Exhibition director Caroline Eden, of organiser IIR Exhibitions, said: "Like everybody, we were slightly apprehensive going into the show due to the economic climate, but the amount of business done is extremely encouraging."

At 5.30pm on Tuesday, with one day of the show to take place, visitor numbers were set to be above 70% of the record levels of 1998.

International visitors accounted for more than 30% of the total, matching the 1998 figure. Attendance from South-east Asia was up 150%, while the show attracted 50% more non-EU European visitors.

More than 60% of attendees were senior managers, company directors and owner-managers.

Ipex president Michael Knight complimented exhibitors on successful marketing and the contribution they had made to the industrys "new feel-good factor".

Ipex 2006 will take place at a similar time in spring and more than 65% of this years exhibitors have already submitted initial stand requirements, said IIR.

Many suppliers said they had beaten sales targets, including Agfa and Litho Supplies.

Agfa UK Graphic Systems director Laurence Roberts, who took over as president of the next Ipex in 2006 at the end of the show, said the firm had beaten its 10m target by 500,000. It took 1.6m of orders on the last day of the show, a feat he described as "incredible", and its haul included 90 Sherpa proofers and 55 CTP systems.

Steve Dodds, director of electronic sales at Litho Supplies, said the firm had taken over 1m of its 3m in orders on the shows penultimate day. "We were able to spend time with serious buyers and close orders," he added.

Heidelberg UK managing director George Clarke said: "We have taken an order every 6.6 minutes and thats a fact."

Story by Gordon Carson