Faversham House sells SDUK to Datateam Business Media ide-format print and signage exhibition, Sign & Digital UK (SDUK), has been acquired by Datateam Business Media, owner of fellow print exhibition Printwear and Promotion LIVE! After a period of speculation from visitors and exhibitors, the news was announced in the wake of many trade shows wrapping up ahead of the summer. Amanda Barnes, Faversham House’s chief executive, states: “We’ve been honoured to have been part of the sign-making industry for the past 23 years. “It’s a great sector and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with so many passionate and creative people over the years. I’m sure SDUK will go from strength to strength under Datateam’s ownership.” The latest company to own the show has a wide array of businesses under its umbrella including online and digital publications in the retail, building services, and healthcare sectors. Datateam Business Media also runs many events including industry awards and exhibitions like Future Robotics Live, Electronics Live, The Vending Industry Awards (Vendies), and MCV Women in Games Awards. Parvez Kayani, Datateam Business Media’s managing director, comments: “We are delighted to have acquired the SDUK brand and look forward to building on the success that Faversham House has achieved with the show over the last 23 years.” Datateam’s most well-known exhibition in the print and signage industry is the previously mentioned Printwear and Promotion LIVE!, which runs each year in February at the NEC. SDUK’s 2022 and 2023 shows were noticeably smaller than previous years and focused on more specific areas of the print and sign market. Many visitors had attended hoping to see certain exhibitors who weren’t in attendance like in previous years. Speaking on LinkedIn, managing director of Format Digital Marketing, Marc Burnett, says: “Perhaps if the shows are combined we will see it rebranded as a broader Creative Production event pitched to a target audience beyond the traditional niches that were served. “Certainly, there is a whole new generation of enthusiastic Etsy creatives, young hobbyists, and gig economy entrepreneurs out there, and they would almost certainly find a combined P&P / SDUK event inspiring and thought-provoking.” Speaking to SignLink at the VM & Display Show in April, Ian Hoole, finance manager at The Sign Group said: “For years we did SDUK, but we feel it lost its way and so coming here and being involved with decision makers in the retail and display space we hope we can take a lot away to market our products for our customers.” Next year marks SDUK’s 35th edition, which will celebrate its role as the UK’s longest-running trade show for the visual communication sectors. Following the acquisition by Datateam, it has now been confirmed by the organisers that Printwear & Promotion Live! and SDUK will run alongside each other in Halls 1 and 2 of the NEC between February 25th and 27th, 2024. Printwear event director Tony Gardner, states: “The co-location will be a first for the UK’s sign, display, and garment decoration markets. There is a real synergy between the two shows with around 1,000 of the 5,000 visitors to Printwear also attending Sign & Digital, and several exhibitors traditionally exhibiting at both shows. “We are very excited about the opportunity that the co-location creates to enhance the two events. Visitors will have more compelling reasons to attend, with the added benefits that a two-show experience will bring, and exhibitors will benefit from an increased audience across the two shows.” The latest change means that SDUK will change from its original dates of February 27th to 29th and now take place on a Sunday for the first time, hopefully opening up new visitors and buyers for the show. Gardner adds: “The Sunday at Printwear & Promotion Live! is always the busiest day, with well over 2,000 visitors regularly in attendance. “Our 2023 exhibition was our first show since Covid-19 back in our traditional February slot, and following its success, together with the planned co-location, the 2024 show is already well on course to be a bigger event. The majority of the industry’s major suppliers have committed to exhibiting, including the return of a couple of the big names that were absent this year.” More details and changes will undoubtedly unravel over the next year ahead of registrations opening in Autumn of this year. It is hoped the new co-running shows will complement one another and lead to more collaborations and bigger/more financially viable exhibitions in the future. The long-running exhibition has been purchased by the owners of P&P Live! ▲ Sign and Digital UK gives visitors a chance to see the latest kit, materials, and topics in the industry EVENTS / NEWS Editorial: 0117 980 5040 Sales: 0117 960 3255 email: news@signlink.co.uk 13 Issue 248 - August / September 2023
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