More than 500 exhibitors have set up stands for the show’s return to Amsterdam, where it will run from today to Friday 22 March.
With over 80 new exhibitors and more than 100 global product launches, organisers said the 2024 show promises plenty of new material for printers across its co-located European Sign Expo, Personalisation Experience and Sportswear Pro events.
Major printer manufactures exhibiting at the show include Agfa, Brother, Mimaki, Ricoh, Roland, SwissQPrint, and EFI.
Fespa’s full advisory board, many of whom are print business leaders from across Europe, welcomed visitors at the main entrance before cutting the ceremonial ribbon.
Neil Felton, Fespa’s CEO, told Printweek that he was thrilled to welcome visitors to the 2024 show.
“You forget just how exciting it is,” he said, “and then you get to the show – and there’s this incredible feeling.
“Amsterdam is a wonderful city to host in: we’ve been here four days now [as organiser], and there’s such a great feeling about the city, and it’s ideal for people to come, have a great time and enjoy themselves.”
All 10 of Fespa’s board were present to cut the ribbon.
“The really key thing is, they’re all printers,” added Felton.
“We’re not about profit, we’re about print: and we have print at our very heart. It’s quite nice [cutting the ribbon with so many others] – I’ve saved all the ribbons I’ve cut over my career, so I now have them from all over the world and as far away as Brazil.
This year’s exhibition is themed under the strapline “new opportunities”. Looking at the four areas at the expo, including Fespa, the European Sign Expo, Personalisation Experience and Sportswear Pro, Felton said there were so many opportunities that printers are grabbing hold of.
“I always found it fascinating that the screen printing industry was one of the first to adopt digital technology, back in the early 2000s, and then once again, these printers are the first to go into new areas like digital signage, printed textiles and more.
“What’s key is that there is a powerful group of specialist printers who look at new opportunities, and take them on better than any other type of printer in the world.”
