Ralph Nappi doesn't have a problem answering awkward questions. The president of the Graphic Arts Show Co. (GASC), host of GRAPH EXPO and its companion PRINT exhibition, has heard this one before, and he doesn't give it much credence.
In light of the absence of such exhibitor heavyweights as Heidelberg and Komori at GRAPH EXPO 2010, and considering the sluggish economy of the past three years, is it still realistic to expect the U.S. printing industry to support an annual trade show? Nappi scoffs at the suggestion.
"If the largest printing industry in the world—by a factor of two times the next largest—can't support an annual show, I think there's something wrong," Nappi states. "The U.S. printing industry is a $175 billion marketplace, and the next closest is Japan at half of that. I'm hard pressed to believe that the industry can't support one major event a year."
Nappi adds that the marketplace has already experienced a sharp reduction in the number of shows and conferences. As an example, he points toward the decision of associations Printing Industries of America, the National Association for Printing Leadership and NPES to merge their respective spring conferences into one event.
Add Nappi to the list of people who believe that it isn't the size of an exhibitor's booth, but their very presence, that carries the most clout. "The size of the show is not important," he says. "The fact that we have the industry represented at that show is important. I'm not upset that some of our largest exhibitors had to cut their space in half. I'm thankful that they're coming."
