The wide-format printer manufacturer, which had paid a deposit on a 196sqm stand, said it had quit the London show to focus on "the country and industry-specific needs of all its market sectors".

Heidelberg, HP, Xerox, Landa, Kodak and Agfa have also decided not to exhibit at Ipex.

Roland DG Australia business development manager Conrad Birkett said trade shows were no longer "one of the only opportunities to see and evaluate equipment".

[Related: Ipex to visit Australia]

"While it is important for vendors to be present at exhibitions, all of us are looking for new and additional ways to interact with the industry and our customers," he told ProPrint.

"Like our partners in the UK, Roland DG in Australia has invested time and resources into our creative centres, the popular Roland roadshow events around the country and staged additional events with our dealer channel to provide a more local and personalised experience for our customers and prospects alike…

"For us, it is a matter of choosing the events that best suit our customers and we will be exhibiting at both PacPrint 2013 in Melbourne and the Visual Impact & Image Expo in Sydney later in the year in conjunction with additional Roland roadshow and dealer events."

Roland DG will also attend Fespa 2013 in London and Print 13 in Chicago, said a spokesperson.

[Related: More Ipex news]

This article originally appeared at printweek.com

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