The new interactive live online events, FIT – FESPA Innovations and Trends, are each themed around a particular area of technology and applications and aim to give participants a focused environment in which to engage with new products and explore trends.
The first event in the FIT series, Wide Format, will take place from 26-27 May. Focusing on wide-format graphics and the evolving printed décor market, it will showcase innovations from a range of technology, software, and substrate suppliers.
Gold sponsors set to showcase their latest wares during the event will include Durst, EFI, HP, Kornit Digital, Mimaki, OneVision, and PrintFactory.
Other participating suppliers will include Ahlstrom-Munksjö, Aleph, Aslan, Avery Dennison, Dataline, Elitron, Fotoba, Hanglory, Kala, Klieverik, Kongsberg, Mactac, Mutoh, Pigment.Inc, PlastGrommet, Pongs, STS Inks, and TTS.
The second FIT event, Printed Clothing, will take place from 9-10 June and will focus on the textiles printing and garment decoration sector, covering direct-to-garment (DTG), screen printing, software, and materials.
Gold sponsors highlighting their latest products and initiatives will include B-Flex, EFI Reggiani, Gemini CAD, Kornit Digital, Polyprint, PrintFactory, Roland DG, and ROQ.
Other exhibitors will include INO, Klieverik, Lotus Holland, Melco, Pigment.Inc, Sport PrintLab, Vastex, Zakeke, and Coveme.
FIT events are free to attend for visitors, but Fespa said numbers will be capped to manage the quality of the interactive experience for printers and suppliers.
Visitors will have open access to virtual demonstrations, exhibitor insight, and Q&A sessions, while Fespa said the online platform will make it easy to join live chats, network via video chat, and schedule timed meetings.
Fespa chief executive Neil Felton said: “To plan investments and make informed decisions, printers need to be able to see new products, discover technological developments, and access expert advice on products, applications and avenues for diversification and development.
“Speaking to printers across our communities it’s clear that, while their strong preference is to do all of this in a live event setting, there’s a pressing need to access information in a time-efficient way.
“They want the opportunity to ask questions, take advice, interact with suppliers and nurture relationships with like-minded entrepreneurs. By launching the FIT series of virtual events, we’re supporting our community in the most effective way available until we can meet in the real world again at a Fespa live exhibition.”
For more information, including the FIT event programmes, and to register, visit: bit.ly/Fespa-FIT-WF and bit.ly/Fespa-FIT-PC.
Fespa will hold its first Global Print Expo since May 2019 from 12 to 15 October 2021 in Amsterdam.
