If you need further evidence of the rude health of trade fairs, at least the printing industry variety, look no further than the €10bn of deals notched up over the course of this year’s Drupa, outstripping its 2004 results in the midst of difficult trading conditions.

But couldn’t Drupa fatigue and associated overblown budgets add up to a lack of interest now that we come to London’s own print show? According to Gayle, experience proves otherwise. This will be the second time we’ve run the show in a Drupa year. The show was launched in a Drupa year. Drupa is a global show but it doesn’t attract UK visitors.

The first Digital Print World (DPW), organised by IIR, was held at London Olympia in November 2003, in the lead-up to Drupa 2004. It filled a void in the capital left by such trade fairs as Digital Solutions On-Demand at London’s ExCeL and now-defunct shows Southprint and Print UK. Printing trade fairs in general, it would seem, are not on the wane; instead new incarnations arise to replace those shows that have disappeared. Or in the case of DPW, they evolve to echo shifts in the markets.

DPW was launched at a time when awareness of what digital printing could do wasn’t very high, says Gayle. Over the years, the awareness of what you can do with digital print increased and it was no longer a case of the show focusing on educating the market about new technologies. It became more about giving people a choice. Fast-forward to 2008, and digital discussions can cover hybrid workflows and integrating digital with more traditional print, and so this year DPW re-emerges as Total Print! Expo (TPE). It reflects the fact that print, be it digital or otherwise, is no longer simply a manufacturing industry but a service provider, adds Gayle.

Vendors from outside the DPW remit have lined up to take part in the reinvigorated and retargeted exhibition. Pre-press giant Fujifilm last month announced it would be on the show floor at Earls Court 2 with a range of products, including a hybrid solution in the form of its XMF workflow. The biggest news, though, came in late June when Heidelberg gave TPE a huge vote of confidence by confirming its participation. The German giant is creating a digital portfolio with software such as its Prinect Digital Manager workflow, while also pushing litho down into the short-run arena with its Speedmaster SM 52 Anicolor press. Both products will be on display at TPE.

How much of a coup was it to attract the world’s biggest offset press manufacturer to a show once known specifically for its digital focus? Funnily enough they were our major exhibitor in the first year of DPW, when they still had Nexpress, says Gayle. Heidelberg pulled out of digital by selling the printer range to Kodak for $1 at Drupa 2004, but now it’s back. Gayle adds: It’s a return, but it’s a return in a completely different guise.

The top spot in terms of stand space last year went to Canon, and the title was shared by Canon and HP in 2006. However, this year the mantle of biggest exhibitor goes to Ricoh, which has booked out a huge presence across stands 215 and 225. The star of its show will be the 90ppm Pro C900 colour multifunction printer (MFP), which receives its UK launch at TPE. The event will also be a platform for a host of other UK premieres across software, digital kit and finishing.

London’s own MIS specialist Optimus will have the home-town advantage when it gives a UK launch to Optimus 2020 Vision. The tool, developed with support from Vision in Print, turns MIS data in Key Performance Indicators to indentify crucial trends within a business. Software distributor Positive Focus will show a host of new products from market-leading developers, including Callas, Enfocus and XMPie. UK firm RedTie will show how its popular web-to-print packages RedTie Template and RedTie Quotation can offer a new model for selling print.

On the finishing side, post-press supplier Ashgate Automation is launching the budget-priced KAS Crease Fold single-sheet card folder. Distributor Encore Machinery is touting a newly signed sole-supplier contract for the JUD range of perfect binders. Encore will also give a UK launch to the new line of high-speed PitStop creasers for high-volume digital and offset jobs, including the 11,000sph PitStop FM Speed and 8,000sph PitStop Mini.

Along with the software and finishing constituents, DPW’s digital stalwarts will treat visitors to some UK firsts. Canon UK’s strong presence will include new additions to its imagePress portfolio. The C6000VP bolsters the manufacturer’s high-volume line-up, while the imagePress C1+ is the first-ever light production colour press with clear toner. Konica Minolta has made great headway with its colour devices, but is turning its attentions to monochrome for TPE. Under the banner ‘Black is Back’, Konica will debut three B&W machines in its BizHub range: the Pro 1600P, 2000P and 2500P, which roll out 160ppm, 200ppm and 250ppm, respectively. Sharp Electronics already has a strong presence in the consumer market with LCD TVs and DVD players, but it is also mounting a big push into digital print production, including its first trip to TPE. It will focus on light production at the exhibition with its MX-M850, M950 and M1100 digital MFPs.

Along with this sample of show highlights, more than 50 manufacturers and distributors have signed up to the show so far. With an extra 400m2 of floor space over 2007 and a target of 100-120 exhibitors, there is scope to double the vendors and attract more interest from outside the digital sector. Gayle says: The wider the scope of products, the more people are going to be interested. So with more to see over its expanded area, TPE looks set to cement its place on the printing industry calendar. According to Gayle, Trade fairs not only provide the opportunity to meet your customer face to face but also compare and contrast a number of products. I don’t think anything can beat that.

SPOTLIGHT SEMINARS
Total Print! Expo is about more than shaking hands and sizing up kit – the exhibition is also a platform for forums that span the breadth of print production. IIR hopes to attract a greater number of print buyers to TPE, with seminars exploring the challenges and opportunities in modern print procurement. Over the first two days of the show, Printing World and PrintBuyer will host eight seminars presented by leading industry experts.

PRINTING WORLD SPOTLIGHT SEMINARS
14 October
Print room essentials 10.30-11.00
St Ives group technical director John Chanrock will look at the must-have components for every printer in today’s streamlined and competitive business.

Adding value by e-enabling your business 11.30-12.00
W2P director Peter Lancaster will look at the benefits to you and your customers of incorporating variable-data printing, large-format and on-demand using web-to-print as the enabler.

Lean, green and interesting 14.00-14.30
Wastecare director Peter Hunt brings a clear, jargon-free update on the latest environmental developments, providing best practice guidelines and even showing you how to make your waste pay.

Get that red right – first time 15.00-15.30
Mellow Colour owner Alan Dresch brings clarity and accuracy to a critical area of production and provides easy-to-use guidelines to streamline your colour workflow in a mixed digital/offset environment for the best results.

PRINTBUYER SPOTLIGHT SEMINARS
15 October
Protect your brand 10.30-11.00
Lateral Group director of strategy Daniel Cross explains why you should protect your brand and just how easy it is. Cross will look at managing all the elements of a corporate ID effectively in a global environment and the importance and challenges of retaining consistent colour across a variety of applications.

Save time and money – get those files right first time 11.30-12.00
Ghent PDF Workgroup’s Andy Psarianos knows full well that bad PDF files can cause endless frustration for you and your customers. He will show how to ensure you and your suppliers can create perfect files, first time, every time.

Just how green is your business? 14.00-14.30
Pensord chief executive Tony Jones’ seminar will give you the tools to evaluate your printers and ensure you are at the forefront of ethical production and purchasing.

Get creative 15.00-15.30
Printing World and PrintBuyer editor Alison Carter presents a selection of creative print that has added impact to campaigns and products.

There is a limit of 40 seats per session and places will be allocated free on a first come, first served basis. Booking online is recommended. Go to: www.totalprintexpo.com/spotlight