Fespa ploughs on with October global show

Fespa’s theme for the thrice postponed Fespa Global Print Expo, which is still scheduled to take place in Amsterdam in 12-15 October, is Bringing Colour Back.

This will be the first Fespa live event in Europe since May 2019, following the postponement of all events during 2020 and early 2021 due to Covid.

Whether printers from Australia and New Zealand will be able to travel outside the Trans-Tasman bubble by then is as yet unknown. Europe itself is currently in the middle of a third wave of the virus, which is causing major restrictions, but which the organisers anticipate will have abated by October.

According to the organiser, recent research conducted among Fespa’s audience reveals a strong appetite for the live event, with 73 per cent of respondents seeing trade shows as an essential platform for reviewing and making future product purchases.

With a focus on supporting speciality print communities with sustained business recovery following the challenges of the last year, Fespa aims to deliver a Covid-safe environment that gives visitors and exhibitors the first chance to connect face-to-face in since the 2019 Munich event.

Occupying six exhibition halls at the RAI in Amsterdam, print service providers and signmakers will experience the latest innovations in screen, digital, wide format and textile printing, from 300 expected suppliers. Fespa’s popular Printeriors and World Wrap Masters features will also return “to inspire visitors with the latest ideas, applications and materials in interior décor and vehicle wrapping”.

European Sign Expo, the largest European exhibition for non-printed signage and visual communications, will once again be co-located with Fespa Global Print Expo, enabling brand owners and communications professionals to explore opportunities beyond print.

Neil Felton, CEO of Fespa comments: “Our audiences have told us that they need access to hands-on product demonstrations and to participate in face-to-face meetings with multiple suppliers to support their recovery, and they see Fespa Global Print Expo as a key milestone in their forward planning. Taking into account all information currently available to us, we’re re-launching FESPA 2021 this autumn, with confidence that we can offer participants a live event that takes all possible health and safety precautions, while still fulfilling their key expectations of a Fespa show as an interactive, multisensory experience.”

The event website offers the latest event information and updates regarding the health and safety measures that will be implemented at the show. Visitors can also access the full exhibitor list, an interactive floor plan, and latest exhibitor product information, technical content and videos via Fespa’s online showroom.

Registration for Fespa Global Print Expo 2021 and European Sign Expo 2021 is now open at https://www.fespaglobalprintexpo.com/why-visit/registration#/. Entry to the event is free for members of a Fespa national Association or Fespa Direct. The cost of entry is €50.00 for non Fespa members who pre-register before 12 October using the code: FESM101.