The IPEX Media Summit

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The first Media Summit presentation by Trevor Crawford was an overview of Ipex. He attempted to answer some of the questions such as whether the exhibition has gained international credibility? According to Crawford, international credibility and attendance is rising: international visitors would have increased — from 1998’s 32 per cent and 2002’s 36 per cent to 40 per cent in 2006, albeit from the overall declining numbers of visitors.

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• Ipex team L to R - Nick C Waller, Dominique Pink, Elizabeth Kelly,Trevor Crawford, Joyce Yip, Richard Allen; Photo courtesy Ipex

A question was asked about the UK audience. Trevor Crawford and Nick Craig Waller spoke about the special attention they are putting into inviting small and medium sized printers to come and even exhibit at Ipex. Ipex is anticipating a 50 per cent non UK audience at the 2010 event. Talking about geographic reach, Ipex98 had visitors from 131 countries, 2002 had visitors from 142 countries and 2006 had 159. The expectation for 2010 is static at 159 with manufacturers from 38 countries exhibiting at the show.

Talking about the planning and the floor layout, Ipex was keen to ensure there are no dark corners in which exhibitors may get lost. The halls are divided almost equally between three major sections ‘Creation and Design /Premedia /Digital solutions,’ ‘Output/Presses’ and ‘Postpress Systems/ Packaging and Converting.’ The fourth slightly smaller section is ‘The print process: pre/press/post/ Used Equipment (UPEX).’

China doubles
Approximately 60 Chinese exhibitor stands represent a 107 per cent growth at the show in comparison to Ipex06. The presentation infographics depicted the growth of Postpress by a mere 3 per cent, significant growth in Digital of 18 per cent and a significant drop in Press by over 20 per cent.

As far as the industry’s big names, they have shrunk in both press and postpress in comparison to the 2006 event. While postpress shrunk marginally, press is reduced to nearly half, while digital has grown phenomenally. This may well be because litho with its multitude of suppliers and cost competition mostly is no longer a high margin market.

Recession busting
Nick Craig Waller spoke of the recession buster initiatives for Ipex 2010. These include catering and logistics help for the many companies that will require build time and dismantle time for all the hardware they need to show running at the show. Trevor Crawford pointed out to an American journalist that there was no drayage charge in the UK unlike the US. In answer to a specific question, Trevor Crawford said there has been a reduction of 15 per cent in the absolute exhibition space of Ipex 2010 compared to Ipex 2006. Another journalist questioned the manufacturers’ preference toward big shows versus smaller regional shows. Crawford pointed out that Ipex itself had held a few small exhibitions in the UK – one of which was cancelled, and the other fared quite badly. There is only one other show at the NEC in Birmingham which is in Hall No 5 on packaging which will start on the last day of Ipex.

The big ten at Ipex 2010
HP is the biggest having increased its space by 39 per cent. Heidelberg is the second biggest even after reducing its space by 50 per cent. Still Heidelberg will have a 28 day build time before the show. Compare this to the recent Pamex 2010 exhibition in Pragati Maidan in Delhi, where they were the biggest exhibitor without a single piece of hardware. Clearly reducing spending in different markets in different ways. Xerox is the third biggest despite reducing its space by a drastic 61 per cent from 2006. Kodak and Freidheim were the only others in the top ten to have reduced by 19 and 11 per cent respectively. Canon and Oce with their merger still making news – both increased their presence at Ipex by approximately 100 per cent each. Konica Minolta has grown the most with an almost 400 per cent growth. Ricoh has made it to the big league (the top ten) in the very year it has joined Ipex 2010 for the first time.

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• George Clarke, MD, Heidelberg, UK and Ipex 2010President addressing journalists at the Stationers Hall; Photo courtesy Ipex

George Clarke
George Clarke who is celebrating his 25th anniversary with Heidelberg will attend Ipex 2010 as the show’s president. Clarke is an important member of Picon, the graphics arts suppliers’ organisation in the UK. Picon sold Ipex to IIR exhibitions in the year 2006. Roger Pitt MD, of magazine and commercial printer Headley Brothers stated, “George has extensive experience in the printing industry and has successfully steered Heidelberg UK through changing market conditions. As part of an international graphic arts group he has a global perspective and he is well respected by staff, customers and even competing suppliers. He is a quietly effective figurehead for Ipex 2010.”

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