While there is certainly no shortage of events for the global sign-making industry, when it comes to the UK market, there is little choice. Of course, UK sign-makers can hop on a plane and head to the FESPA Global Print Expo on the continent, or even further afield to the ISA Sign Expo in the US. But with their time so valuable, many cannot spare so much time out of the workshop. For those looking to meet up with manufacturers and suppliers to find out more about the latest products and developments in sign-making, what can they do? Trade shows offer the best opportunity for industry members to view signage solutions from various areas in one location, but the UK currently lacks such an event. However, this now looks set to be an issue of the past, with Link Exhibitions, the company behind the hugely successful print-focused event, The Print Show, announcing the launch of a brand new, dedicated event for the sign industry - The Sign Show. Scheduled to run for the first time in 2025, The Sign Show will take place alongside The Print Show from September 23rd to 25th at the NEC in Birmingham. The event is being billed as the UK’s “annual dedicated sign expo”, pledging to establish a show dedicated to signage. “What we mean by this is that we will only be focusing on signage,” says Chris Davies, event director for both The Sign Show and The Print Show. He continues: “From signwriting and vinyl wrapping to sign fabrication and engraving, no matter what part of the sign market you are working in, there will be something for you at The Sign Show. “The industry deserves an event like this. There is nowhere else that sign professionals can go to see actual sign-making tools and solutions from a wide range of companies under one roof. The Sign Show will deliver exactly this.” Co-location Benefits Organisers recognise that some signage events have become heavily influenced by wide-format print, and while this is of course crucial for many sign-makers, it is not the be-all and end-all. This area of the industry has already been well represented at The Print Show and will be even more so at the 2025 event. For this reason, the show’s co-location with sister event The Print Show makes a lot of sense, as Davies explains: “Of course we recognise the importance of wide-format print in the sign-making market. However, we also understand that signage is so much more than just wide-format print. “While The Sign Show will solely have a core focus on sign-making, those visitors that also have an interest in wide-format print can catch up with the latest developments in this market across both co-locating events, where wide-format will have a huge presence. “Take our 2024 show for example; we welcomed Fujifilm, swissQprint, Agfa, and Liyu UK to name but a few major manufacturers, as well as leading distributors and suppliers such as CMYUK, Soyang Europe, and Quality Print Services. Across the two events, visitors from the signage market will be able to find the solutions they are looking for.” What Can We Expect? While The Sign Show is still in its infancy, details have started to filter through as to what visitors can look forward to at the debut event next year. Among the features sounded out on the event’s website - thesignshow.co.uk - are live demonstrations for crafts such as vinyl wrapping to showcase the possibilities of vehicle wrapping, window and floor graphics, as well as the expanding world of architectural film. There will also be opportunities for visitors to see historic and inspiring workshops on crafts not seen at any other trade show, including neon sign-making, traditional signwriting, and metal work, all, as the organiser says, with the goal of “demonstrating the art and wow factor of amazing signage projects”. The Sign Show to launch in 2025 34 Issue 255 - October / November 2024 www.signlink.co.uk In a huge show of support for the sign-making industry, organisers of The Print Show have announced they will launch a new focused sign event in 2025 - The Sign Show. We find out more about what to expect from the inaugural show ▲ The debut edition of The Sign Show will run from September 23rd to 25th, 2025 THE SIGN SHOW
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