Show Preview: GRAPH EXPO’s Growing Role

Bolte concurs that the show's best attraction moving forward is as a hub of industry activity in terms of peer groups, management conferences and the like. In terms of how much buying will be taking place, that's the $60,000 question.

"Certain printers are seeing some spark back in terms of volumes, but it's amazingly inconsistent—it'll be good for a week, then cobwebs will grow for three or four days," he says. "That's more of the 'L' shaped recovery that economists have been talking about."