This year, the sections of the Bazaar look at ways of diversifying a print business, through print for packaging, label printing, textile-based graphics, large-format print, promotional printing and specialty print finishing.
Simon Cox, sales specialist at Friedheim says the feature has “absolutely” worked as a concept for businesses to look into other ways of diversifying their business.
On the Specialty Print Finishing stand, Marine Kerivel-Brown, head of international marketing at Duplo, is offering visitors a chance to look at diversifying into sensory coating to create a “tactile experience through print”.
She says: “We’ve had an interesting mix of visitors – printers, creatives and graphic designers – which for us is fascinating and exciting because the print designers aren’t the ones who place a request for the type of printer they’re after. So, educating them about what print can look and feel like is, we believe, very important especially when it comes to sensory coating.”
It’s nice exposure and what it does is it also gives people who are already in the print industry something else to look at to expand their business”
Samantha Kehoe, director at Signmaster Systems says the Printers Bazaar offered “great insight” for customers new and old to look at ways of getting more out of their print machines. Her colleague Glen Nunkoo, inks and media manager, says the Bazaar has been a good opportunity for people to get hands-on with the media they have on display.
On the Promotional Print Products section of the Bazaar, Gabriello Gambale, director at Infinite Graphics Solutions says visitors like the vast array promotional items and the new technology that comes with it.
“It’s a niche market but it’s attracting a lot of people,” Gambale explains. “Everybody has the same question – how does the new technology do it? We explain to them as much as possible without bombarding them with information.
He adds: “It’s nice exposure and what it does is it also gives people who are already in the print industry something else to look at to expand their business.”
Jonathon Cobb, account manager at Grafenia, says growth over the last five or six years in soft signage has seen a lot of traditional lithographic printers diversify into this area as it is easy to transport and is seen as “the next generation of exhibition displays”.
Has your business recently moved into a new area of print? Email me at summer@linkpublishing.co.uk or reach out on Twitter to have your say.
