Investment starts to flow at PacPrint

Day two of the trade show picks up with many more punters and welcome reports of equipment buying off the stands.

Following an opening day that saw visitors numbers down 20 per cent from last year at 2,503, nervous suppliers were buoyed by the increase in attendance at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre on the second day. Some estimate there are double the numbers today with sale staff on the stands kept busy as customers queued for demonstrations.

Having one of the largest investments in the Heidelberg stand Alistair Hadley, (pictured) Heidelberg Executive and chairman of PacPrint, said he was happy with the numbers. “PacPrint is a sales and marketing exercise and anyone who has opted not to be here is shooting themselves in the foot. There are just as many companies visiting the show this time around, but perhaps with less people.”

He made the point that nearly 22 per cent of the visitors were the CEO or owner of their businesses, reinforcing the perception of PacPrint as the "decision makers' show."

In addition to the thronging aisles, a number of exhibitors reported sales from the show. MAN Ferrostaal cemented its position as the postpress supplier with a sale on the stand of the Bobst Evoline 102-E die-cutter to Sydney-based Labelcraft. According to Terry Rowney, director, Labelcraft is not participating in the recession In fact, he has a banner posted up in the Leichardt factory to that effect. The Bobst is part of the company’s strategy to increase customer service and bring work back onshore from Asia.

Also on the MAN Ferrostaal stand, David Rogers of The Laminating Company walked around his latest acquisition, a VisionFoil 104, the first installation of the machine in the Southern Hemisphere.

Pictured: the Labelcraft team with Carsten Wendler, MAN Ferrostaal, (from left; Evan Atkins, Ian Dixon, and (far right) Terry Rowney.

“Now’s a good time to get into it,” he said. “It’s a long-term investment decision. The way I think of it is if you’re going to have a swing, have a big swing at it.”

On the DES stand the company celebrated its new relationship with EFI by posting the Sold sign on the first EFI Rastek T660UV flatbed inkjet went to Briter Australasia in Melbourne. This is the first time the machine, which was launched at FESPA two weeks ago, is available to the local market.