The conventional wisdom tells us that in depressed economy there is hardly any justification for yet another trade exhibition. However some specialized exhibitions are thriving and they are looking for further expansion. Fespa, the specialized exhibition for screen printing and digital imaging is looking forward to capitalize on one of Europe’s fastest growing economies. It is predicted that in 2050 Turkey’s economy could be the second largest in Europe, excluding Russia.
The retail sector in the region is experiencing massive growth; in Turkey alone the retail industry has a volume of 50 billion USD, creating growth markets in Point of Sale (POS), outdoor advertising and digital display. That is why FESPA is further expanding its global reach with the launch of FESPA Eurasia 2013. The inaugural event will take place from 3-5 October 2013 at the CNR Expo, Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul is the prime location for the FESPA Eurasia show, bridging the European and Asian continents. It is at the centre of Turkey’s economy, culture, and history as well as having a contemporary visitor infrastructure. Covering 7,000 square meters and with the objective of attracting around 8,000 visitors, the event will cover all aspects of wide format digital printing, signage, garment decoration and screen printing.
FESPA’s Managing Director of Exhibitions and Events, Neil Felton explains, “Turkey and the surrounding economies are a huge growth market for the print industry and over recent years we’ve had increased interest from this region. For example 1500 visitors from the region attended FESPA 2010 and Turkey listed among the top 12 countries at FESPA Digital 2012 in Barcelona. Turkey has a strong presence in the garment decoration market, which is an important facet of all FESPA shows and will form a prominent part of FESPA Eurasia.”
Yasar Guvenen, FESPA Board Member and Owner of visual communications specialist Al Visual adds: “With the growth of this industry, it is important for a show like FESPA to share its knowledge and best practice to the market to help it flourish. It will provide the regional print community with the opportunity to see new technologies and learn about the latest developments, which will enable printers to examine their offerings and grow their business.” FESPA Eurasia 2013 is supported by ARED (Acikhava Reklamcilari Dernegi), the Sign Association of Turkey.
As an organiser of international exhibitions, FESPA Eurasia will focus on attracting print solution providers (PSPs) from outside of Turkey by developing marketing plan to engage with markets in Eastern Europe, Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.
FESPA’s Managing Director of Exhibitions and Events, Neil Felton, comments: “The combined GDP growth rate of the countries in the region is 4.82% outperforming countries such as Japan, USA and Australia, making it a very attractive proposition for doing business.”
HP has already announced its commitment to FESPA Eurasia 2013 as Corporate Partner and Fujifilm will also take the largest stand to date at the inaugural FESPA Eurasia show. Fujifilm will be showcasing The Inca Onset S40i flatbed UV inkjet printer. The printer uses 168 new-generation, user-replaceable printheads (28 per colour) on a full width print array delivering a 28 picolitre drop size. Key features include a zoned bed; UV sensor system and sophisticated substrate height detector.
In addition, the five metre version of Fujifilm’s super-wide format Uvistar Pro8 roll fed printer which was launched at drupa last year will also be on show. The platform is particularly suited to producing super-wide format print for both display POP and outdoor advertising markets on flexible and rigid media, and includes a complete set of light colours within the ink set which increase print quality without compromising print speed. The Acuity Advance HS and Acuity LED 1600 will also be featured on the stand.
