On Day 2 of PrintEx15, the aisles were buzzing and business was going gangbusters, with visitors flowing constantly through the Sydney Showground Dome entrance and exhibitors writing plenty of new business.
After a solid start to PrintEx and the co-located Visual Impact exhibition yesterday, the second day of Sydney’s leading print and graphic communications exhibition kicked off on a positive note, with more than 100 attending the Heidelberg Women in Print Breakfast. There, guests heard Kylie Goodwin, Group Recruitment Manager for Fairfax Media (ANZ), Karen Strain, Financial Planner with Media Super, and Jen Baile, National Business Manager from Fuji Xerox, outline their own careers and share their secrets to success.
As the breakfast drew to a close, visitors were already gathering in the foyer of the Sydney Showground’s iconic Dome, eager to start another day of discovery around the three expansive exhibition halls. As well as Sydney and NSW ‘locals’, many had travelled from interstate and overseas to take advantage of their regional show, including a very strong contingent from New Zealand who were out and about around the aisles early.
General feedback from visitors so far suggests that their experience at PrintEx15 has been an excellent one. A factor in this has undoubtedly been exhibitors taking advantage of the removal of the ‘traditional’ PrintEx shell-scheme only stand guidelines to put together eye-catching and visually enticing customised displays which have captured the imagination and interest.
Overall, the trend at PrintEx15 is one of genuine engagement, with both exhibitors and visitors clearly ready to do business. Many visitors have turned up with a list of products and people to cover during their visit. Others openly state that they are taking the opportunity to look for new ideas and revenue streams that they hope will give their businesses a shot in the arm and help them create a more profitable future.
And many are acting on what they find. Around the stands, SOLD stickers have appeared constantly throughout the day, with many of the larger exhibitors reporting multiple sales and also confiding that they had been run off their feet with a far greater number of new contacts and enquiries than expected.
During the day, the PrintEx Forums were once again well attended. Today’s sessions featuring panel discussions on the challenges facing print, why print is still important within the evolving digital economy, and a look at the ‘how, what and why’ of innovation from Allan Ryan from The Hargraves Institute. In more specifically focused sessions, Paul Dastoor from Newcastle University gave an overview of advances in polymers, printed circuits and other ‘products of the future’, while a record number of people packed in for a ‘standing room only’ session on the potential of 3D print from Mel Fuller, co-founder of Three Farm.
Upstairs in the afternoon, guests at the Dscoop briefing were treated to a surprise visit from Australian international cricketer, Brett Lee, who popped in to add to the discussions, delighting those who had made the time to attend.
And there is plenty more to come. PrintEx15 will run until 4pm tomorrow with a host of last day offers and four more very strong Forum sessions leading the day’s highlights. The show is expected to finish on a high as the industry gears up for a night of celebrations at the sold-out Media Super National Print Awards, which will see some 500 industry professionals gather to celebrate the achievement of excellence.
As the day drew to a close, Phillip Rennell, Chairman of PrintEx15, said he was delighted with the results from the show so far, saying it appeared to be delivering on all targets and providing real value for both visitors and exhibitors.
“It’s clear that people from across the industry are really taking advantage of the opportunity to do business here at PrintEx15, and are very much benefiting from the experience,” he said.
“For those who have not yet been, I’d encourage you to look at your diaries for tomorrow and make time to visit. This is your best opportunity for another couple of years to see such a huge range of products, technology and expertise under one roof, so do what thousands of others have done so far and join us tomorrow at PrintEx15.”
To register for free and plan your visit, go to www.printex.net.au
ENDS