The Print Show 2022 took place from September 20th to 22nd at Birmingham’s NEC and welcomed thousands of visitors from across the industry, as well as from those markets with strong links to print.
Across the three days Hall 17 was brimming with activity, as exhibitors showcased their latest offerings to visitors, with those in attendance able to get a close-up view of kit at the first major, UK-focused print event since The Print Show 2019.
Event director Chris Davies said he was pleased with how the show went, saying the early feedback from both exhibitors and visitors had been overwhelmingly positive.
“Returning after three years away was always going to be a huge challenge for us and our exhibitors, but I can honestly say the show went better than any of us could have hoped for,” Davies said.
“Given the fact that our last event was before the pandemic back in 2019 and that we had an additional bank holiday to contend with on the final day of build-up, the show went really well and exhibitors had a very successful few days at the NEC.”
Back for more
Such was the success of The Print Show 2022 that a number of exhibitors opted to book their stands at the 2023 show before this year’s event had finished. ADAPT Amari Digital Printing Technologies, ASL, Accura MIS, Venture Banners, VB Media, Trade Embroidery and The Online Print Coach all secured their places at The Print Show 2023, while Tradeprint also rebooked shortly after the show closed.
Organisers confirmed that The Print Show 2023 will take place from September 19th to 21st, again at the NEC in Birmingham.
Taking part in the event for the first time this year, ADAPT ran a series of eye-catching stands at the show, decorated with a graffiti design and blasting out music that provided a pleasant accompaniment to the constant whirring of printers and other machinery as is standard at any print event.
“We had a very successful show; it was ADAPT’s show debut and we wanted to make sure we made the best of the opportunity,” ADAPT general manager Dominic Brown said “We definitely did this, the feedback from people on the stand was amazing.
“The impact the Platinum range of printers had and the buzz around FLXfinish+ on the Canon Colorado were probably the main highlights for us. They created great opportunities for us and made sure there was a great atmosphere around the stands.
“We are still going through the data from the show, but what I can say is it looks good. We are also finalising a few deals as we speak. We have already booked and we will be back bigger than this at next year’s show!”
ASL, which was busy throughout this year’s show, signed up to exhibit again in 2023, opting for a larger stand in an effort to showcase even more of its solutions next September.
“The Print Show is exceptionally hard work but always fun,” Paul Stead, sales at ASL, said. “Somehow, it always pays off. We’d be dumb not to come back next year.
“Our stand was constantly busy due to the nature of the demonstrations we were running. All devices were picked for their unique offerings: Konica Minolta with high-capacity trays up to 900mm; Kyocera with fast affordable cut sheet inkjet; Epson for high-quality large-format; Ricoh printing 500gsm stocks on the ProC9200 and duplexing at rated speed; Xerox showing gold, silver, white and clear; but the star of the show was a desktop label printer from OKI.”
Building for the future
Another exhibitor that was busy throughout the show was Hybrid Services, the exclusive distributor for Mimaki in the UK and Ireland. Operating a unique, long-running stand along the side of the hall, Hybrid showcased a range of machinery, from the new 330 Series solvent printers to Mimaki’s latest vinyl cutter and the new full-colour 3D printer.
“It was a highlight to simply be at the exhibition and given the challenging environment and timing of the show, it’s testament to the efforts of the organisers and our fellow exhibitors that we were able to present such a quality event,” said Duncan Jefferies, head of marketing and business development at Hybrid Services.
“In terms of meeting and speaking with visitors, it was exciting to talk with so many print businesses looking to add to and expand their capabilities with investment in wide-format kit.
“As the commercial printing sector continues to evolve, wide-format solutions become ever more relevant, and we appreciated the conversations with visitors who could very readily see advantage in investing in the Mimaki solutions we had on the stand.
“Hybrid has supported The Print Show from the very first event and we look forward to continuing the relationship going forwards.”
