The recently concluded FESPA 2005 undoubtedly settled its claim to fame as the internationally recognised as a leading show of the screen and large format digital printing marketplace. It offered multitude of screen and digital printing community visitors a perfect opportunity to see the very latest technologies and services available in this fast changing arena. For India and its delegates and exhibitors. The nombers of awards Indian participants bagged and the launch of 'Destination India' were highlights.Here is a recount of the happeinings.

When the five-day extravaganza for screen and digital printers across the world got over on June 4, 2005, on the trade fair grounds in Munich, it had set many ground breaking records hitherto registered by the exposition.
On a space of 27,000 m2, 527 exhibitors showcased their innovative and approved products and services woven around the main theme of the fair “Future of Global Imaging”. During the five days, screen print technologies took center stage in all of its attributes, as well as large format digital printing.

On Saturday, when the show finally closed its doors, the event posted an all-time high of visitors. According to official estimates, on an average, some 4,000 new visitors streamed through FESPA’s halls every single day of the show, bringing the total number of visitors to 20,301, double that of the last exhibition held in Madrid during 2002. The visitor figures do not include the 6,000 registered exhibitors from a record breaking 527 exhibiting companies, informed the organisers.

According to them, the event met the needs of exhibitors and provided a stimulating learning and buying environment for screen and digital printers. The seminars, a firsttime feature of FESPA 2005, were well attended, and the stands were buzzing with activity.

 

From all respects, FESPA 2005 was undoubtedly an international showcase for technical and production innovations. The results clearly demonstrated FESPA’s 40 years experience in running successful events. “This is a fast-moving industry with exciting new applications emerging all the time and it was amply evident at the stalls,” said FESPA exhibition director, Frazer Chesterman. In light of the number of exhibitors and the space reserved in the four exhibition halls,FESPA 2005 has broken all of its previous records. “These are extraordinary numbers compared to the last exhibition in Madrid”, says Mr Chesterman.

According to an Indian delegate to the show, while stalls featuring digital imaging products and services stole the show with vibrant activity, the mood prevailing on the hall displaying screen printing sector was rather lukewarm. In addition to the exhibitors and their products, the visitors were witness to comprehensive programmes of seminars and workshops, company tours, premier awards, a VIP programme and more.

The new FESPA President Hellmuth Frey commented: “FESPA 2005 is a showcase of everything that is exciting and forward-looking in our industry, … and to receive this level of recognition of our industry’s commercial and technical achievements.” Once again several major exhibitors used FESPA as a launching platform to introduce their cutting edge products and services into the market place. However, visitors not only got the chance to see the latest in technology, but they also witnessed a packed programme of new initiatives designed to enhance their experience at the show.

For example, VUTEk@ Inc., the world’s leading supplier of superwide format digital inkjet printers, has exhibited latest additions to its popular PressVu@ UV family of UV-curing flatbed printers and UltraVu@ solvent roll-to-roll printers at FESPA. They also displayed VUTEk@’s all-new PressVu@ UV 320/400 UV-curing, 3.2-meter flatbed rigid and roll-toroll printer for the first time. Like many other exhibitors, VUTEk also presented a wide array of products for screen printers and digital image providers who want to increase their productivity and expand their capabilities.

Reflecting the upbeat mood of exhibitors, Ms Jane Cedrone, Marketing Communications and Public Relations Manager of VUTEk, comments, “FESPA 2005 was a phenomenal success for VUTEk®. Market reaction to the launch of our new PressVu® UV 320/400, and news of our acquisition by EFI was extremely positive. The standard of this year’s show delegates was also high, enabling us to take many orders on the stand from a wide variety of worldwide markets and geographic regions. “In addition to product sales, FESPA 2005 was an important communication platform for VUTEk®, and it far exceeded all our expectations.”

Bruce Butler, Director of Marketing at ColorSpan by MacDermid, also found FESPA 2005 meeting exceeding his expectations. He said: “We met with distributors and customers from around the world and we have been very pleased with their reaction to our products, in particular our DisplayMaker 72UVR flatbed printer. Based on the success ofthis show for us, we’ve already committed to being at FESPA 2007 in Berlin”, explained Mr Butler.

“FESPA 2005 was Esko Graphics’ introduction to the sign market”, said the company’s Marketing Manager, Ms Helga Laschet, adding, “and we saw it as an important global platform for establishing our brand in this developing sector.

Mr Giuseppe Butti, General Manager of leading screenprinting manufacturer Siasprint, said: “We’re very satisfied with our attendance at FESPA 2005. The quality of visitors has been very good, and we’ve made positive contacts and collected interesting prospects and concrete leads... It’s been a high-profile exhibition, and the mix of visitors has been good; we’ve been favourably surprised by the volume of interest from North and South America, Eastern Europe and Asia.” Reports from many of the 532 companies cited both the high volume and decisionmaking calibre of visitors, which was instrumental to make the event a super success.

What is salutary to note is that from a stand alone exhibition, FESPA 2005 became an interactive event. With the extensive line-up of free educational seminars, debates and workshops conducted by industry experts, FESPA offered its visitors the opportunity to learn about the latest industry developments and issues on a wide selection of topics. India got a opportunity to showcase its screen printing industry when Mr Devang N Sheth presented a paper on ‘Indian Screen Printing Industry - An insight’ on June 2. Events like VIP programme, premier awards function and affiliated youth competition, offered visitors an invaluable experience, keeping them on the forefront of some of the world-class products and services during the show.

Bowled over by innovation

Bavarian minister, Mr Staatsminister Huber, who made it a point to come to the exhibition and sample some of the products and services displayed, was all of surprise when he set foot into the huge pavilion housing the world event.

In a speech to FESPA 2005 visitors in the atrium of Messe Munich, he welcomed the exhibition to the Bavarian capital, calling it the ‘World Cup of Screen and Digital Printing’. He went on to praise the international screen printing community for its entrepreneurial spirit in adopting the latest digital technology, drawing parallels with Bavaria’s ‘Laptop and Lederhosen’ business culture, which looks to the future while retaining firm roots in tradition.

He was then taken around on a tour of the FESPA 2005 halls by FESPA President Elect, Hellmuth Frey, sampling the best of traditional and digital technologies on the Kiwo, Proll, Thieme and MHM stands.

Mr Frey comments: “FESPA 2005 is a showcase of everything that is exciting and forward- looking in our industry, so it is gratifying to hear such positive acknowledgement from a government representative, and to receive this level of recognition of our industry’s commercial and technical achievements.”