Whatever you discover from your trip to Munich, you will be making a strategic investment

People who bother to make the time investment to visit FESPA are making a strategic investment in their business. FESPA is not a ‘commodity’ show. The event is all about quality content, quality people and quality interaction.

But the reality is that despite the mountain of information before and at the show, nobody will really know what they will get from their visit to the show until they actually get there.

And isn’t this exciting? Online connectivity has not affected the need for humanity to congregate to debate, interact and discover new things, stuff and products.

Exhibitors will unveil new products and to maintain a competitive position, they understandably keep the detail ‘under wraps’ until the show itself.

And there is a lot of talk about recovery, and clearly, this is the first major event for the wide format community since the recession.

So, to get the ball a rolling, we asked 3 industry professionals what they expect to get from their visit to FESPA 2010 and this is what they had to say.

‘I am looking forward to learning about some of the practical strategies that wide format print service providers are most interested in deploying now, especially now because there has been a lot of talk about the incremental improvements in imaging technologies and commoditization of “conventional” wide format prints. In practice, users may see that there are a lot of these improvements that add up to a strong opportunity to improve operations or enter new markets. I expect we will see more printing technologies, more improvements in ink chemistry, more media products (especially on the rigid media side) that improve sustainable production choices, and more operational elements on the software side that enable more cost effective production but also data that enables integrated marketing initiatives. So I have high hopes for FESPA Munich!’
Tim Greene, Director, InfoTrends

“This year’s FESPA will confirm how environmental and economic shifts can be combined with innovative, positive processes to enable users to expand on their current service offerings and think out of the box. We can no longer rely merely on machines and their associated technologies; today we need to find ways in which to blend what we understand about digital processes with ideas and formulations that will broaden the concept of the printed product and attract more end customers as a result.

The 2010 theme of innovation should make this ‘The Thinking Person’s FESPA’; by now we all know what today’s printing technologies can achieve and it’s up to us all to use the marvellous solutions that are available to us and optimise output opportunities. FESPA is a unique platform in that it brings all related technologies under one roof and everyone should come away after the show with a raft of new thoughts and ideas. There really is no excuse!”
Sophie Matthews-Paul, Rockstro

‘I’m looking forward to seeing more green ink technologies akin to HP’s latex from other vendors, showing that this is an important development and not just greenwash or hype.
Improvements in existing machines, particularly materials handling and automation, to drive up productivity and ROI. An increased focus on applications and market development rather than new technology for technology’s sake.

More MIS and ERP tools that help firms operate more efficiently and professionally, allowing them to focus on understanding customers and meeting their requirements rather than just fire-fighting in day-to-day management.’
Barney Cox, Wide-Format Editor, PrintWeek
So, what do you think you will see? Or what do you hope you will discover?

Comment here….