Back at Francis Towers after an enjoyable jaunt to Manchester to attend Paperlinx’s Discover open days. It was a super setup, space- and time-efficient for visitors and Paperlinx’s partner exhibitors alike. I particularly liked the fact that each item of equipment was adorned with a large price tag, saying how much it cost and what the typical lease payment per week would be. Be that £40 a week or the best part of a grand, it was crystal clear what was what. Thus, visitors could take a twirl around the exhibits and see more or less immediately whether the kit on show would be of interest or relevant to their businesses or not. It was very cleverly presented. And there was a really wide range of equipment on display, some of it established wide-format workhorses from the likes of Mimaki and HP with hundreds of installations in the field, and some kit that’s new to the market like the Vortex and Jetrix. So plenty of food for thought all round. As Paperlinx sales manager Phil Tomlinson said, the aim is for visitors to come away from the event having picked up at least one new nugget of information, be it about a piece of kit, a new or better substrate, or a potential application. It would be hard not to, I certainly did, including having my eyes opened to a range of possible uses for polycarbonates and acrylics that were new to me. For those in striking distance of Glasgow on 21 or 22 May,* the next outing for this event, it’s definitely worth a visit. *Update 15 April: I've just been informed the Glasgow event has been rescheduled for September, date to be confirmed. Check with Paperlinx for details.