The PrintCity exhibit at Ipex next April will feature more clearly defined workflows and fewer standalone exhibits than it did at Drupa 2000, when the concept was first launched.

"PrintCity was the busiest hall at Drupa and there were good and bad elements. But the most important thing was that it was accepted by the market," said PrintCity managing director Rainer Kuhn.

"The workflows weren't obvious [at Drupa] and there were some independent stands," added Murray Lock, marketing director of MAN Roland's UK agent PPS.

Lock said visitors to the Ipex exhibit will be able to "physically see" the workflows in action. A number of different workflows will be demonstrated including packaging and commercial printing, he said.

Also new for Ipex will be the creation of a "print factory" in the centre of the exhibit. There will be some independent stands but these will be situated around the edges.

Membership of the strategic alliance of graphic arts suppliers has "settled down" at 40 companies; 69 exhibited at Drupa. Of these 40, so far 29 have signed up to join PrintCity at Ipex.

Story by Lauretta Roberts