PrintCity Alliance Announces Seven Competence Centres and Other Visitor Attractions

AUGSBURG, GERMANY—10 March 2008—The PrintCity Alliance has announced seven Competence Centres, plus other significant new visitor attractions for drupa:

• Drupa 2008 focus on the ‘Connection of Competence’ PrintCity Alliance core networking customer benefit – ‘Networking’ internally and externally is the reason that this unique alliance has grown in global success & importance over the last ten years

• New PrintCity theme for drupa 2008 – communicating the ‘Connection of Competence’ networking advantages of the Alliance, together with other visitor benefits:

• Seven market-leading PrintCity Alliance Competence Centres in Hall 6 – where visitors can see the latest technologies explained and get comprehensive information that covers the whole value and process chain – all from a grouping of knowledgeable suppliers working together. These seven Competence Centres focus on:

* Brand Protection

* Food Packaging

* Value Added UV Printing

* Value Added Web Offset

* Workflow Integration and Networking

* Digital TransPromo

* Print Meets Electronic Media

• New PrintCity Alliance project ‘Print + X’ focused on showing the latest capabilities of print – The PrintCity Alliance and the f:mp. (Fachverband Medienproduktioner) introduce at drupa a joint project called Print+X, which presents the capability and benefits of value-added printing

• New Print4Life Lounge in the central PrintCity Alliance Plaza area – aimed at showing Brand Owners, Designers, Advertising Agencies and Print Buyers the opportunities available through the technologies and knowledge of its members

PrintCity Competence Centres at drupa 2008

At drupa 2008, projects from PrintCity activity groups are the heart of seven world-leading Competence Centres focused on some of most topical subjects in printing, packaging and publishing this year. From ‘Workflow’ to ‘Sheetfed Printing’ to ‘Web Printing’ to ‘Packaging’ to ‘Brand Protection’ to ‘Print & Electronic Media’ to ‘Digital TransPromo’:

Brand Protection — Effective security comes from a multi-layered approach to the challenge of counterfeiting. The PrintCity Brand Protection Centre brings together companies whose technologies are complementary and can be integrated into a full security solution. A new pharma box has been created by the PrintCity project team to demonstrate the combination of a variety of techniques on one package. Samples and information will be available at the centre that also provides an invaluable opportunity to access the wealth of knowledge and experience of the contributing companies.

PrintCity Members: JURA / KURZ / MAN ROLAND / MERCK / SUN CHEMICAL / WEILBURGER GRAPHICS

Food Packaging — The food industry requires packaging that does not impact the contents during their life cycle, and which remains inert to the environment and the food packaged inside. Safe packaging for sensitive goods requires compatible raw materials that comply with legal directives and consumers’ demands — both on their own and in combination; hygiene that respects the production process and application; and understanding of the chemical and physical requirements to be met. Specialists from PrintCity members will be available to help visitors address the complex challenge for food packaging printing and converting.

PrintCity Members: ADPHOS ELTOSCH / KURZ / M-REAL / MAN ROLAND / MERCK / SUN CHEMICAL / WEILBURGER GRAPHICS

Value Added UV Printing — UV printing and coating is the core technique for Value Added Printing because it provides the widest range of techniques and substrates to increase product differentiation in the packaging, publishing and promotional sectors. The fully revised second edition of PrintCity’s unique best practice guide “Optimised Sheetfed UV Printing & Coating” is the industry’s unique integrated guide to ensure maximum quality and productivity of the complete production process. The UV Expert Point ensures that existing and interested new users are fully informed on the process and its opportunities.

PrintCity Members: ADPHOS ELTOSCH / MAN ROLAND / MERCK / SAPPI / SUN CHEMICAL / UPM

Value Added Web Offset — The meeting centre for web offset printers, publishers and print buyers to update on new trends and technologies from leaders in the industry. Expert PrintCity members will be on hand to explain cross-process projects that can add value and improve productivity. Value Added Printing on Newspaper Presses — reviews the multiple process choices available and their respective performance. Energy Efficiency is a systematic approach to improved performance of the complete production line, consumables and its environment. Ultra Wide Web Offset reviews the key process elements required for high volume offset.

PrintCity Members & Partners: AXIMA / BAUMÜLLER / MACDERMID / MAN ROLAND / MEGTEC / SUN CHEMICAL / UPM / WEB OFFSET CHAMPION GROUP

Workflow Integration & Networking — The graphic industry is becoming a fully integrated and automated business and manufacturing process. The ultimate goal is the smart printing factory in which each production step responds automatically to the outcome of the preceding one. The digital workflow order cycle starts and ends with the client and encompasses the entire business transaction and production operation. Digital integration brings together customers, designers, printers, suppliers and service providers into a virtual production chain. Appropriate software systems that deliver rapid and reliable data are the basis for effective automation and Lean Manufacturing.

PrintCity Members & Partners: MAN ROLAND / FUJIFILM / OPTIMUS

Digital TransPromo — The arrival of cost-effective digital colour printing now enables companies to transform transaction documents from cost drivers to value-adding promotional tools. This enables companies to leverage their transaction documents into effective, marketing tools that promote dialogue with customers. The benefits include differentiation, reinforced branding, greater customer loyalty, and one-to-one communication to make offers matched to the customer’s needs, higher response rates, and cross-selling opportunities. A group of experts will explain how Digital TransPromotion works and the keys for successful implementation to create new business opportunities.

PrintCity Members & Partners: OCÉ / BÖWE GROUP/ LASERMAX ROLL SYSTEMS / UPM

Print Meets Electronic Media — Print and Electronic technologies work alongside each other as complementary choices in the media mix. The next development step will be the convergence of these currently parallel technologies into new hybrid devices that potentially combine the best attributes of both worlds. Already most electronic devices are manufactured with printing technologies (printed circuit boards, chips, antennae, etc.). Future applications can include intelligent packaging, smart inks on printed publications, interactive communication links, RFID identification and E-Paper. Print Meets Electronic Media looks at these products, applications and technologies to provide drupa visitors with a better understanding of what is available now and future trends.

PrintCity Members & Partners: EPYXS / KURZ / MAN ROLAND / SAPPI / SUN CHEMICAL / UPCODE / UPM / VTT / WELSH CENTRE FOR PRINTING & COATING

These Competence Centres are all located in Hall 6 and manned by dedicated teams of PrintCity Alliance member personnel. They are there to share their knowledge and explain to visitors how ‘networking’ companies work together, to give them major customer benefits and added value.

PrintCity New Projects at drupa 2008

Many of the Competence Centres planned for drupa have one or more new or 2007/2008 PrintCity Alliance projects as their main attractions. An outstanding all-new PrintCity project, which is also launched in 2008 in time for drupa, is the unique ‘Print + X’ project:

Print + X Project — “The secrets of added value”

PrintCity and the f:mp. introduce a joint project: Print+X. The project aims at researching the capability and benefits of value-added printing. To achieve this, three virtual brands of lifestyle and electronics products were designed which are to be used as subjects in the testing process. The available options of value-added printing will be scrutinized and evaluated by study groups from different universities to strengthen the validity of the results. Do not to miss the Print+X presentation at drupa 2008 which will be followed by a Roadshow presenting the findings of the studies as well as sample media used, to the benefit of interested brand-owners, creatives, and the management of printing houses.

PrintCity Members & Partners: MAN ROLAND / MERCK / SAPPI / UPM / WEILBURGER GRAPHICS / FACHVERBAND MEDIENPRODUKTIONER / F-MEDIA / HAMMESFAHR / HOCHSCHULE DER MEDIEN / RUDOLF REPROFLEX

PrintCity Attraction for International Print Buyers

Major exhibitions such as drupa often quite rightly focus on ‘technology’, ‘equipment’ and ‘materials’ buyers. For drupa 2008 the PrintCity Alliance also wants to educate Brand Owners, Designers, Advertising Agencies and Print Buyers about the opportunities available through its members’ technologies and knowledge. Hence we are planning a special Print4Life Lounge within our PrintCity Plaza area in the centre of Hall 6. This lounge is complementary to the aims of the separate ‘drupacube’ project and is focused towards international print buyers from all markets:

Print4Life Lounge — Print Media users are the drivers for the printing industry. Brand owners, designers and print buyers decide on the marketing mix determining where and how print is used. The Print4Life Lounge provides an ideal environment for them to meet with printers and their suppliers. The Lounge is dedicated to exchanging views on how print can add value to positioning, differentiation and branding in the market place. Print samples feature new ideas for newspapers, packaging and commercial printing with a special focus on Value Added Print technologies with the Print+X project.

PrintCity Alliance Members & Partners are involved in this Print4Life Lounge through projects they are involved with in 2008.

Special Contributors are: FACHVERBAND MEDIENPRODUKTIONER / HOCHSCHULE DER MEDIEN

For more information about PrintCity at drupa, visitors can visit www.printcity.de or email events@printcity.de indicating their interests.