Next year’s Northprint show in Harrogate will be expanded to include packaging for the first time.
As a result it is being renamed North Print & Pack 2013 and will be held from 14 to 16 May. Working presses will return to the show floor for the first time since 2007. K2 International, MGI and Printers Superstore/Hans Gronhi have confirmed that they will exhibit full working presses on the show floor. K2 makes flexo presses and Hans Gronhi will show a Chinese offset press. MGI however is an all-digital press maker, offering mainly toner printers today but with a full colour B2 inkjet, Alpha, under development.
Held every other year since the 1960s, Northprint suffered during the current recession, with particularly bad attendances in 2009 that nearly saw the event abandoned altogether. A partial relaunch in 2011 paid off with better attendances and mollified exhibitors, but the organiser Informa Exhibitions decided to conduct an in depth industry survey to determine its future direction.
One suggestion, to move the show to Manchester, was rejected by potential visitors and exhibitors. ‘They like the atmosphere of Harrogate,’ said Trevor Crawford, director of Informa Exhibitions. ‘There’s a strong affection for the show. But there are some things that can be improved.’ Extending the scope of the show was seen as vital. Packaging, traditionally a strong sector in the north of England, was seen as the way to go.
Large format is also catered for to some extent, but this has its own shows. The Sign & Digital 2013 show will be held at the Birmingham NEC a couple of weeks earlier, on 30 April to 2 May. 2013 also sees the first time that the big international FESPA Digital signage show will be held in the UK, at the London ExCel centre from 25 to 29 June.
‘There are two key drivers behind our reasons for expanding the event reach and revitalising the name: in 2011, an increasing number of exhibitors were showing print on packaging applications, while a significant percentage of our visitors were looking to invest in these solutions,’ said Mary Buck, sales manager of North Print & Pack 2013 (pictured at top).
‘Commitment from EFIA (European Flexographic Industry Association) as a key partner of the event, together with early confirmations from K2 International and Edale, reinforce the appetite to exhibit in the UK. And, since the flexo industry hasn’t had a dedicated national show to showcase new technologies and machinery since 2005, it is therefore the logical decision for us to broaden the focus of the show and instigate this name change to reflect the changing nature of our exhibitor and visitor requirements.’
Mr Crawford points out the growing trend for established digital pre-press and press suppliers to extend their offerings into packaging, which traditionally weathers a recession better than commercial printing.
‘There hasn’t really been an exhibition dedicated to packaging production in this country for some years,’ he point outs.
At least 125 exhibitors are expected at the show. Those that have already confirmed their attendance include Alphasonics, Autobond, Clinical Print Finishers, Compact Foiler, Crawford Technologies, D&K, Duplo, Edale, IFS, Imprint Business Solutions, IST, K2 International, MGI, Moll Accura, Perfect Bindery Solutions, Printers Superstore/Hans Grohni, Renz, Swemko Knife, Technotrans, Terry Cooper Services and Tharsten.
However Mr Crawford said that the supporting events are regarded as equally important and likely to attract visitors. ‘It won’t be sales people talking about their products, we’ll be addressing real issues, such as how to make money from these new developments.’
The Knowledge Centre will run four dedicated conference streams, each of them offering education, practical support and training: The Printers Profit Zone, Printers Future Blueprint, Thinking Outside the Box – Pack & POS and Marketing at Internet Speed.
The Printers Profit Zone, hosted by The Print Coach, Nick Devine, will provide a series of business growth seminars, offering practical advice on how to win new business and maximise profitability. It will also tackle critical sales, profit and market issues that are faced by print businesses today.
The Printers Future Blueprint, Thinking Outside the Box – Pack & POS, and Marketing at Internet Speed conference streams will be moderated by Printfuture. Each stream will see dedicated conference sessions that will focus on current industry issues and trends, providing delegates with the opportunity to gain valuable insight into this fast evolving industry.
‘For visitors, it is not just about seeing new applications and the latest technologies – North Print & Pack 2013 will deliver a much broader event that includes training and skills development,’ said Ms Buck. ‘In 2011, we introduced a seminar programme that proved extremely successful, and we will now develop even further. Content, learning and personal development will be a key element of the event to compliment exhibitors’ application showcase, and the addition of our conference programmes and other key features will contribute to ensure a rich visitor experience.’
In addition, the finalists of the PrintIT! annual schools competition will attend the initiative’s 8th Annual Awards Ceremony. Prior to the ceremony, students, their teachers and twinning printers will have the opportunity to visit the exhibitors and other industry attractions to gain further insight into the UK print industry’s various career opportunities.
Contact: www.northprintexpo.com
