GASC Buys Gutenberg Festival
LONG BEACH, CA—The Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC), which already runs such high-profile printing industry trade shows as Graph Expo and PRINT, has purchased the Gutenberg Festival. The purchase was announced during the recent Gutenberg Festival 99, held here.
The addition adds a major Western event to GASC's established network of regional exhibitions, which already includes Minneapolis' annual Midwest Graphics show, Philadelphia's annual Graphix East, and Graphic Arts/The Charlotte Show, held in alternate years in Charlotte, NC.
"The Western region has always been healthy and highly creative," says GASC President Regis Delmontagne. "Print sales in the region have grown strongly, with further growth of nearly 9 percent expected this year, according to PIA print market surveys. The region contains several of the country's largest metro areas, and is a major arena for the communications and entertainment industries—both key users of print and related tools. It is clear to us that any really complete regional show schedule had to include an effective event in the West," he adds.
Chris Jacobson, son of Gutenberg Festival founder David Jacobson, will join GASC as part of the Festival management team.
"The Gutenberg Festival is clearly one of the most successful and valuable regional exhibitions in the United States," Delmontagne says. "Under the guidance of David and Chris Jacobson, the show has served its markets with distinction, and with Chris joining the GASC organization, GASC's plan is to continue this tradition and expand on it."
"I'm very excited about this agreement," Jacobson adds. "It offers an opportunity to blend the Gutenberg Festival's track record in our marketplace with the experience and resources of America's foremost graphic communications show manager: GASC. I believe industry professionals throughout the West can now look forward to an even higher level of value in future Gutenberg Festivals."
"One of the things that attracted GASC to the Gutenberg Festival is its long track record of success—nearly 30 years—and the tremendous good will it has earned in that time among both attendees and exhibitors," Delmontagne notes. "GASC wants to be associated with regional shows that have deep roots in their markets."
GASC's future goals for the Festival include an expansion of its displays to embrace converting and digital prepublishing technologies.
"GASC is striving to make all of its events complete showcases for the entire digital workflow, from design to delivery," Delmontagne explains. "We've brought particular energy to integrating package printing and converting technologies into both Graph Expo and Converting Expo, as well as our regional shows, and we'll emphasize this growth avenue strongly for the Gutenberg Festival. Educational forums have been featured at several of our events and Western industry professionals can expect a similar educational effort from GASC at future Gutenberg Festivals."
