Speaking at last week's Ipex Media Summit in London, the show's event director Trevor Crawford revealed that digital manufacturers and suppliers would take up 38% of the NEC's floorspace compared to the 26% reserved for presses.

"The positivity in the market is better than it was six months ago and there's a new air of controlled optimism," he said.

Of the top 10 exhibitors at this year's show, eight are digital manufacturers, while the remaining two slots are taken by press giant Heidelberg and finishing kit supplier Friedheim.

Canon has doubled the space it is taking and has announced that it will focus on business development tools and applications.

Trevor Dodsworth, head of product marketing within Canon Business Solutions, Canon UK, said advancements in digital printing technology had allowed it to become a larger component of major tradeshows.

"Rather than being a ‘new kid on the block’, digital is now an established part of any major event," he added.

Topping the bill is HP, which has increased its presence by nearly 40% by taking a 3,000sqm chunk from the show's 100,000sqm capacity.

Despite reducing its footprint from the 2006 Ipex show, Xerox, along with Canon and Fuji, rounds off the top five exhibitors in terms of floorspace.

Francois Martin, marketing manager for HP's Graphic Solutions Business in EMEA, said the growth of digital print's presence at Ipex had been catalysed by the economic crisis.

"This urgent need for new business models meant that digital printing markets suffered less than vendors of analogue technology," he said.

However, Chas Moloney, director of marketing at Ricoh UK, which will showcase its Pro C720 and C720S production printers as well as web-to-print and business development tools, said there is still a balance between litho and digital.

"I still believe that there is room for both in the marketplace. If I'm seeing a balance moving towards digital then it's just that, a balance. What is important is focusing on the customers' needs and demands," he added.