Ipex expects perfect timing

The countdown to Ipex 2010 has officially begun, and the early indications are that the organisers view those who buy print, as well as those who make it, as an important audience to attract to the show.

That much is evident from a Print Buyer Focus Group, which Ipex organisers IIR held in conjunction with PMM in June. Readers of the magazine from across publishing, creative agency and corporate environments were able to address event director Trevor Crawford and marketing director Nick Craig Waller directly with their thoughts on how Ipex 2010 can deliver more value to those who purchase print but not printing presses.

It has provided considerable food for thought for those involved in organising the Birmingham event (dates for which are 18th to the 25th May next year).
Time away from the office is always an issue for print buyers that might find value from attending Ipex, and when they do make it to the NEC, the scale of the event, the layout and the information on hand, has not always lent itself perfectly to allowing them to maximise their stay. It would seem that Ipex 2010 wants to get this aspect right.

The timing of the show itself is expected to be auspicious. George Clarke, Heidelberg UK’s managing director and Ipex 2010 president, opened a launch event with the rhetorically intended question: “Could the timing be any better?” He went on to outline that new technologies first shown at drupa in 2008 would be becoming a reality for Ipex, and more significantly, that the economic cycle would see a graphic arts industry emerging from global recession, come the day that Ipex’s doors open next May.

All this led him to speculate that “this could be the most important Ipex ever”. The organisers believe the show can provide the spark that will reignite confidence in graphic arts; a springboard to a brighter future perhaps. In that regard however, there were comments that the new Ipex 2010 imagery of a light bulb (as shown on this page) might be seen as an “old” technology, rather than projecting a cutting edge image for the industry. Nick Craig Waller, however, said it was “all about inspiration”.

A number of new initiatives were unveiled by Ipex, which it is hoped will help exhibitors and visitors to get the maximum return from a trip to the NEC, ranging from recession-busting measures and co-marketing opportunities to save exhibitor costs, to a new online customised visiting tool called MyIpex. The recession has had some impact at least, with Crawford admitting that there was likely to be some downsizing, but adding that “just about every major manufacturer is on the showfloor and fully committed to Ipex 2010”. He added: “We all recognise that a strong Ipex helps to reignite the industry and is good for every one of us.”

The floor plan of the event will be designed to ensure less walking for visitors, with halls set out to feature technology in the same logical order of printing workflows themselves, with prepress leading to printing presses and onto finishing. So if you only want to study what’s happening in pre-media, then you will find it all within a few adjacent halls.

Some 1,200 exhibitors are expected, including a number of national and international not-for-profit organisations, such as PrintIT!, the educational initiative aimed at attracting young people to careers in print. These not-for-profit bodies will be accommodated in a special area called the Knowledge Centre.

The show organisers are also looking to drum up interest in the lead up to the big day through a first attempt at embracing social media as a marketing medium. Such sites as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter were all mentioned as being avenues by which Ipex 2010 might look to build communities and stimulate interest. “We’re looking to create some viral and put a bit of fun into Ipex,” Craig Waller revealed.

There were more than 100,000 visitors to Ipex 2006; Ipex 2010 hopes to match that and more, with your help.


• www.ipex.org