In the face of yet another major exhibitor pulling out of Ipex2014 this month with Mimaki’s withdrawal, the event’s organiser Informa Exhibitions is standing by its quadrennial trade show, with a letter to the industry heralding its determination to continue with the UK event.
In a joint release, Ipex2014 director Trevor Crawford (pictured) and Informa Exhibitions managing director, Peter Hall, said:
“Ipex will take place in London in 2014. We stand firmly by our mission: to provide today's printer and their customers with the ideas, insights and solutions to effectively promote the power of print and its integration in the marketing mix,” they said in a joint letter.
“We all understand that print is experiencing some change - economic, technological, social, and environmental. Events that represent print - such as Ipex - have to adapt and reflect those shifts. When an event takes place every four years, that degree of change can appear dramatic. In fact, it's simply that a cyclical event like this pulls together the incremental changes that happened over that time period and concentrates them into one experience.
“Industries that are in flux have to re-evaluate themselves. They need to be brave and find the clarity to focus on what is valuable and should be developed. This is exactly what our customers and their customers are doing. The same goes for us as an event brand.”
Informa Exhibitions says it expect 80 per cent of Ipex 2014 visitors to be commercial printers, whether in print litho, digital, or from a mix of complementary processes, with the company remaining determined to keep commercial printers at the heart of the event – despite the move to broaden Ipex’s scope to include new digital, print and marketing communications technology.
“As always, we're putting commercial printers right at the heart of Ipex,” the letter said. “We surveyed more than 1600 printers worldwide to ask them how Ipex could continue to be relevant to their needs. We've taken that research on board to shape our planning. We're committed to delivering an event that will help printers from all over the world to adapt to these changes and build for the future. Ipex will be the only event in 2014 that brings together the whole international print supply chain to learn, network and do business.
“Printers are looking to Ipex for vital leadership and guidance. They need a neutral environment, not controlled by a single manufacturer, where they can find the time and space to assess and absorb the changes and opportunities around them. We will provide them with a wealth of world-class content through initiatives such as the World Print Summit.
“Ipex is a year away. We're working to deliver an event that gives printers what they need, while also attracting the people who buy print, and showing them what print is capable of, working hand in hand with other communications channels.”
Informa Exhibitions has suffered a slew of withdrawals from Ipex2014, including HP, Heidelberg, Kodak, Agfa, Xerox, Komori and Canon, among others.