Steffens, 70, began his career with Fespa in 1993 when he became assistant general secretary. He was promoted to general secretary in 2000 and became chief executive in 2003. He handed over the reins to Neil Felton in 2013 but remained with the organisation as a board advisor.
He said: “I remember when there were only three of us in that office and now there’s 30-odd. In the end the journey to work got a bit too much for me but I feel I’ve done my bit.
“I think the biggest change was in 2005 when we first started doing our own exhibitions; that was a momentous occasion. We used to hire exhibition organisers but once Frazer Chesterman (Fespa’s first exhibition organiser) came in it really grew from there. Now we have seven or eight trade shows a year, all over the world, compared to about one when I first started.”
Steffens is unsure what he will do next but is happy to do more association work and may do “the odd thing” for Fespa.
Long-time Fespa board member Lascelle Barrow said Steffens’ advice and guidance had been invaluable during his tenure, which has seen Fespa turn from a “regional trade body to a global exhibition brand”.
Elsewhere, Fespa announced that the Fespa Asia trade show, which Steffens' had a fundamental role in developing, will take place in Bangkok next year for the first time since it hosted the inaugural Fespa Asia in 2008. The event last took place in 2011 in Singapore.
Fespa divisional director Roz McGuinness said that Fespa’s focus in Asia since 2011 had shifted to its Fespa China shows but that Fespa Asia focuses far more on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.
It will take place at the Bangkok Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) between 15 and 17 February 2017.
McGuinness said Fespa is anticipating attendance of between 5,500 and 6,000, with the majority of these being local to the region. Attendance for the Singapore show was 4,325.
She said: “We’ve established that there is a huge interest from our international clients in returning to Asia for the show in Bangkok and very much following the research we’ve undertaken in the area and working with local associations, we understand the opportunities.
“We’ve got such a great line-up of names already. It’s been unprecedented in terms of international interest and from the start our key suppliers were all fully on board with the proposition and ready to sign up."
Exhibitors already signed up for the show include EFI, HP, Mimaki, Roland and Zünd, with 75% of the currently contracted space being taken up by international technology and consumables brands.
Fespa also announced that it will be conducting its first print census for two years at the Bangkok show, looking at trends and developments in the wide-format industry. Attendees will be able to fill it in at the exhibition centre or online. The census will be completed and published in 2018.
Fespa is also forecasting record-breaking attendance at its Eurasia show in Istanbul in December.
