EVENT SPOTLIGHT: TRADE SHOWS AND INDUSTRY EVENTS rom The Pub Show to The UK Concrete Show, there really is an exhibition for everything. Despite recent challenges such as the pandemic, energy costs, and transportation issues, exhibitions and live events have endured, simply because they need to in order for a lot of day-to-day life to continue. Within sectors like marketing or publishing, individuals debate over how consumers engage with and consume content, but there are few alternatives or arguments against the effectiveness of live events. Trade shows and exhibitions have become not only lucrative for sign-makers and wide-format printers as a revenue stream for supplying signage and prints needed for exhibition stands and graphics, but also as places to visit and exhibit to gain new customers and partners. Following exhibitions such as Printwear and Promotion LIVE!, Sign and Digital UK, and Packaging Innovations & Empack in recent months, Craig Brown, managing director of the UK International Signage Association (ISA-UK), spoke about the importance of in-person conversations after being told “the art of small talk was dead”. Posting on LinkedIn, Brown said: “Nothing I see, whether that be through a Teams call, a trade show, a phone call, or even an impromptu meeting suggests that this is remotely true. People will always buy from people over a faceless organisation, so please don’t get on the bandwagon suggesting personal engagement isn’t necessary. “Learn to hone your people skills. Long live small talk and the opportunity it gives to get to know people a little bit better.” Whether it be exhibiting at a local trade show to promote your signage business to potential customers or becoming a visitor yourself to a large exhibition held in the UK or further afield, industry events offer a number of benefits for businesses which we will outline in this article. That being said, the biggest question for any business owner or valuable employee will still be: “Is it worth my time out of the office?” Changing Landscapes Over the last few years trade exhibitions, especially within the print and signage industries, have ebbed and flowed with changes in the industry and organisers have had to assess the best way to attract visitors and exhibitors. In 2018, long-running print exhibition, IPEX, closed following a 140-year-old history catering to the print and graphic arts industry. The show which ran every four years is remembered as failing largely due to its decision to move from Birmingham’s NEC to London Excel triggering an exodus of major exhibitors. Another exhibition which takes place every four years is drupa, a large printing equipment show in Düsseldorf, Germany. The exhibition has also recently been affected by global challenges as the 2020/2021 edition of the show was delayed by the pandemic, instead taking place this year, meaning there have been eight years since the last event. Recently, garment decoration event Printwear and Promotion LIVE! combined with Sign and Digital UK to bolster its offerings to attendees as the lines between print, signage, and branding become more blurred. Many exhibitors at the co-locating shows agreed that visitors were trickling onto stands from both shows and realising the potential of diversifying and expanding their business in new ways. Co-locating with FESPA Global Print Expo, the recent European Sign Expo 2024 was hailed as the largest-ever event held by FESPA as the floorspace increased by over 1,000sq m, representing a 56% growth compared to the 2023 event. Speaking ahead of the event, Michael Ryan, head of FESPA Global Print Expo and European Sign Expo, said: “Our European Sign Expo event welcomes thousands of visitors every year to explore countless opportunities in signage and visual communications, and we’re excited to grow on that this year.” This year’s FESPA Global Print Expo included the European Sign Expo, the Personalisation Experience, and the firstever Sportswear Pro 2024, a testament to the opportunities for signage and graphic industries to diversify. Elsewhere and the VM and Display Show is an example of how businesses and employees throughout the visual industries use exhibitions to reach new audiences and explore new solutions. Industry events, are they worth time out of business? 40 Issue 252 - April / May 2024 www.signlink.co.uk As trade exhibitions continue to change and grow, David Osgar looks at the relevancy and importance of live events for printers and signage companies wanting to succeed and grow ▲ Technology and digital signage expo ISE 2024 attracted over 70,000 visitors in Barcelona in January
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