The withdrawal of the German press manufacturer is the second body blow to Ipex in two months following HP’s decision not to exhibit at the event, meaning the 2010 show’s two largest exhibitors will be absent from the 2014 iteration.

"This [Heidelberg’s decision] was quite a shock for us and wasn’t something we were expecting," said Informa Exhibitions managing director Peter Hall.

"But trade shows are a constant reflection of the industry and I think we would have been naive to think every Ipex for ever more would look exactly like the last one. There will be risers and there will be fallers. We’ve had some amazing signs of growth, vendors that took 50m2 in 2010 committing to hundreds this time and, of course, there are others going the other way."

Speaking at the time of HP’s announcement in June, Heidelberg UK managing director Gerard Heanue said: "We have signed a contract and we’re going."

However, it has emerged that the contract had a ‘walk away’ clause that Heidelberg, at a corporate level, decided to exercise. None of the other 188 exhibitors already signed up to the show are understood to have a similar clause.

"We had a fantastic Drupa 2012, and we then started to analyse how we approached different markets. When we looked at Western Europe we realised that most of the deals were already done before because it’s now much more of a complex sale, where we go through the ROI and different applications etc. So it’s a significantly more technical and financial sale than the old days – when people just used to come and sign," said Heanue.

"The focus [for shows] will now be China and South America and obviously Drupa in Europe."

He stressed that Heidelberg’s decision was not purely financially driven. Heanue also added that while it is early days, it was investigating the possibility of "complementary open house event" to coincide with Ipex.

"For the international customers that do come to Ipex, our Brentford showroom is on the way from Heathrow. The showroom is also fully integrated for MIS, which we wouldn’t have had at the show – so we will be able to show all of the benefits of what we’ve got. But it is early days and we’re not trying to steal anyone’s thunder."

However, he didn’t rule out the possibility of Heidelberg kit being at the Excel show, if its partners Ricoh or Landa exhibit. He also added that the company could return to the show in 2018.

Around 188 exhibitors have already signed contracts for Ipex 2014, with a further 22 contracts waiting to be signed. According to Informa Print Group marketing director Nick Craig Waller, Ipex 2014 is well ahead of its 2010 cycle, with 29 of the 33 key exhibitors that are already confirmed increasing their 2010 footprint for next year. In addition this, he said that 16 of the major digital exhibitors have collectively increased their 2010 floorspace by a total of 55%.

However, with contracted exhibitors obliged to bolster their 10% deposit with a second payment of 30% by 1 October, a number of exhibitors have raised their concerns over the impact of Heidelberg and HP’s decisions.

A Xerox spokesman said the firm, which was the third biggest exhibitor in 2010, was "continuing to monitor and explore its available options".

Neil Sutton managing director of Komori UK and Komori International Netherlands said: "I am a great supporter of Ipex and I think that moving to London was the right thing.

"However, there is absolutely no doubt that in light of the decisions by Heidelberg and HP everybody will be looking at their Ipex commitment – that’s not to say they will automatically follow suit, but every organisation will inevitably be discussing it’s presence."

Sutton’s view was echoed by Friedheim International chief executive Peter Morris: "The show must go on, but it’s bitterly disappointing that the world’s largest manufacturer of offset presses will not be at the biggest show in 2014."

"At Drupa HP were the biggest draw and without them at Ipex I saw this as a positive for the other vendors. Heidelberg are the magnet for just about every commercial printer in the World their absence at Ipex is much more meaningful to the other exhibitors."

Duplo UK managing director Tony Lock added: "I’m sure it will be a successful show, but everyone has to review their situation. It’s almost inconceivable that we wouldn’t go, it’s just a question of whether we go all guns blazing internationally or we decide to scale back and treat it like a UK show.

"However, the UK is still the fourth-largest manufacturer of print and manufacturers have to be careful, because if you’re seen to be abandoning or not investing in the UK market then there are a large proportion of printers that will be unhappy with that."

Exhibitors contracted 188

Contracts pending 22

Floorspace target 100,000sqm

Exhibitors include Canon, Duplo, EFI, Epson, Fujifilm, Hans Gronhi, Horizon, Kodak, Komori, Konica Minolta, Muller Martini, Pitney Bowes, Presstek, Screen, Xeikon and Xerox

Visitors 50,322

International visitors 48%

Countries 135