Kevin Sarney, managing director, Butler Tanner & Dennis
Spending a few days at the show, it was clear that the growth of digital print technology cannot be underestimated. In the future, I fully expect its dominance to increase. Of interest to us was seeing glimpses of what technology will mature in the future and what equipment could provide us with inspiration before the next Ipex. We also used our time at the show to look at digital, specifically colour digital print equipment for the production of colour books and how we at Butler Tanner & Dennis could use that to develop what we do here.

Tim Collins, works manager, Buckland Press Group
There was a good buzz and inkjets of every sort and size,  giving an indication of the direction of the market. Ipex is so important for this because it’s crucial to see where things are going and what the future holds. I looked at Screen and Fuji kit - we have a black-and-white Xerox machine, but may move into colour. However, I wasn’t looking at anything specifically, just meeting up with old friends and reps. The event also has an important social role to play by cementing relationships with people, some of whom you may not have met before.

Alistair Blair-Davies, marketing manager, Bishops Printers
This was my first Ipex show and it was encouraging to see how busy and buoyant the show was. I would like to see this as an indication of the industry showing positive signs of growth. I personally felt that the show had a stronger digital focus than litho. It isn’t yet clear, for me, if that is truly a reflection of the industry or if the show gave an exaggerated view. The Kodak booth did stand out above the rest for me and I found the afternoon seminar with Frank Romano particularly interesting. The show is good because it helps me keep a finger on the pulse of technology and gives me a feel for what’s developing.

David Bull, group manager, Bath & Somerset North East Council
It was superb. It’s the first time I’ve been to the show and I was amazed at its size and the products available. Most of the machines we were interested in had ‘sold’ stickers on them. We were keen on a bookletmaker and visited five or six stands to see demos. Time flew and I could have spent three days at Ipex. I liked the energy and razzamatazz of the show and particular highlights were the Heidelberg and Xerox stands. This is fantastic for print: it’s a shop window for the industry, it brings people together, and it clocks up sales.