Epson to host open day event in collaboration with Fiery
Epson UK will host a three-day event at its Innovation Centre in Lutterworth in collaboration with Fiery, which Epson recently acquired
PRINTING United, Labelexpo Americas, and London Packaging Week have all celebrated successful events
A range of printing focused trade shows have announced success this year, including PRINTING United, Labelexpo Americas, and London Packaging Week.
The events, which all took place in September, have reported increases in attendee numbers, strong sales, and positive feedback from exhibitors across the board.
The PRINTING United Expo 2024, which took place from September 10th to 12th, announced positive sales and feedback from a range of its exhibitors.
Among those that reported success, was finishing systems manufacturer Muller Martini. The company was demonstrating the North American premiere of its new Hunkeler Starbook Sheetfolder, presented in line with its Vareo PRO binder.
The company reported strong interest and a high quality of discussions. Andy Fetherman, president and chief executive officer of Muller Martini, explains: “The positive response from visitors at our booth shows that we are on the right track to drive digital transformation in the printing industry.”
Printing solutions provider, Graphco, also announced strong success at the Las Vegas trade show. The event reportedly generated significant sales for Graphco, as well as strong interest for its range of printing equipment.
“The response at PRINTING United was nothing short of remarkable,” states Chris Manley, president of Graphco.
“Our booth was buzzing with energy, and the interest in our equipment, especially from RMGT, SD-Italy, ProCut, and Foliant, exceeded all expectations.”
Record sales were also reported at The Print Show 2024, the UK’s only exhibition dedicated solely to the UK print market.
The show has also reported an increase in visitors since the pandemic, with 4,012 visitors attending across the three-day event.
Wide-format printing manufacturer Agfa launched its new Anapurna Ciervo H3200 machine to the UK market at this year’s Print Show. At the show, Agfa announced the sale of one of its machines to advertising services brand The Delta Group.
CMYUK also reported a string of sales at the trade show, including two JWEI cutting tables and three Canon Colorados. Among these sales was the purchase of a Canon Colorado from design, print and display company, Carbon Colour.
Additionally, Hybrid Services, the exclusive Mimaki distributor for the UK and Ireland, announced the very first UK sale of a Mimaki CJV200-160 at this year’s show. The machine was purchased by Cre8ive Printer, a Manchester-based company that specialises in printing for banners, signage and posters.
Speaking of the show's success, Chris Davies, event director of The Print Show, comments: "In my opinion, this is the best year we have ever had. Lots of our exhibitors reported on-stand sales and high-quality leads, proving once again that The Print Show is an incredibly valuable gathering point for the UK print industry."
It has been announced that the Sign Show will launch in 2025, alongside The Print Show. The Sign Show will run from 23rd to 25th September in Hall 3 of the NEC, co-located with The Print Show. The new exhibition will be designed to address a void in the market with a focused event dedicated to sign-making in the UK.
Another event that declared increased numbers was Labelexpo Americas 2024, which also took place from September 10th to 12th in Rosemont, Illinois.
According to the organisers, a total of 12,215 attendees attended the three-day show. Attendees came from 73 countries, and overall international attendance increased by 33% from the last edition. Labelexpo announced further attendee increases across the board, with more converters and almost double the number of brand owners and designers in attendance.
The three-day event included a market debut from digital printing solutions company, Nilpeter. The company showcased its new flexible packaging and labels machine,the mid-web FA-26, which has now officially launched in the North American market.
Manufacturer Domino also launched its K300 compact monochrome UV inkjet printer at the event. Its 600 dpi variable data printing capabilities are designed to be adaptable to any 2D Code type, with a wide range of applications in different sectors. The company also presented a wide range of equipment at the expo, including N730i and N610i presses and K600i printbar.
London Packaging Week, which also took place in mid-September, showcased a range of packaging innovations, trends, and businesses. The event included four co-located events that focused on key segments of the packaging market: luxury, beauty, drinks, and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG).
Event organiser Easyfairs has hailed London Packaging Week 2024 as a "real success," with early indications suggesting a strong upward trend in overall visitor numbers.
Senior marketing manager at Easyfairs UK, Jaime Montero MacColl, said: “You can tell people are engaged in the content and conferences, and all of the stages have been really busy.
“The exhibitors are delighted, and lots of high-level conversations are happening. The award winners are also delighted, giving them richly deserved credibility to move forward with. Overall, it's been a real success.”
Included in the event was the inaugural London Packaging Week Innovation Awards, which honoured packaging designs deemed “groundbreaking”. One design highlighted by the awards was a unique whiskey decanter designed by Aston Martin, the Bowmore ARC-52 Mokume, which features a mixed-metal laminate with distinctive layered patterns.
Also spotlighted at the awards was Coca-Cola's label-free Sprite Naked. Coca-Cola temporarily removed labels on its Sprite bottles and replaced them with an embossed Sprite logo directly on the bottle, to understand whether it would help to simplify the recycling process.
Looking ahead Easyfairs will be hosting the Packaging Innovations & Empack event in February 2025. The trade show, taking place at the NEC Birmingham, caters to industry professionals seeking to know the latest trends and technologies in packaging.
As was the case in 2024, the event will feature three dedicated zones, each spotlighting key growth areas in the packaging sector.
The Food Service area will engage with the UK's top food retailers and food-to-go outlets with a focus on shelf life, sustainability, and recyclability. The Label & Print area explore the machinery, software, and processes that drive packaging success, including suppliers of labels, corrugated, and flexible packaging.
The Smart Packaging area will showcase packaging innovations like NFC chips, RFID tags, and other technologies which offer interactive experiences for customers and brands.
Speaking of the upcoming event, Naomi Stewart, marketing manager at Easyfairs UK comments: “Between the increasing emphasis on sustainability and new regulations, the challenges are plentiful, but so are the opportunities. By attending Packaging Innovations & Empack, businesses will be well-placed to take these opportunities."
Easyfairs has announced that the event is now officially open for registrations. Attendees can register for attendance to the event through the Packaging Innovations & Empack website.
