There are a few individuals in the world of marketing that you feel could almost bend space and time through the sheer force of their personality and enthusiasm for their brand, and Mike Horsten from Mimaki Europe is one of them. General manager marketing EMEA, his passion for Mimaki’s technology and his understanding of its unique strengths is infectious.

“The highlight from FESPA from this year is that we are all about applications, applications, applications. We really want to physically showcase where Mimaki can help you excel by moving into different market segments,” says Horsten.

He continues: “Yes, vinyl printing is still a huge and important part of our business, but today’s sign-makers have to be so much more. And that is why we really want to prove how you can build a very diverse business from just one or two pieces of our technology.”

From the Mimaki booth there were two very key highlights. The first was its industrial 180sq m/h textile printer the TS500, which sold its first unit within an hour of the doors opening on day one of FESPA. The second was its new UJV55, a 60sq m/h, 3m wide, LED UV printer. 

Horsten adds: “Sales of this product have been outrageous, as now on day three of FESPA we have already sold our entire European allocation of 30 units. So we are now flying in extra units by air because demand has been overwhelming. The success of this product has more than surpassed our expectations.”

Another key highlight for me at FESPA was Ritrama, which cleverly showcased how its range of self-adhesive products are suited to applications over and above vehicle graphics, such as outdoor and point-of-purchase advertising. Solutions featured on this area of the stand included window graphics product RI-FIX, Hi-Grip for difficult surfaces, and its ‘Wall Graphics Inkjet Print Media’ series. Ritrama also showcased the easy application attributes of its new RI-WRAP Range, a selection of cast vinyls available in both standard and exotic textures, colours, and finishes.

A final mention must also go to Kornit Digital, which is becoming an increasingly key player in the sector, and were a major presence at FESPA Digital as it launched a mid-level addition to its Storm range.  The new Storm Hexa takes aspects previously only available on the high-productivity Avalanche series—such as an integrated humidifier, back-up battery system, and recirculated Polaris print heads—but provides them in a package at a more affordable level.

As a final snapshot of the exhibition, what these three firms have in common is that they are all trailblazing, and that is what really defined FESPA 2016. It is a show that now provides a glimpse of the future, and where your business should be headed.