An American Dream

Quite how it was created, and been sustained over so many years, is something of a mystery. But there is no denying the fact that the USA has something of a unique mystique about its global image that generates admiration, envy, and animosity in somewhat equal measure.

Perhaps it has something to do with Hollywood glamour and the explosion of celebrity culture, or its ‘can do’ aspirational business culture generated from throwing off the shackles of empire. Whatever the case, this attitude has rubbed off on the rest of the world over the years and left many of us with the indelible impression that this fabled land of opportunity is at the very forefront of trends both fashionable and technological.

So, it is with interest that I began research into one of the world’s biggest international sign industry extravaganzas in the form of the Speciality Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) Expo, which is taking place this year in the almost mythically ostentatious city of Las Vegas.  With more than 500 global exhibitors and tens of thousands of visitors, it has become something of a site of pilgrimage for many sign-makers over the years, as they combine a once-in-a-life-time trip across the pond with a visit to the show. The key message that has come back from UK exhibitors and visitors to the event is that it has an energy, vibrancy, and feeling of glamour and showmanship that lines up with this mythic image of the USA.

This was something picked up on by the event’s president and chief executive officer, Michael Robertson in an open letter to the industry: “Las Vegas and the SGIA Expo have one thing in common: Everything goes, and any-thing is possible. The industry’s most diverse group of attendees come together each year for the annual Expo, and exhibitors will have easy access to even more educated and qualified attendees at the 2014 Expo.


“It is where leading imaging professionals will showcase their best products, methodologies, and innovative applications. At the same time tens of thousands of attendees will explore the wall-to-wall exhibitor booths and […] engage in critical networking opportunities.”

With this in mind, let us draw back the curtain on what some of its biggest headline acts think of the show, what performances they will be putting on, and how it could help you too achieve the ‘American Dream’.

Homeward bound

For wide-format print technology heavyweight, EFI, the SGIA Expo is in its own back yard. While the company has a strong market share across the UK and Europe, it is perhaps most dominant in the USA. Its international PR manager, Marc Verbiest, explains the show’s attraction and what the company will be bringing to bear: “At this type of event a presence attracts businesses of all sizes and from all backgrounds, from both the analogue and digital sectors.



“The primary focus at SGIA is demonstrating to visitors how the EFI portfolio has been developed and has grown to bring businesses many ways to become more productive and profitable, saving both time and money, and reducing waste in a drive to become more eco-aware. As well as production solutions, the company plans to demonstrate how users can also become more efficient through benefiting from productivity and MIS/ERP software plus integration with web-to-print, cross media, and native JDF connectivity.”

Earlier in the year EFI discussed its growth plans to bring to market more printers that incorporate its ‘cool cure’ LED technology, and this has been realised throughout the past few months with the addition of new machines that benefit from this technology. As a result, and with its late-in-the-year timing, Verbiest advises that SGIA Expo will be a platform for EFI to showcase its latest series of wide-format and Vutek machines: “We will demonstrate how they cater for all budgetary and production requirements and bring new levels of versatility to end-user businesses.”

Emerging trends

Verbiest also highlights a major trend that SGIA Expo’s Robertson has been key to highlight to potential visitors to this year’s show. This is primarily that graphics professionals such as sign-makers are increasingly demanding systems which provide high quality and throughput speeds, but a low total cost of ownership. This works against an expectation held for decades that automated sign-making technology and equipment was expensive, complex to run and maintain, and often out of reach of the smaller business.

Verbiest continues: “Combining the right output devices with the best digital front end (DFE) enables companies to integrate their activities and become more accountable, resulting in greater efficiencies which, in turn, lead to better profitability.

“Users are also looking to embrace digital production that accommodates greater versatility without compromising more environmentally-friendly opportunities. LED curing has simplified the ease with which users can print onto even the most heat sensitive of rigid and flexible materials without fear of damage to the print-heads or to the media.

“In terms of trends, the versatility offered by digital production shows how individuality rather than following a ‘me too’ approach can reap dividends for businesses who don’t merely want to be part of the crowd. Instead, growing numbers are discovering innovative and unusual applications that can be generated and produced successfully with the help of EFI’s technologies.”

This trend is one affirmed by key market competitor and co-exhibitor at the SGIA Expo, Roland DG. The company’s UK business manager of sign and graphics, Rob Goleniowski, highlights that because the show draws in such a diverse range of visitors, from ma and pa sign-makers through to multi-national industrial screen printers, it requires exhibitors to martial their full complement of technology.

“We will be showcasing the versatility and reliability of our integrated print and cut devices including the Soljet Pro4 XR-640, Roland’s widest and fastest pro print and cut device and the VS-540i from our best-selling VersaCAMM VS-i series,” says Golienowski, who adds: “Proving Roland offers something for everyone, the VersaStudio BN-20 desktop inkjet printer/cutter will also be at the Show. The BN-20 is our most compact and affordable desktop device and is idea for entrepreneurial businesses wanting to start-up a garment decoration or small signage company, or as an additional machine for an established graphics business.”



For those interested in speed, Roland DG will also be demonstrating the Soljet Pro4 XF-640, AKA ‘The Beast’—Roland DG’s fastest wide-format kit—in addition to its VersaExpress RF-640, which carries cutting edge facilities for unassisted and remote printing control.


Golienowski adds: “We’ll also have our first wide-format hybrid printer, the VersaUV LEJ-640 and for those interested in exploring additional income streams, we will be demonstrating the VersaUV LEF-20 flatbed printer. The LEF-20 prints onto virtually any object and any substrate to a maximum of 508 x 330mm and up to 100mm thick, enabling the highly profitable personalisation of consumer items, novelty goods, awards, packaging prototypes and much more.”

Perhaps top of the bill for Roland DG—and a key growth technology highlighted by Fastsigns executive vice president of franchise support and development, Mark L. Jameson, below—is its monoFab ARM-10. This is Roland’s first 3D printer, and the company will be seeking to showcase its potential in terms of product prototyping, bespoke point-of-sale signage fabrication, and even commercial modelling.

In addition to its wide range of engravers, and software portfolio Golienowski highlights another key facet of its offering at the show will be its CAMM-1 Servo GX-24 and Pro GX-640 vinyl cutters.

Divergent trends

Roland DG’s Golienowski also has an interesting viewpoint when it comes to the trends that set us apart from our American cousins: “In certain parts of Europe, particularly Eastern Europe, the focus is on producing output at as cheap a price point as possible and then also sell into Western Europe.

“In a similar way, the USA has to deal with competition from Central and South America; particularly Mexico. The UK, thanks to the buffer of The Channel, has been less vulnerable to the competition from the East. Anecdotally it could also be said that the commercial print market in Europe has been quicker off the mark to adopt wide-format technology.”

This is a point that Roland Biemans, marketing director at key exhibitor Kiian Digital, is also keen to weigh in on: “For Kiian Digital, the Americas are an important market. With the wide range of substrates and applications, we see the need for dedicated formulations and we offer a really wide range. And in a growing market such as the USA, we see higher productivity machines being used.



“As a result Kiian Digital has invested in its US operations with a local office, with local production and local support. The SGIA really does play a pivotal role in our growth ambitions and is honestly the perfect platform to introduce our business, our US colleagues and our latest product portfolio.”



Biemans also points out some key trends that have only just begun to take root in the US that have long borne fruit in the European market—some-thing also picked up by Fastsigns Jameson below.



“There is also a move towards using polyester and cotton fabrics in digital print production with a gradual shift from traditional screen and solvent based systems, to sublimation and pigment,” says Biemans, adding: “Green credentials with less waste, combined with bigger colour gamut and higher productivity drives this trend. Globally, we also see local short-run digital production grow, based on the wish of lowering stock, faster delivery and shorter supply chains.”



Looking to what it will martial at the show, Kiian supplies sublimation transfer and direct, disperse and pigment inks under its Digistar brand—designed for use on synthetic fabrics and rigid substrates. At SGIA, it is set to present its latest portfolio for dye-sublimation printing, which features a comprehensive range of colours that extend the gamut for a wide range of textiles and graphics. In order to market this, its booth will become a real life retail environment, with Biemans enthusing that it will have, ‘inspiring application examples of sportswear and equipment, swim-wear, fashion, snow gear, and graphics’.

Speedy aspirations

What is very clear about the exhibitor and visitor demographic at the SGIA Expo is that, while at its heart it is a sign show, it draws one of the most diverse collections of businesses from across the visual communications industry in the world. This is testified to by one of its long-term supporters and global success story, Fastsigns. Growing out of the USA, this sign franchise network now spans some twelve countries with more than 530 locations, with plans to expand into North Africa and the Middle East.



Speaking to the aforementioned Jameson, his bubbly enthusiasm for both the show and the potential of the Fastsigns brand is infectious: “The show really is a high-energy environment and many exhibitors really do put on a flashy show. There is just so much news; manufacturers showing off new equipment, graphics professionals swamping the halls, and suppliers of every shape and form showing off their capabilities.


“It is definitely not about the hard sell, but at the same time it is too big to be a family-feel type environment. It really is a one-stop-shop for the visual communications business and truly global in its nature. It is also a tremendous opportunity for anybody in this business to learn. And of course Vegas really is a great town.”

Jameson continues: “In addition to our technical and marketing teams who work the floor to connect with suppliers and research the very latest technology, we are going to SGIA to reach out and look after our existing franchisees to help them get the most from the event.



“We also want to connect to independent sign-shops of course and also high-volume commercial printers. With this latter group it is to explore co-branding opportunities, how we can enhance their business, and the process of joining the Fastsigns family, so they can embrace all that we offer.”

Listening to Jameson describe the atmosphere of SGIA Expo, it seems that it has evolved out of being a core trade show. Rather it has become something of an annual marketplace which works to set trends, equipment prices, and provide visitors with the chance to source deals that would not otherwise be possible. This year Jameson is hanging is hat on the dye-sublimation printing market as an important trend to investigate, saying it will be a core area of focus for the next two years.

With the number of equipment manufacturers in this arena continuing to grow and bring to market higher-quality and less expensive solutions, it has driven down output prices. Jame-son advises that in addition to this, its advantages in terms of portability, green attributes, and application flexibility has already seen a proliferation in demand for soft signage products in Europe, with the trend now gaining momentum in the US and worldwide. He also advises that the explosive growth in the 3D printing market as a key watch area for sign-makers.

“A key challenge to many smaller sign shops who wish to join us is that they find it difficult to stay up to date with the latest technology and advances as they get caught up in the day-to-day of running their company,” says Jameson.

He concludes:  “As a consultant to their business that touches on every aspect of it, we essentially give sign-makers the chance to concentrate on running their business. This means they can increase their profitability and operational efficiency while we provide support with marketing and technology research.

“The other essential factor is that as we have a global supply chain and team running it. This gives us significant economies of scale, which sees our franchisees able to source materials and kit for a better price than individual businesses. This further reduces their overheads and improves profits and competitiveness.”

Indeed, while visiting international shows are quite an expense, the insight it could provide on new technology, trends, and business opportunities could pay back in spades with the advantage it could give over local competitors. It seems that, unlike so much today, the SGIA Expo is one event where expectation really does meet reality and could just give you the tools you need to make both your dreams and business ambition come true.

Info:
Dates:         October 22nd to 24th
Hours:         9:30 am to 5:00 pm (Wed, Thur)
                   9:30 am to 4:30 pm (Fri)
Location:      Las Vegas Convention Center - Central Hall
Address:      3150 Paradise Rd, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109, USA
Exhibitors:    More than 500
Your text here...