“We are hoping to attract over 12,000 visitors to Gulf Print & Pack 2017”
Why is GPP 2017 a must-attend show? What’s new for visitors this year?
Gulf Print & Pack is the biggest, dedicated event for the Middle East and covers every aspect of the printing spectrum. The show has been running in Dubai since 1997 and I think it is fair to say that it is widely acknowledged as also being the best place to see what is new in terms of the latest machinery and applications.
2016 was a huge year for innovation with many new technologies flooding the market. Gulf Print & Pack 2017 will give printers who didn’t make it to other shows like Drupa last year, the first proper chance to find out how they can enhance their business and add to their service offering.
As with previous editions, the show floor will be busy with live demonstrations and new launches, so now is the optimum time for printers to see what is happening in their industry and find out how they can maximize new opportunities for growth. The Middle East print market value is forecast to reach $24bn this year and in an industry that is so fast moving, attending Gulf Print & Pack will help printers stay ahead of the market.
How has GPP grown since its previous edition, in terms of exhibition space, total number of exhibitors, and number of new exhibitors?
The show has grown year-on-year since first being held and 2017’s edition will be around 10 percent larger than 2015’s event. Buyers coming to the show will be able to network with 200 of the print industry’s leading suppliers. The usual industry leaders will be there in force including AFRA, Ali Alhashemi Trading Co, Bobst, Canon, Giffin Graphics, Heliozid, Kodak and Prestige Graphics. We also have a line-up of brand new faces with first time exhibitors such as Barberan, Holoprint Security Solutions, Imaging Care, Konica Minolta, PACFORT Packaging and Sun Papers & Labels.
What is the expected footfall?
2015’s show received a footfall of 11,918, so we are hoping to attract in excess of 12,000 visitors this time around.
How is GPP positioned to grow in the coming years?
The Middle East’s print market is very dynamic and investment worthy, and the show is very much geared around the industry’s specific needs. We look at the key trends in the local and global market and try to reflect them in the show floor and exhibitor mix. While commercial printing is still in good health, the biggest growth area we are seeing world-wide is the label and package printing sector. For instance, right now the market is shifting. There is an increasing move more towards digitization and short run print jobs and I think show visitors will see this mirrored in the solutions being exhibited and by the exhibiting companies they will meet.
