager – Employment, Education and
Training for Printing Industries and Debbie Burgess, director of Bright Print.
PacPrint is co-owned by the employers association PIAA and suppliers association GAMAA.
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