The tour will kick off at the Newcastle Gateshead Marriott Hotel MetroCentre on the 12 and 13 September, with other venues slated for later on in the year and into 2018 but no additional information available on dates or location.

Duplo will be exhibiting a range of its kit, including its DuSense DDC-810 Sensory Coater, which was given its official launch at the Duplo Summer Festival in June, along with its July-launched DC-746 IFS.

It will also be showing the Drupa-launched PFi Di-Cut 300 die-cutting system and its flagship 600i Booklet System, along with machinery from its partners Renz and Vivid Laminating Technologies, with more exhibiting partners to be announced nearer the time.

Duplo marketing manager Sarah Crumpler said she expects delegates from around 50 companies to attend the Newcastle leg of the tour.

She said: “This came from us saying ‘What do we do with Northern Lights?’. It’s been a great event and we’d like to continue with it but think we can make more of it by making it smaller and going to more places. 

“We only have one showroom in the UK and it’s a long way to ask people to go from places like Newcastle if they don’t really know us, so this is for people at the beginning of a consideration to come and get to know Duplo and see what our range of kit includes, without having to come too far to do it. We’re trying to create that relaxed and informal environment.”

This will be the third Northern Lights event but the first to be toured, with last year’s event taking place in Leeds and the inaugural show kicking off in Manchester in 2015. 

“It will be the first opportunity for most people to get really hands-on and see what the Sensory Coater can do,” added Crumpler. 

The Duplo Summer Festival, which took place at its Addlestone, Surrey headquarters, was attended by 350 people, and Crumpler said Duplo is already in the process of applying for licenses for next year’s event. It also hosted a Hands-On Open House event at Addlestone in February.