Promoting opportunities

‘Diversification’ is a term used more often than not when it comes to discussing growth and expansion plans in the sign industry. Be it a move into the futuristic world of digital signage or even a step into print work more traditionally picked up by our cousins in commercial print, there is no shortage of potential work or markets to consider.

One area in particular that has experienced significant growth in recent years is printwear and promotional work, with many traditional sign companies having moved into this market in search of new business. Those thinking of following suit would be well advised to attend Printwear and Promotion Live! 2016, an event billed as a ’must’ for those in the UK’s garment market, as well as promotional product decorators and retailers.

O Factoid: Printwear and Promotion Live! 2016 will feature 150 stands, with more than 20 companies to exhibit for the first time at the event.  O

Taking place in hall twelve of Birmingham’s NEC, which is fast becoming a hub for print and sign-related events, the show will enable those in these markets to find out more about the latest trends, as well as serve as a key opportunity for those thinking about expansion into such sectors to find out more about work on offer.

Buoyant sector, record sales

Someone very optimistic and upbeat about the printwear and promotion market is Tony Gardner, sales and event manager for the show. He explains that a host of companies within this sector have witnessed significant growth in recent years and that diversification could be a serious option for traditional print and sign firms.

“The market is extremely buoyant, with a number of clothing companies and equipment suppliers experiencing record sales in recent years,” Gardner says, adding: “A lot of that growth has been seen in direct-to-garment print kit, which is great news for the show as several exhibitors specialise in this area.

“Sign-makers should absolutely consider diversification into this sector. Garment decoration has a low start-up cost and the market is experiencing considerable growth. Most garment decorators find that return on investment happens relatively quickly.”

Looking ahead to the show and considering how it can help showcase opportunities within the sector, Gardner expects the event to improve on its record performance in 2015 when the show attracted more than 5,500 visitors over three days. This year, the organising team has already met expectations in terms of stand sales, with 150 stands sold and more than 20 companies set to exhibit for the first time.

Gardner goes on to explain that this year’s show will also boast a number of new features that have been designed to help attendees get the most out of their visit and pick up some useful tips for business growth.

“New for this year is the Screen Print Workshop,” he says, adding: “We expect this to be a great addition to the show and to be popular among visitors.

“Printwear and Promotion Live! is seen by many exhibitors as the place to launch new pieces of equipment and garments into the market and this year is no exception. Visitors will be able to see live demonstrations of, for example, new direct-to-garment printers and embroidery machines.



“Visitors to the Corel Theatre will benefit from a wealth of information, advice, and live demonstrations that will enable them to go away and use the software to its full potential, which will help them improve products and services. The workshop schedule will be announced shortly so keep an eye on the website.”

Gardner continues: “This year we have another full and interesting seminar programme. Topics will include digital marketing, UV printing, DTG printing and embroidery.

“The Bag and Headwear Decoration Advice stand is another must-see. These products are traditionally very hard to decorate and so visitors will be able to seek any advice they require from the experts on stand.

“And finally, we mustn’t forget the fashion shows. Leading brands will showcase their 2016 printwear styles on the catwalk. This is always a popular feature among visitors.”

Market opportunities

Grafityp, a name familiar with many in the traditional sign-making and print markets, is one company that will be in attendance at the event. Debbie Astle, marketing manager at the firm’s UK arm, says Printwear and Promotion Live! 2016 is a ‘major’ event for Grafityp and the company intends to take full advantage of the interest the show is likely to generate.

Astle comments: “Printwear and Promotion is a major event for Grafityp; it is a great venue to showcase new or recent products that existing customers may not have seen, gain new business and demonstrate our products.

“There is always a market for products in this sector; it’s never a bad thing to diversify with the correct research having been done into who requires what and the local com-petition. Being able to get all your corporate marketing collateral from one source is never a bad thing.”

In terms of how Grafityp can help in this sector, Astle highlights the company’s range of garment films for both CAD cut and printable applications. Produced by Siser in Italy, Astle says it is one of the firm’s best-selling ranges, thus showing off the state of the current market.

She adds: “Printwear of course also comes under the promotional banner with people requiring garment advertising for corporate, charity events, party wear, and so on. ‘Promotion’ spans an enormous sector and there is always a need for promotional products in various forms, posters, retail, gift-ware, corporate, charity and for which the majority of Grafityp products could be incorporated into producing.
 
“Large-format Roland printers for posters, print and cut machines for decals, labels, garment transfers, Laser-Pro for engraving, cutting or marking, GrafiPrint media for a vast range of uses including vehicle wrapping, the extensive range of Speciality Grafi-Wrap films to name a few.”

Astle goes on to outline Grafityp’s plans for the show, explaining that the firm intends to show off materials and kit from films to presses at the event.

She continues: “We’ll be showing off all of our CAD Cut and printable garment films, a range of cutting plotters from GCC and Roland, heat transfer presses from Siser and Stahls, print and cut machines and UV-printers also from Roland and laser engravers from GCC. Grafityp can kit out any new set up with all they need to get started according to their budget, needs and requirements.



“We constantly run demonstrations on all our machines and materials and also show the ease of application. We will have some new releases, first time Printwear appearances too for some of our new exciting products, so be sure to come and take a look. Plus we also make visiting worthwhile with unbelievable show offers on both materials and equipment.”

More than just print

While much of this market is focused on the print side of production, there is also plenty of work available to companies not directly involved in this sector. James Carpenter, managing director of Doro Tape, which will be in attendance at the show, says companies from across the sign industry should consider taking advantage of opportunities in printwear and promotion.



Carpenter comments: “Even if you just have a plotter cutter, then with the small investment of a heat press and using our coloured flex media, it is possible to add extra value to nearly every sign-making job you undertake by printing their company sweatshirts, coats and caps. If you have a wide-format printer, then we have printable flex film that makes it possible to print full colour images onto almost any garment.


“We will be at the show to offer help and guidance to the visitors, and show our enthusiasm for the products and services we supply. We know that the system, and media we offer to producing quality graphics and logos for promotional printwear is second to none, and that’s what we are at the show to demonstrate.”

With this in mind, what will Doro Tape be showing off at the exhibition? Carpenter says the company is hoping to address as many areas of the market as possible.



He continues: “We will be promoting our range of heat transfer flex media for plotter-cutting and large-format printing, along with the equipment required to carry out the work.  We stock the Poli-Tape flex media including the Pro flex range of coloured film for plotter cutting and the Image Flex range for large-format printing.

“We distribute the Roland range of quality cutters and their BN20 print and cut printer. We also supply the Stahls Hotronix heat presses. In fact, we have everything required to start producing short run promotional printwear.

“Also, for the first time, we will be featuring the ‘Liquid Lens’ Label Doming System. For anyone with a printer, this is a fantastic opportunity with very little outlay to expand their business and produce quality, domed labels.”

With plenty of optimism surrounding the printwear and promotion market, it is clear to see why there is so much interest in this aptly named show. Visitors will not only gain advice and guidance from some of the industry’s biggest brands, but also have the opportunity to mix with peers and learn more about this expanding market.

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