What would you cite as the biggest areas of opportunity in wide-format print?
I think that the main opportunity will be with regard to the marketing spend of brand owners and agencies, with the emphasis on buying print with a stronger focus on effectiveness and sustainability. Sign-makers and wide-format printers should regard this as a real opportunity.
Those who specialise in niche markets offering high-end print solutions for special effect printing, and for industrial printing like garment, wood and glass should reap the rewards.
There is now more of a focus on wide-format printers as marketing-service-providers, offering more than just print. Companies will need to listen to clients to deliver effective solutions, providing new ideas to strengthen their offering. Provide a more effective solution for your customer with the added ‘wow’ factor, for example printed applications that evoke the senses of smell, touch and even sound.
Sign-makers and wide-format printers should also have an understanding of upcoming trends and experiment with new ideas in wide format print; it will go a long way to achieving maximum impact and out-comes for your client”
Sign-makers and wide-format printers should also have an understanding of upcoming trends and experiment with new ideas in wide format print; it will go a long way to achieving maximum impact and out-comes for your client.
The industry’s love affair with digital has advantages in meeting evolving demand from clients, including personalisation—the benefit for companies of investing further in digital wide-format printing for their business is substantial.
Over the next five to ten years, the mission for all firms is to embrace the opportunities that come with the innovative applications and technology that’s available to meet these. As previously mentioned, this industry is ever changing, therefore constantly presenting new challenges. Businesses should look at these as opportunities to expand their offering and expertise.
How much of an opportunity do UK-based sign-makers and print-service-providers represent to European suppliers and manufacturers?
The UK is a key market for equipment and consumables amongst many other Western geographies. The UK has a particularly strong association for being highly creative in the graphic design and fashion sectors, with many major advertising agencies and organisations head quartered in London. The UK is a leader in POS and much of the thought leadership in retail innovation is influenced by UK brand owners and agencies.
The UK has a particularly strong association for being highly creative in the graphic design and fashion sectors, with many major advertising agencies and organisations head quartered in London”
Since 2001, printers have had to take a cautious approach to investment due to market conditions. There comes a time, however, when investment is necessary, whether to refresh advances in technology or to pursue new opportunities. UK print-service-pro-viders (PSPs) are as renowned for their drive and innovation as many of their colleagues from around the world, so suppliers have a rich potential market here.
FESPA has a significant international audience; we would envisage around 50 percent of the visitors to be from the UK and the remaining from the rest of the world. An overview of the top ten preregistered visitors so far are from UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Netherlands, Belgium, India, Portugal, and USA.
Do you think diversified commercial printers represent a threat to sign-makers with wide-format capability?
The last decade has seen the blurring of lines between the service providers. Competition is healthy and the key for a successful business is to identify your niche, understand your customers and deliver what they want—and more.
Be aware of new trends and continue to offer new applications and ideas to your customers, not just ‘square metres’ of printed material.
What do you bill as the next big evolutionary step for wide-format technology?
At FESPA 2013, I expect to see a plethora of new technology launches and exciting new wide-format ideas and applications. The event is a platform for innovation and I don’t think I have ever seen so many new launches coming from all quarters of the industry at any other FESPA event – we are in for a real treat.
The London Excel will house FESPA 2013 and the European Sign Expo, seeing
one of the biggest gatherings of companies from the visual communications
industry on UK shores to date
I do think that we will continue to see developments in the productivity of print. I also think that substrates and inks will continue to develop and broaden the spectrum of applications. Finishing is also an area that is moving forward, with software and hardware developing at a pace, enabling printers to offer an end-to-end service, adding real value to their customers.
FESPA 2013 is a big move for the organisation from its continental base, what motivated it?
FESPA moves to different locations in Europe with each show. This constantly refreshes the audience, introducing new dynamics to the event as it moves.
At FESPA Digital 2012 in Barcelona for example, almost half the visitor audience came from the Iberian peninsula, so we learned a lot about the particular business drivers in those markets, and grew our community in these countries.
The move to London for the flagship FESPA 2013 event will still appeal to our usual international visitor audience”
The move to London for the flagship FESPA 2013 event will still appeal to our usual international visitor audience. We also expect to attract even more printers, agencies and brand owners from the UK and Ireland—an audience generally within the top three visitor base to our European shows. London also appeals to printers from the Americas and Asia, who see it as a compelling business destination.
FESPA 2013 will also take place at the state-of-the-art Excel London exhibition centre located in the City’s vibrant Docklands. Since opening in 2000, Excel London has established itself as the UK’s number one exhibitions and events venue. The Excel also played a starring role in the 2012 Olympic Games, it was the largest venue for the Games, with its five arenas each hosting a different sport—an amazing international hub to celebrate London’s Olympic legacy.
As a new show to the UK market, what are your aspirations for FESPA 2013?
FESPA is an international show with the UK visitor audience consistently within the top five. When I speak to UK printers, they are very supportive of our events around the world and are happy that they will have the flagship event on their doorstep.
At FESPA we’re focused on creating inspiring events that motivate our international community of printers to drive their business forward. The campaign theme for FESPA 2013, ‘Your Destination for Print’, underlines FESPA’s aim to make this year’s show a global event, guiding visitors towards a stimulating range of promising business destinations.
The image of FESPA as the ‘airline carrier’ which transports and guides the visitor emphasises this philosophy. We want visitors to experience FESPA 2013 in London as a point of connection where they can continue their business journey.
At FESPA we’re focused on creating inspiring events that motivate our international community of printers to drive their business forward”
The focus of FESPA 2013 is to make our community aware of, and give them the tools to enter, new business opportunities aligned to their existing core businesses. There will also be a variety of visitor features designed to inspire, including the Promotional Products Business Academy (PPBA), the Wrap Cup Master Series, Print Inspiration Runway, Print Shop Live, and the Jet Set Conference.
The PPBA, for example is designed to complement FESPA Fabric with the spotlight on promotional and fashion garments. This illustrates a broader portfolio of promotional products that could support business growth.
The co-located European Sign Expo will complement FESPA’s traditional focus on printed signage and graphics.
It will offer visitors a focused sign event in which to explore innovations in architectural and informational signage, including channel lettering, signage systems, illuminated displays and digital signage. Sign-makers are already part of FESPA’s global community; therefore, it’s a natural progression for FESPA to develop a sign exhibition to serve the European market. As the convergence between the sign and print sectors continues, we want to guide graphic producers and their customers on how they can maximise the impact and effectiveness of signage.
FESPA is all about pointing printers towards real growth opportunities. Often those come to light when you get a slightly wider perspective on services you already offer, or see ways of targeting existing customers with something fresh and interesting.