For some 13 years SignLink magazine has reported on an industry that has continued to grow at an impressive rate. It has embraced new technology to create a kaleidoscope of fantastic products and services to help UK businesses transmit their message visually, inform their customers, and of course to keep our transport and information network running smoothly.

So, as the year kicks off it is with great pride that we begin work on our brand-new exhibition venture SignLink Live, which will build on SignLink’s legacy and become a physical extension of the magazine. For more detailed information and news on the exhibition turn to p6 and p38.

It is aimed squarely at the fabrication side of the UK sign-making industry, which as you and I know, is one of the most technically advanced manufacturing sectors in the UK, bringing together advanced lighting systems, CAD/CAM design, highly-engineered materials from plastics to extruded metals, fixtures and fittings, and a wide range of engineering skills and machinery to produce its products. SignLink Live is a celebration of this immensely varied supply chain.

While wide-format print technology and the sector that surrounds it is of course a highly important part of the sign industry today and this magazine, such has been the focus on this sector at other shows around Europe, that the rest of the sign industry has remained a little in its shadow when exhibiting.

SignLink Live seeks to restore the balance by squarely focussing on the entire supply chain for sign-making businesses outside wide-format print in the UK, giving them a chance to shine without being over-shadowed by multi-national printer manufacturers. However, the exhibition is co-located with The Print Show at The International Centre, and visitors can move easily between the two. This means they can research and source new wide-format technology at this sister event to ensure their trip is maximised.

It is with real excitement that the team here look forward to providing our sector with a new economic stimulus and another chance to come together under one roof.
sss