| Lynda Sutton's Blog 14.09.2011 |
|
Asia is under starters orders... By Lynda Sutton, Marketing Manager, FESPA, 14.09.2011 It’s been a very busy and exciting couple of weeks for me. With FESPA Asia less than two months away, the marketing campaign is in full swing and we are working hard to stage the ultimate Asian digital print exhibition in Singapore in October. I recently travelled to Thailand and Singapore to observe the Asian market in action and speak to members of the industry about their hopes and expectations for the Asian print sector in the coming months and years. Before I’d even arrived at my hotel in Bangkok I noticed some eye-catching print campaigns lining the roads and mounted on huge billboard frames. One of my favourites was for Pepsi Cola. Using an opaque film they had covered every window of a large glass panelled building to create an amazing super-wide format advert. Passing more and more big brand adverts, my sense of anticipation for FESPA Asia rocketed. It’s clear that wide format is being embraced in Bangkok, and in just a few short weeks, FESPA would be here, in South East Asia, to promote this area of the print market to the Asian community. The potential for the show seemed infinite. The first stop on my itinerary was Pack Print International at Bangkok’s BITEC. Walking into the show I was immediately struck by the hive of activity. The aisles were packed with visitors, the technology on display was innovative, and the enthusiasm in the air, palpable. During the show I had the chance to speak to a wide variety of people including media representatives, print service providers and manufacturers as well as our Japanese and Thai member associations. The message they delivered was consistent; the digital wide format print market is buoyant. Printers are energetically investing in digital print technology to boost their customer offerings and to become a one stop print shop. They’re seeing a growing trend for short print runs, and as a consequence digital is now the technology to invest in. Despite this, the traditional screen printing industry is still incredibly important in Asia, which was great to hear as screen lies at the heart of FESPA. It’s our heritage and it’s good to see a clear a stronghold for it in this region. Still buzzing from my experience in Bangkok, I started the next leg of my journey to Singapore and to the venue where FESPA Asia will shortly take place - SUNTEC. One of the most renowned exhibition centres in Asia, SUNTEC offers a self-contained, totally integrated event infrastructure and we are confident that it will exceed the expectations of FESPA’s exhibitors and visitors. Meeting with PMAS (Print and Media Association Singapore), it was gratifying to hear how committed the association is to supporting the FESPA Asia show and to be told, yet again, that shows like FESPA are what is needed to maintain the momentum of innovation and to keep driving the industry forward in Asia. Of everything I saw in Singapore the most exciting, surprisingly, wasn’t print relate. Recalling Neil Felton’s last blog (see below), I was thrilled to see the city preparing for the Singapore Grand Prix. The streets were brought to a standstill as roads were blocked off and the motorsport community began preparing for its famous annual night race. To me, the timing was symbolic; as the cars approach the starting line in Singapore, the race to FESPA Asia is on. The adrenaline is pumping in the region’s print industry, and in the FESPA team, and FESPA Asia 2011 promises to energise and already vibrant market. I don’t know about you, but I’m really excited to see the result. |
| Corporate Sponsor: | Platinum Sponsor: | Platinum Sponsor: | Digital Textile Sponsor: | Global Technology Partner: | Global Software and Finishing Partner: |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Supported by: | In Co-operation with: | |
 |
 |
 |