Record international attendance cements FESPA as leading Global Expo for Speciality Print

by FESPA | 01/06/2018
Record international attendance cements FESPA as leading Global Expo for Speciality Print

Largest ever audience for four-day FESPA event, with over 20,000 individual visitors

FESPA Global Print Expo 2018 (Messe Berlin, 15 to 18 May) reinforced its standing as the global landmark event for speciality printers, with visitors from a record 142 countries gravitating to the German capital for the four-day show. 



Following the 2017 shift to an annual event cycle and the decision to amalgamate the flagship show with its FESPA Digital ‘spin-off’, FESPA 2018 also attracted the largest number of visitors ever for a four-day FESPA show, with 20,442 individual visitors to FESPA and the co-located European Sign Expo 2018. This represents a 22% increase on the number of individual visitors to FESPA Digital 2016 (Amsterdam), FESPA’s last four-day event.
 
Two-thirds of all visitors dedicated more than one day to the event to cover the ten exhibition halls and take advantage of the expanded content programme, including European Sign Expo, the FESPA Trend Theatre, an enlarged Printeriors showcase, the new Print Make Wear garment production feature, and the first-ever Digital Corrugated Experience for packaging and point-of-sale. These repeat visits brought total event attendance at FESPA 2018 Global Print Expo to 33,799.

 
Germany delivered the largest percentage of visitors overall, with 26% of the total audience coming from the host country. After Germany, the top ten countries in terms of visitor attendance were the United Kingdom, Poland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, France, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Belgium and Sweden. The high number of Polish visitors in particular reflected the accessibility of Berlin for printers from across the border.
 
The dominant area of visitor interest according to the event registration data was digital printing, which was the key focus for 44% of all visitors. FESPA’s sustained coverage of innovations in textile printing was reflected in the fact that one in three 2018 visitors indicated an interest in textile and fabric printing. Commercial print, finishing, design to print, sublimation printing and industrial printing also featured particularly strongly among visitors’ priorities for the event.
 
The optimism of the market as a whole, as reported on site in the latest FESPA Print Census, was evident in the energetic mood throughout the exhibition halls. Exhibitors across the show reported excellent business and strong interest from print service providers in technology and consumables innovations to drive greater productivity and applications diversity.
 
FESPA Exhibitions Director Roz Guarnori comments:  “FESPA 2018 Global Print Expo was a vibrant, action-packed event that absolutely surpassed even our own expectations, from the energy and appetite for innovation among our diverse visitor audience, to the incredible range of new products brought to market by our exhibitors. Our own research and the electric mood of the show reinforce our confidence that speciality print and signage are sectors that never stop inventing, exploring, pushing boundaries and looking for new ways to achieve growth.”
 
She continues, “When we announced the change to an annual four-day FESPA event cycle, we fully expected to see some ‘levelling off’ of attendance between the historical flagship FESPA event and the four-day Digital event. Against these expectations, we’re absolutely thrilled to have welcomed just as many visitors as we did over five days in Hamburg in 2017, and to have exceeded typical attendance at a FESPA Digital show by over a fifth. With 35% of visitors having final decision-making responsibility in their businesses, and the same proportion of the audience coming primarily to research or purchase new equipment, it’s clear that FESPA is viewed all over the world as a leading showcase of latest technology for digital, screen and textile print, and a vital event in informing critical investment decisions.”
 
The next FESPA Global Print Expo takes place at Messe Munich, Germany, from 14 to 17 May 2019. FESPA has also confirmed the location and dates of the 2020 edition as 24-27 March 2020, Madrid, Spain.

by FESPA Back to News

Topics

Interested in joining our community?

Enquire today about joining your local FESPA Association or FESPA Direct

Enquire Today

Recent news

Personalisation: From mass production to print-on-demand
Personalisation

Personalisation: From mass production to print-on-demand

Technological advancements are driving the growing trend of personalisation, fueled by consumer demand for unique products. From packaging campaigns like Share-a-Coke to customised apparel by Nike and Adidas, and AI-powered tools, the shift from mass production to print-on-demand is evident. The SmartHub Conference at the Personalisation Experience from 6 - 8 May will explore these opportunities and challenges for businesses.

30-04-2025
How to grow your business with white ink applications
Inks

How to grow your business with white ink applications

Opaque white ink is revolutionising signage, vehicle graphics, wallcoverings, short-run and wood packaging, and window blinds by enhancing vibrancy and clarity. This enables printers to offer high-demand, standout products, boosting profit margins. HP Latex white ink applications and their large format printing solutions will be showcased at FESPA 2025 in Berlin.

30-04-2025
FESPA Global Print expo set to be the meeting point for visionaries in 2025
Digital Printing

FESPA Global Print expo set to be the meeting point for visionaries in 2025

In less than two weeks’ time, FESPA’s annual Global Print Expo and co-located events, European Sign Expo and Personalisation Experience, will return to Messe Berlin, Germany from 6 – 9 May 2025.

29-04-2025
 The Future of Industrial Personalisation in Apparel with Kornit Digital
Personalisation

The Future of Industrial Personalisation in Apparel with Kornit Digital

In this podcast, Debbie McKeegan interviews Guy Yaniv, President of EMEA at Kornit Digital about the future of personalised fashion.

29-04-2025