Print 05 & Converting 05 -- Show Offers Total Package
Every four years, the graphic arts world turns its attention to a mega trade show in Chicago, and 2005 will be no exception. Those faithful to ink and paper—numbers estimated at 70,000 strong—will make a pilgrimage to the McCormick Place complex to view nearly 800 company exhibits filling about 750,000 net square feet of exhibit space from September 9-15 at PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05.
Companies that supply equipment and services to the commercial printing, package printing, publishing and converting industries are gearing up for the industry's largest and most important event of 2005. Hundreds of exhibitors are planning new product introductions and live demonstrations. (Product information from exhibiting companies that submitted press releases by our deadline can be found in the New Product Reference Guide section beginning on page 48.)
PRINT 05 is a good place for printers to learn more about some of the hot markets in the industry. For example, the special Wide Format Pavilion will present all the technology, equipment and supplies a company needs to produce trade show graphics, posters, point-of-purchase (POP) displays, vehicle wraps, package prototypes, large banners, fine art reproductions, photo enlargements and a multitude of other products.
Humble Beginnings
From its 2002 launch with 1,500 square feet of exhibits, the Wide Format Pavilion in 2005 will exceed 20,000 net square feet—larger than many specialized trade shows.
Moreover, while the original pavilion only housed a few wide format printer manufacturers in a common area, this year's showcase already boasts 17 displays of 400 square feet or larger—including six that top 1,000 square feet—and is still growing.
In addition to the exhibits, special free educational presentations will be offered throughout the show in the Wide Format Theater within the pavilion. The PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05 seminar program will also offer sessions focusing on technology and business opportunities in wide format output.
For commercial printers, wide format production offers an attractive combination of high-value finished products, significant growth potential and a modest initial investment—particularly if the printer already has wide format ink-jet printers in the shop for proofing or other functions.
"Our goal in promoting the Wide Format Pavilion has been both to help our attendees seize one of the most promising growth opportunities in the marketplace and to help them anticipate and respond to new competition," says Regis J. Delmontagne, president of the Graphic Arts Show Co. (GASC), organizers of PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05.
Another area not to be missed is the Mailing & Fulfillment Center pavilion which, this year, will exceed the total square footage of exhibit space at the most recent national mailing exhibition.
The Mailing & Fulfillment Center originated in 2003 at GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO, with 33 exhibitors occupying 11,000 square feet of exhibit space. The center has nearly doubled in size every year since. Exhibitors here will display their latest equipment and technology solutions geared toward print professionals seeking diversification in their company's service offering.
"Printers have much of the infrastructure already in place to be able to offer this service, with the addition of some specific equipment and expertise," adds Delmontagne. "Many are already embracing mailing services as a way of adding value for their customers who create direct mail programs."
Package printing specialists who want to adopt the latest print production workflows, as well as commercial printers diversifying into folding carton, label and other converting businesses, will both find valuable sessions among the 80-plus educational seminars being presented.
Industry observers have been remarking on the convergence of printing and converting technologies for more than a decade, and this convergence underlies such integrated, comprehensive trade exhibitions as PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05.
The trade show will feature more than 200 companies displaying equipment and other products designed for folding carton converting, label printing, flexible packaging and other packaging applications. These exhibits will occupy about 425,000 net square feet.
Hot New Market
A related possible growth market for commercial printers will be highlighted in a special exhibit focused on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and related technologies. Attendees will see the latest in this cutting-edge technology, including printed antennas, smart tags, printed batteries and circuits, differing radio frequencies and antenna designs, and other uses and applications for RFID.
RFID is emerging as a growth avenue for printers because familiar commercial printing processes can easily be adapted to handle the right combinations of coatings and substrates, and because America's leading retailers and other large organizations are actively promoting RFID.
As of presstime, GASC officials were expecting eight exhibitors in this special area devoted to vendors of RFID-related products—inks, substrates, presses, software and the like for producing RFID tags and labels in a variety of forms and formats. GASC has recognized that RFID is a potentially lucrative and profitable diversification option for commercial printers, especially those with previous or existing tag and label production expertise.
Complete information about exhibits, seminars, special events and other features of PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05, including the versatile "Attendee Assistant" planning tool, are available at www.print05.com. Online hotel reservations and online registration are also available. Visitors are urged to make arrangements early. Hotel space is expected to be limited.
Hall of Famers To be Honored
The Printing Impressions/RIT Printing Industry Hall of Fame will welcome four new members during the annual Gold Ink Awards and Hall of Fame Banquet held during PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05 Monday evening, September 12. Joining the distinguished ranks of the men and women who have been a leading force for their own companies, as well as the industry at large, are:
* Thomas Engdahl, CEO, Brown Printing, Waseca, MN;
* Roy Grossman, CEO, Sandy Alexander, Clifton, NJ;
* Michael Marcian Sr., president, Corporate Press, Landover, MD; and
* Donald Samuels, managing partner, Pictorial Offset, Carlstadt, NJ.
A special Printing Industry Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award will also be presented to Regis J. Delmontagne, long-time president of both NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies and the Graphic Arts Show Co.
Four print production executives will also be honored by PrintMedia, Printing Impressions' sister publication. They are: Dora Braschi Cardinale, executive vice president of print production, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia; Anthony Crouch, director of design and production, University of California Press; Ken Lantz, senior vice president and director of print creative services, Foote Cone & Belding New York; and Barry Meinerth, senior vice president, production and fulfillment, Time Inc.
Advance registration for the gala event is required. For more information on attending, call Mike Cooper at (215) 238-5434 or e-mail mcooper@napco.com.
