KIPES

Fifteenth Korea International Printing Machinery and Equipment Show 4Jul06

September 6 to 10, 2006 at KINTEX, Korea

This exhibition will be held at KINTEX (Korea International Exhibition Centre) for 5 days from September 6 to 10 as part of the collaborated effort of Korea E & EX Inc. In order to promote the development of printing industries in Korea, Korea Printers Association it played an important role in creating a new environment and technologies of this sector.

This biennial event was started in 1978. In 28 years, it has contributed to the expansion of the print related production and export industries. In addition, the organiser Korea E & EX Inc awards the official membership status from UFI —The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry — in the category of trade fair/exhibition organisers and KIPES have been granted the status of ‘UFI approved events.’

This year the show, which is already slated to have grown by 50 percent over previous years, will be held in KINTEX for the first time. KIPES has been arranged as a global-scale exhibition with a total floor space of 14,256 square metres. There will be 350 industrial leaders from 25 countries throughout the world participating in KIPES 2006, which has undeniably grown into a nucleic exhibition of printing industries in the Northeast Asian region. The products include prepress, printing presses, digital printing systems, CtP systems, label presses, hologram, engraving machine, plotter, laminator, printing and publication services.

The purpose of KIPES is synchronised with the policy of Gyeonggi province, as well as makes Paju city close to the KINTEX— specialised printing and publication area. This year KIPES was selected by Gyeonggi province office for an exhibition with federal financial support. This development will ensure exhibition effects will be better than before with added publicity and promotion opportunities to attract participation.

Simultaneously with the show, conferences and seminars are to be held at the KINTEX Conference Centre to encourage the exchange of new information and technologies. Also during the show, the past printing booth will be installed by Korea E & EX Inc and the Korea Printers Association to display our past printing materials and the earlier printings done for various events. That is to promote the spread of our excellent printing culture and the development of printing industries in Korea. There will be also the special PR booths for printing academies to show the products of their studies.

According to the organiser, even though printing industries are passing through a slow phase because of the poor domestic demand, high-priced raw materials and a drop of the exchange rate, the booths had been 80 per cent sold out by mid June. This time Heidelberg Korea Ltd and Dainippon Screen Korea leaders of the existing printing industries market will present their new technologies along with GMP which is a leader in the bookbinding and paper converting machine field.
The exhibition hall is divided into four sections, press and pre press, screen printing material, label printing and bookbinding and paper converting machines. For the convenience of visitors free shuttle buses between some places, major points of Seoul, and KINTEX.

Trade missions will be especially invited from USA, Japan, China, and Southeast Asia, Russia to vigorously promote export negotiations. The Korean domestic printing industries, now facing a depression, will hopefully be stimulated as it is expected that there will be an estimated forty thousand visitors. The website and directory distributed by the organisers to activate the trade show will enable visitors to reach new contacts after the exhibition.