Visitor profile reflects show focus on printing technology for industrial production
The InPrint Show was launched in response to a growth in technological innovation for industrial print production within the manufacturing sector. The 2014 event surpassed expectations by attracting a unique audience of professionals focused upon technology for manufacturing for functional and decorative industrial print. Over 52% of visitors came from the manufacturing sector, reflecting the show's focus upon industrial production, whilst attendees were noted for their seniority and their strategic focus at InPrint 2014.
The key technologies at InPrint 2014 focused on screen and digital, inkjet and 3D print technologies. InPrint 2014 and 2015 exhibitor, Marcus Borghoff of leading screen printing machinery company ESC, explains, “InPrint 2014 was an excellent initiative and really supports the continued development of Screen Print in Industrial applications. We found the event to be really useful in connecting us with senior decision makers from the print community and more importantly from manufacturing. A positive result is that many of our existing industrial customers were encouraged to meet us there and that we were able to establish a great number of new contacts. We were really pleased with the quality and quantity of contacts that we made.”
A stronger focus on the future than traditional print shows
Overwhelmingly, the feedback from visitors and exhibitors was that InPrint 2014 produced an entirely different outcome to that of a traditional print exhibition.
Mark Hanley, President of I.T. Strategies explains why InPrint is different, “InPrint set the ball rolling for the new Industrial Print markets driven alike by a high degree of analogue specialisation and digital print itself. We have been asked about InPrint by all of our customers around the globe. This is an event with depth and development capability. In fact InPrint is more about the future of print in our eyes than some of the more established mainstream print shows. Industrial and production digital print markets are about integration to manufacturing and extensive development of core technology to match the highest performance standards of manufactured products, which happen to need to be printed. InPrint addresses this like no other show.”
InPack: New feature on digital print technologies for packaging
In addition to a focus on functional and decorative industrial printing, InPrint 2015 will also incorporate new technologies for packaging.
Simon Edwards, Vice President, Sales & Marketing for Tonejet explains, “InPrint is clearly one of the pivotal international events for digital printing. With the development of digital packaging in print, InPrint has become the ideal event for Tonejet to showcase its ground breaking nozzle-less, ultrathin ink layer, digital jetting technology.”
InPack, a feature of the InPrint event, will be a dedicated content programme focused upon the growth of digital printing within the packaging sector. Valued by I.T. Strategies at $45 Billion, packaging printing represents approximately 45% of the total industrial print market. In light of this fact, organisers have announced a strategic partnership with PackHub, a consultancy specialised in innovative packaging solutions and product branding.
Paul Jenkins, Founder of the PackHub explains, “Packaging is a highly competitive and dynamic media that is at the forefront of branding and digital print technology is increasingly being deployed in new and exciting ways to reach consumers. With the increasing focus on packaging innovation, digital print in particular is a target for brands to customise and personalise packaging. Working with the InPrint team, we will develop a content programme that provides insight and inspiration for the future of digital print for packaging, the pressures and its potential opportunities.”
Even during the traditionally quieter summer period, new exhibitors continued to book their space at the show, adding additional leading print technology brands to the list of exhibitors at InPrint 2015 including ToneJet, Seiko Infotech, Global Inkjet Systems, Wifag Polytype and Inca Digital.
Exciting new names for InPrint 2015 exhibitor list
Inca Digital's COO Yoshinari Otani explains on Inca’s decision to exhibit at InPrint: "Inca Digital has been a leading innovator in the development of inkjet since the beginning of this technology. To date, this work has focused on digital flatbed printers for the POS market, but the technology is also suitable for other industrial applications, an important area for future growth. The InPrint show provides companies like us a showcase for the latest developments in inkjet technologies for these industrial applications, and it lets us interact with other market players and potential customers."
In addition to leading technology and machinery manufacturers, new head manufacturers have made the decision to exhibit at InPrint 2015. Seiko Infotech are one of the leading inkjet head manufacturers, and as such, will be utilising the unique focus of the InPrint Show to launch a new inkjet head. Francois Aguilar is Marketing Director at Seiko Infotech, another new exhibitor participating at InPrint 2015 explains, “The timing and the focus for InPrint 2015 was absolutely right as Seiko introduces this exciting new inkjet head into the market. The printhead enables bigger print width, recirculation technology, with bigger and smaller drop sizes in order to cover a wide array of applications such as Ceramic, Textile and Packaging which matches the broad focus of the show being about industrial print technologies for a broad wide array of applications. We are excited about introducing this new printhead to the industrial print community at the InPrint Show in Munich.”