It’s the final countdown
With under 90 days ago, Ipex 2010 has entered the final countdown stage. Over 550 stand holders are signed up thus far, representing over 1,000 companies across more than 60,000m2 of floor space. All the major industry players are signed up and cover a wide section of the entire print production workflow.
Exhibitors will come from over 40 countries. Over half (55%) of the companies will come from overseas, notably from Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, France, India, USA and China.
Trevor Crawford, Ipex 2010 event director, said: “Ipex is almost 95% sold out so we’re extremely pleased with the event’s progress and development. With over 1,000 exhibiting companies, visitors will have unrivalled opportunities to see the current and future shape of our industry and plan their investment decisions accordingly.”
A core attraction at this year’s event is bound to be a series of free expert panel debates around some of the most challenging issues currently facing the print industry. Produced by highly respected global print authority Pira in association with Ipex, the Great Print Debates as they are known, bring together experts, thought-leaders and high profile industry representatives. “The printing industry needs more debate and discussion,” said Frank Romano, Professor Emeritus, Rochester Institute of Technology and a Great Debate chairperson. “We are at a crossroads in terms of new printing technology, changes in customer marketing and challenges to print. We need to band together to develop new markets, new print products, and new ideas – and convince the world that print is still an important and viable form of communication.”
The four critical questions that will be tacked are as follows:
More than ink on paper: how should printers be selling print?
What will the printer of the future look like?
Will an I-Pod for publishing kill printed media?
Green print: is it worth it?
Joining Pira’s Sean Smyth and Frank Romano as debate chairs will be Neil Falconer, senior consultant, Pira International and Laurel Brunner, Digital Dots. Panellists are set to include Rob Haak, president, SPIKIX; Adam Dewitz, director of technology, WhatTheyThink.com; Stephen Goddard, environmental leadership programme manager, Hewlett Packard and Marcia Balisciano, director of corporate responsibility, Reed Elsevier.
Audience participation and interaction using simple polling technology should really liven up the proceedings allowing for real time feedback and drive the questioning of the panel chair.
All participants will take away an exclusive study called Print to 2020 that will provide a global summary of the threats, challenges and opportunity for print in the next decade.
The Great Debates take place from 13.00 -14.00 in the Printers’ Profit Zone, for more information and free registration check out www.Ipex.org/greatprintdebates.
