10 reasons why you should go to PacPrint: Print 21 magazine article

The spectacular collapse in business conditions over the past few months has raised doubts about the prospects for this year’s PacPrint exhibition in Melbourne. All the more reason then to show it some support, says Simon Enticknap, at a time when your industry needs you.

Sit up straight everybody and listen. There has been some loose talk going around this year along the lines of people not wanting to go to PacPrint because the economy is looking sadder than an empty beer bottle. In these hard times, the industry faces an uncertain future with businesses dropping to the left and to the right, and employees being laid off on all sides. Consequently, it is said, nobody has any money left to buy anything so what’s the point of wandering around the candy shop, torturing yourself with all the goodies on show when your pockets are empty?

Such talk hasn’t been helped by persistent but unattributable rumours that some suppliers have baulked at the costs involved of exhibiting at PacPrint and have been actively sounding out support for a postponement. Of those who are exhibiting, the unwanted expense of installing and de-installing capital equipment in the current market environment means there will be less machinery on display than at previous exhibitions which, some might say, rather defeats the point of having a show in the first place.

But after all the talk is done, the fact is that the show will go on, the exhibitors will turn up in force and anybody who cares anything about the long term health of the industry should be there too.

Printers are notorious for leaving their attendance at industry events until the last minute. Anybody who has ever organised an industry conference, forum or open house will testify that it can be very hard to get firm commitments from people to attend and that usually they will put off making a decision until the last minute. If you are one of these people who likes to go around saying that they won’t be going before rushing along on the final afternoon, by all means continue to express your indifference but, at the same time, make a firm commitment for both yourself and your staff to visit PacPrint. Your industry needs you.

Despite all the nervous nellies, PacPrint chairman, Alastair Hadley, remains optimistic that this year’s event will be comparable if not better than previous shows. While the amount of booked floor space at the exhibition is down slightly, the number of exhibitors is up, reflecting the trend towards new, smaller players entering the market.

“We all hear about the reduction in stand sizes but there are many companies that are actually increasing their stand size from 2005,” he says. “They are mainly in the digital area and they are bringing out bigger machines so they need more space.”

“It’s also a statement that digital is a growing alternative in the traditional print market.”

Visitor registration numbers are ahead of where they were at the same time for PacPrint 05 and if, as usual, there is a last minute rush then organisers are confident of a successful outcome. The timing is perhaps not so great from the perspective of the economy but, as Hadley points, out, there’s not much the organisers can do about that; PacPrint is one of the bigger shows on the calendar and it can’t be moved at the drop of a hat. On the other hand, the exhibition is well-timed for visitors to take advantage of the Federal government’s 30 percent tax deduction on purchases made before June 30. That’s 30 percent on top of the usual depreciation allowance.

So for all the dilly-dalliers out there, here are 10 reasons why PacPrint should be on your ‘must-do’ list for May 26-30.

1.This is the most important PacPrint in years. The last three PacPrint shows have all been in the context of a growing economy – you have to go back to the days of Pakprint in the early 90s for a ‘recession-buster’ show so, for the majority of attendees, this will be a novel experience. The decisions made now will determine how businesses fare when the upswing finally comes, so the importance of getting those decisions right has never been more critical. It may seem like the wrong time to be thinking about investing in the future but if you plan to be around to do so when the time is right, you need to start planning now.

2. No-one knows what it will be like. This might sound a trifle obvious but think back to previous shows and the extent to which, even before they began, everybody knew what they were ‘about’. Digital print, CTP, JDF – each previous show was billed as signalling the emergence of some ‘hot’ new technology or topic that promised to change the face of the industry. This time around, there has been little talk along those lines, with the result that, at the end of the first decade of the 21st century, nobody knows what technology trends will dominate. Digital print will be in there somewhere and figuring strongly, but overall this is the most open PacPrint for years.

3. Your competitors will go. No certainty about this but perhaps, just perhaps, they will, and in doing so, they may experience that flash of inspiration, the kernel of a brilliant idea, the first glimpse of a new vision that will take them forward into the future - at your expense. You didn’t go so you have no idea what it is – yet. By the time you do, it will be too late.

“A lot of people may be saying ‘I’m not going to PacPrint to buy’ and that’s OK as long as they come to look,” says Hadley. “They might not be going to buy but they need to think about what it would do to their business if their competitor did.”

“OK, you might not be buying but go anyway and have a look, otherwise you’re not doing the right thing by your company.”

4. You can’t afford not to go. You may be thinking the opposite in terms of the expense but, in truth, the industry of which you are a part can’t afford to pass up an opportunity to show what it can do. Printing is a communications medium and it needs a major showcase to highlight what is good about print and why it matters. Relying on the internet to find out what you need to know, while cheaper by far, rather defeats the purpose of what you’re trying to achieve with your customers.

5. You didn’t go to drupa. The timing of PacPrint is always such that the new technology released at drupa a year earlier is just starting to filter through to this region and so, for anybody who didn’t make the trip to Germany, this is the perfect opportunity to find out what all the fuss was about.

6. You did go to drupa. New technology releases at drupa are often in the form of ‘concept’ or prototype machines that may only have a passing resemblance to the actual production models. PacPrint is a year later, the technology is more refined and developed, and the chances are that what you see is what you can buy.

7. You haven’t been before. Printing has changed enormously in the past four years, what with companies merging and private equity players buying up large chunks of the industry. As a result, many people with a life-long experience in printing are no longer in the industry and, in their place, there are people who may have never been to a PacPrint before, or have yet to observe the local industry in its entirety. If you are one of those people, this is your opportunity to find out all about your chosen profession.

8. It’s only once every four years. One or two days every four years – it’s not much to ask, is it? More importantly, if you miss out this time around, it’ll be another four years before the show comes around again, an eight year gap between experiencing the latest technology that the industry has to offer. In today’s market and with the current pace of change, that’s like … forever.

9. You’ll learn something new. It might be a casual conversation, it might be a product demo on an exhibitor’s stand, or one of the PacPrint forum sessions but somewhere, somehow, you’ll glean a nugget of knowledge which you can use. It’s information, it’s generally free and you can’t live without it. More than ever, good intelligence is a critical factor in today’s business climate so you shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to get some.

“We’re hoping that people come to PacPrint with an open mind to learn, network, experience other things rather than just looking at gear,” says Alastair Hadley. “They’re able to see the suppliers’ equipment and the expertise and support behind that, but at the same time utilise their time to learn a bit more about their business and its potential, not specifically the hardware.”

10. You might save money. There’s probably never been a gathering of suppliers in the history of the industry so keen to make deals with their customers. While claims of ‘show sales’ should be treated with scepticism, PacPrint is ultimately a forum for doing business and there are deals to be had. Even if you’re not in the market to buy now, suppliers are still more eager than ever to talk to you and they have the expertise that might make the difference between you making money or losing it. Use them - they want you to be profitable too.

But wait, there’s more
So ten reasons are not enough for you? Well, here’s a couple more to round it out to an even dozen, surely more than enough to sway any remaining waverers out there.

Don’t let the Kiwis have all the fun. Ever since the lights dimmed on their own trade exhibition, Pantech, New Zealanders have been eyeing PacPrint as their own preferred playground. Reports from suppliers suggest that interest from New Zealand is high again this year with a big contingent expected. They already own half the industry, so why should we sit back and let them dominate our major trade show as well? (Just joking chaps – the more the merrier.)

12. It beats going to work. The current mood may well be that no-one can afford to relax for a moment for fear that if they leave the office, they may not have a job to go back to but, on the other hand, there’s value to be had in stepping back from the coalface for a few hours and taking time out to see the bigger picture. Mingle, network, have a beer and swap war stories with others in the industry - you may discover you’re not alone in the challenges you face day-to-day.

We’ll see you all there.