"Splinter" trade show comes under attack

“We are deeply disappointed at GAMAA’s attitude in trying to splinter the industry for its own ends,” said Chris Segaert, President of Printing Industries. “There is no justification for running another trade show against PacPrint, especially as the supply companies are already complaining that there are too many exhibitions.”

Printing Industries, the leading representative body, reaffirmed its commitment to running PacPrint at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre in May 2005 as originally planned. It is currently the joint owner of the exhibition and has been in contact with Reed Exhibitions, the organisers, to confirm the booking for the exhibition centre.

The industry furore was sparked by GAMAA’s bid to take over the national printing and graphic arts exhibition, tearing up the previous 50/50 shared ownership agreement with Printing Industries. It has already set up a trade show company GraphPrint Pty Ltd, which intends to contract well-known trade show promoter, Tony Farrington, to undertake the role of general manager in order to run a Melbourne Trade Show in 2005. The association has made no public comment but plans to issue a press release in early October.

“This is a blatent attempt by some members of GAMAA to advance themselves at the expense of the industry as a whole and I promise you it will be resisted by Printing Industries,” said Chris Segaert. “We have bent over backwards in meetings with their representatives trying to accommodate them, but they will settle for nothing less than total control.”

The prospect of competing trade shows in 2005 is sure to trouble the industry and will fire up a battle for the hearts and wallets of the associations and the suppliers. Printing Industries’ fear is that under GAMAA the trade show will simply become a machinery-selling exercise, further contributing to the over capacity that currently dogs the industry. The original reason for the show, to promote the industry as a whole to the public, will be lost. (See Noel Crichton’s article this bulletin – A Blast from the Past.)www.print21.com.au/index.cfm?art=355&comid=1&issue=40