"Over a quarter of the commercial printers who visited Ipex 2006 were in the business of printing posters or billboards and we would expect that number to grow significantly in 2010," said Trevor Crawford, Ipex 2010 events director.

"The current climate is providing a massive opportunity for printers to diversify, with a world of options awaiting them in the wide-format sector. With the high proportion of large-format vendors committed to Ipex this makes the event unmissable for businesses looking for growth."

Wide-format suppliers who have confirmed their attendance include Agfa, Canon, Durst, EFI, Epson, Fotoba, Fujifilm, HP, Mimaki, Océ, Roland DG and Screen.

Ipex will produce a wide-format trail finder to help visitors interested in the sector to make the most effective use of their time at the show.