The summit was held on 16 and 17 June 2011. The summit, jointly organised by Fespa along with the Asian Screen Printing & Graphic Imaging Association (ASGA), was attended by 70 international delegates. Fespa managing director Neil Felton said: "Asian wide-format industry is of significance to Fespa. We have embraced nine industry associations in the Asian region, representing hundreds of printers across India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, China, Australia, Japan, Korea, Philippines and Thailand."
A quick fact of show attendance highlights Asian importance: 900 Asian printers attended the Fespa 2010 show in Munich. Of the 22,000 visitors to Fespa Hamburg show, Asia accounted for 0.7% and South Asia 1.7% in the digital space and 1.8% and 2.5% for textile printing respectively.
The participants at the summit included business leaders, print service providers, experts, technocrats and representative groups of innovative and influential players in the Asian wide-format digital, screen and textile print community drawn from the graphic arts community from across South East Asia, Europe and North America.
Delegates discussed the challenges and opportunities in the wide-format industry ranging from the impact of economic trends and the emerging market dynamics vis-a-vis a comparative analysis of developed print markets in the West and Asian countries.
Felton highlighted the fact that the there is a great demand of technical knowhow and commercial knowledge exchange in the screen and wide-format digital production with dedicated Fespa Digital shows in the Asian region which augurs well for the industry.
Recent research by UFI, the global association of the exhibition industry, indicates that while the number of business events in Europe, the Middle East and Africa is static, growth in Asia Pacific is running at 15%, a further indicator of the region’s enthusiasm for live events.
In India, a 63 city roadshow by Fespa and Screen Printers Association of India (SPAI) in July, August and September 2011, is sure to add some luster to forthcoming Fespa Asia shows.
Fespa will publish its strategic BluePrint summarising the outcomes of the Fespa Asia Summit in July 2011.
Summit debates theme for Fespa Asia 2011
With a pledge to put up a grand Asian show, Fespa concluded the summit at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore. Fespa Asia 2011 exhibition will take place at the Suntec Exhibition Centre in Singapore from 26 to 28 October 2011. The exhibition will occupy 5,000 sq/mt, with around 200 exhibitors, and an anticipated 7,500 visits.
