It’s often been labelled the Cinderella sector of the print industry in the past, but this year’s Ipex could be the moment when post-press finally makes a fairytale entrance into the spotlight. This is partly down to its higher profile thanks to more print firms deciding to take finishing in-house. That steady rise in interest has helped to bring in revenue at a time when big investments have become rarer.

That’s not to say the recession passed the sector by, as purchases of equipment were hit across the board. Post-press wasn’t immune, which is why Ipex comes at a crucial time. Niche products have served a growing number of printers well, but could there be a return to the purchasing of larger equipment – has confidence returned to the sector?

Pivotal moment
This year’s Ipex is one of the most important UK shows in the past 20 years, enthuses Renz managing director Iain Bullock. This is both in terms of the digital and associated technologies race, but also, and more importantly, in terms of deciding the future business strategies for many of the exhibitors.

The vast majority of the manufactures exhibiting have struggled through the past 18 months. A successful Ipex, in terms of actual written orders, may convince the market that we are through the worst times and that there are signs of a sustained recovery.

So in order to provide some resuscitation to the market, Ipex has to be a selling show – the option of using the event simply as a promotional tool where potential customers are gathered won’t do. This is even more of an issue as every single penny of spend has to be justified at the moment, so having a few vaguely interested visitors won’t give exhibitors a return on the costly investment of exhibiting in the first place. The pressure is really on this year.

Return on investment
In recent years, before the economic downturn, exhibitors had been able to convince themselves that the huge expense of exhibiting had been worthwhile because of all the new leads and potential new business generated, says Bullock. However, at this Ipex, exhibitors will need to see a direct, tangible return on investment. If not, a huge question mark will hang over the future of allocating a significant amount of budget to exhibiting in the UK.

Stuart Murphy, managing director at Rollem, is upbeat about the show and believes that the timing is good. He admits that it’s difficult to call whether Ipex will create an upturn or if an improvement in business would have happened anyway, but going into the show, he’s optimistic that business will be done.

It’s going to be the best exhibition for ages, he says. Plenty of people are coming to the show and we’ve got some existing customers visiting to sign up for kit on the stand.
Visitors also have to justify their spend on kit more than ever before, especially as getting finance has become harder over the past 18 months. Post-press manufacturers have cottoned onto the corresponding rise in interest in the kind of kit that will pay dividends in the long run.
Printers everywhere, regardless of their sector, are seeking ways to improve productivity and quality while reducing waste and costs – in short they want greater efficiency, explains Lee Whatmough, head of kit supplier and distributor WRH Marketing.

Automation focus
Peter Jolly, marketing manager at Duplo International, believes that Ipex should be seen as an opportunity to showcase automated finishing.

Work is beginning to pick up again and with that comes more pressure on the workflow to get the job out, says Jolly. With less staff than before, but in an equally busy time, more reliance must be placed on automated finishing with quick set-up times and high production speeds.

Rollem’s Murphy has also spotted a trend in customers demanding more automation. What’s helped his company is the growth in digital. As specialist digital print firms take on more work, they’re attracted to more productive pieces of kit that can cope with a rise in print runs.

Rollem’s equipment has traditionally targeted at the litho market, suited for long-run work. But this has changed.

More digital work is moving towards us – the market has come to us, says Murphy. We are very much looking forward to the next generation of digital equipment that offers high quality and high speed.

Niche opportunity
In addition, Murphy has picked up on a trend towards more niche work from both digital and litho. We have become a niche player with applications for products including business cards and playing cards, he reveals.

And Duplo’s Jolly believes there is a realisation that the printed product itself is where the money is made – and that’s why finishing represents such a massive part of the job.

We believe that the value in the printed sheet is in the printed product, he says. The finisher should not be seen as a bottleneck, but as a way of adding value to the printed sheet.

Printers are likely to find Ipex awash with post-press kit that raises the stakes in automation and makeready times. And for the exhibitors, Ipex needs to boost sales and point to firm signs of a recovery in the sector.