Overseas trade shows back on agenda

Printers around the country are dusting off their passports today and looking at a full schedule of overseas industry trade events next year, as Qantas brings forward international flights and suggests a return to a full timetable.

Speaking at Sydney airport this morning the flying kangaroo’s CEO Alan Joyce said the company will resume a host of flights ahead of schedule, including to Singapore from 23 November, and says it will be flying double daily from Sydney to London and Sydney to Los Angeles before Christmas.

Its daily direct flight from Sydney to London via Darwin takes off a week on Monday. All flights are from Sydney, but Joyce says he expects Melbourne to open up soon. Printers in WA face a longer wait for overseas travel.

Sydney airport meanwhile has joined the state government in tipping in $60m each in funds to attract international airlines back to NSW, as 18 airlines including British Airways, Air Canada and Air India have stopped flying into Sydney. 

For printers the resumption of overseas flights, and the resumption of international trade events, means a plethora of choice for next year.

First off the blocks is the EFI Connect user event in Las Vegas January, followed by the Hunkeler Innovation Days in Switzerland in February. The first LabelExpo since 2019 takes place in April in Brussels, with global wide format show Fespa slated for the end of May in Berlin, and Printing United in Las Vegas in October. In addition, other global user group events will be taking place around the world by the major suppliers.

Australia’s own big trade show PacPrint will finally take place at the end of June, in Melbourne, with Victoria ready to welcome visitors from all states, New Zealand, and further afield by then.