Dubai Gears Up for Inaugural FESPA Middle East

Dubai is all set to welcome the inaugural edition of FESPA Middle East, the premier global print and signage tradeshow. To be held from 29 to 31 January, 2024, at the state-of-the-art Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), it is the first time FESPA ventures into the Middle East market.

FESPA CEO Neil Felton says that it was only a matter of time before FESPA made its entry into the Middle East region: “Major vendors have been expressing a strong appetite for a content-led FESPA event in the Middle East for some time now, matched by a demand from leading specialty print providers. The Middle East market continues to show a robust year-on-year growth, with key sectors such as tourism demonstrating a healthy post-COVID recovery, alongside the region’s renowned core industries.”

“There’s a lot of development in the region which leads to new opportunities in the print field. FESPA’s experience and know-how will complement that. I am sure that the inaugural FESPA Middle East will serve as a significant training and learning platform for regional printers, and it will be a great chance for us all to share and connect. We’re excited for the event to come to the Middle East to help lift the industry, increase knowledge, and make a marked difference in the market. The maiden event will lead to a lot of new opportunities for us as printers,” adds Felton.

FESPA Middle East is 40% Bigger

FESPA had to add a third hall to the exhibition, increasing the size of its marquee event in the Middle East by 40% in response to the significant interest shown from global suppliers and regional distributors.

With over 130 brands having confirmed their presence, delegates will have an opportunity to see digital wide format, screen, and textile printing hardware, software, media, and consumables, as well as printed and non-printed signage solutions.

Visitors can also see print and signage solutions from event sponsors including CMYK, Epson, Flex-Europa, and Signtrade, and hardware from leading suppliers IECHO, Mimaki, Roland, and Vanklaser. Aerolam, Avery Dennison, BestSub, Boyang, MacTac, and Mecolour are among the companies presenting media and consumables.

FESPA Middle East will also feature a strong line-up of distributors showcasing a range of global brands including 3M, Brother, Graphtec, HP, Mutoh, Onyx, Orafol, Philips Digital Signage, PONGS, swissQprint, Valiani, Vision, and many more.

Platinum sponsor Signtrade has taken a significant space to showcase solutions from over 30 brands, including 3M, Cosign, HP, Starflex, and swissQprint.

Bazil Cassim, Regional Manager – FESPA Middle East, comments, “Our mission for the inaugural FESPA Middle East event is to extend FESPA’s global exhibitions, business support, and community to the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. With the strong line-up of exhibitors, delegates will see solutions from over 130 brands across the specialty print and signage industries. We’re excited about expanding FESPA’s presence in this new market to help regional print and signage businesses to take hold of new opportunities to support our growing FESPA Direct membership in MEA.”

Colour Confidence Workshops: Interactive Knowledge

On day one (29 January, 2024), delegates to FESPA Middle East can join a series of interactive Colour Confidence workshops on colour management hosted by ColorBase CEO and Founder Marco Roos. The seminar’s first session (10.30am – 12.30pm), aimed at print operators, will offer essential insights and practical guidance, including valuable tips and tricks to enhance colour consistency, diagnose issues, and implement effective solutions.

The second session (2.30pm – 4.30pm), tailormade for sales professionals in the printing sector, will offer strategies to understand the significance of colour accuracy, effective communication methods for addressing limitations, and ways of handling customer complaints with finesse.

FESPA Leadership Exchange (FLEX): Discover the Industry

As education is at the heart of FESPA, visitors to the upcoming FESPA Middle East will have ample opportunities to discover industry advancements, future trends, and learn key skills for their business by attending the FESPA Leadership Exchange (FLEX) running on day two (30 January, 2024).

The second edition of FLEX will see senior figures from leading print businesses in the Middle East gather to connect with their peers from the wider FESPA global community in an innovative format designed to facilitate business growth and inter-regional knowledge exchange.

The event’s unique format offers 3 bite-sized content sessions, which have been specially curated to provide visitors with world class insights and inspiration in the fields of Market Trends, Sustainability, and New Technology.

While sessions covering market trends will provide an overview of the FESPA Print Census 2023 – the largest worldwide print research project which collects and shares market intelligence – the new technology segment will dive deeper into a range of topics including artificial intelligence, personalization, and digital improvements.

FESPA Board Members Alberto Masserdoti, Christian Duyckaerts, and Christophe Aussenac; FESPA CEO Neil Felton; and CMO Council Advisory Board Member Haris Munif will facilitate a knowledge exchange within these sessions with the aim of sharing their specialist expertise and global market insights.

FLEX aims to connect the region’s innovative and forward-thinking printers, to learn and debate the future of wide format digital, textile, and screening printing sectors, and explore the wider opportunities available to the modern print service provider.

Sustainability Spotlight: Road to a Greener Future

Located in DEC’s North Hall 1B, Sustainability Spotlight provides useful, informative, and actionable advice for specialty printers looking to make their businesses more sustainable.

The topics covered are broad and include ideas to reduce costs by optimizing energy and resources. Guest contributors will present short insights into matters such as energy reduction through renewable, energy efficiency strategies and management; carbon foot-printing facilities and benchmarking; certification schemes to add value to businesses while avoiding greenwashing; brands and the benefit of reducing Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; and supply chain transparency.

Sustainability Spotlight will also feature a textile and graphics display area that showcases products in leather and fabrics, as well as innovative materials for graphic applications highlighting their sustainability characteristics. Each substrate will feature an information card to enable participants to learn more about its sustainable attributes. Another interesting aspect is that, in partnership with ReBoard Technology, the entire showcase area is built using recyclable and reusable materials.

World Wrap Masters Middle East: a Bonus for the Region’s Fastest Growing Market  

By making its debut in 2024, FESPA Middle East will be bringing along FESPA Wrap Masters – one of its most cherished events – to the MENA region, recognized as one of the fastest growing markets for vehicle wrapping, driven by the surging demand for customization and paint protection films (PPF).

The World Wrap Masters Middle East guarantees three exciting days where competitors will face off in a series of exhilarating, high-pressure rounds, racing against the clock to wrap vehicle panels and objects using an array of films, designs, and materials. Judged by vehicle wrap experts Ivan Tenchev, Kiss Lajos, and Ole Solskin meticulously evaluating each round, the highest scoring competitors will advance to the next phase. Visitors interested in vehicle wrapping can also access free daily training workshops and demonstrations.

Besides the competition, the event will feature live demos of cutting-edge products and training sessions sharing the latest tips and tricks in the industry. Plus, competitors and visitors alike can get their latest products and technology from event partners Avery Dennison, Mactac, and Wrapstock.

The World Wrap Masters Middle East winner will compete live on the floor show for the champion title at the 2024 World Wrap Masters Final at FESPA Global Print Expo, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 21-22 March, 2024.

Club FESPA Lounge: Where Business & Pampering go Hand-in-hand

Exclusive to members of FESPA Direct and FESPA’s national associations is a free access to the Club FESPA lounge for some warm and preferential treatment. Located on stand B50, the lounge offers networking opportunities with regional and global printers and signmakers, and will include seminars and all-day refreshments. To become a FESPA Direct member, log on to www.fespa.com/en/become-a-member/fespa-direct

Venue: The Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC), Expo City, Dubai, UAE.

Opening Timings: (29-30 January, 2024): 10am to 6pm, (31 January, 2024) 10am to 5pm.