Fespa Global Print Expo, together with the co-located Personalisation Experience and European Sign Expo, held in Munich last month, attracted 14,776 unique visitors from 134 countries. 54% attended the events over multiple days, bringing the total attendance to 22,757 over the four-day show, an increase of 42.5% over the Berlin-based events in 2022.
The organiser said 84% of visitors held decision-making positions, a 15% increase compared to 2022. 73% of visitors were MD, CEOs, owners or managers. Half of the visitors said they were planning an investment within 12 months. Of the two-thirds of visitors choosing to disclose budget, the collective median budget has almost doubled year on year, to 2bn Euros.
German printers represented 25% of the total audience, with numbers from the host country up by 38% compared with 2022. Overall, 83% of visitors were from Europe, with the most significant delegate groups outside Germany coming from Italy, Austria, the UK, The Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, Spain, Czech Republic and France.
The full removal of long-haul travel restrictions further boosted the 2023 events and enabled the return of a host of exhibiting companies. Visitors from Asia accounted for more than 10% of the total audience this year, compared with only 4% in 2022. More than 750 decision-makers from speciality print businesses in Africa, the Americas and Oceania also visited the shows in Munich.
Michael Ryan, head of Fespa Global Print Expo, said: “This year’s events in Munich really proved how positively the international speciality print and signage communities have bounced back. Business leaders from all over the world came with an appetite to understand what’s changing in the market and a determination to innovate and invest to expand their offering. We saw our total audience grow substantially compared with 2022, with more individual visitors investing more time to explore everything we and our exhibitors could offer, including our sustainability spotlight, Fespa awards gallery and World Wrap Masters feature.”
The next Fespa Global Print Expo will take place in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on 19 – 24 March 2024, alongside European Sign Expo, Personalisation Experience and Sportswear Pro.
