WrapFest hailed a success by organisers

The first dedicated event from FESPA for vehicle wrapping, vinyl installation, and detailing has been praised by attendees and hailed a success by its organisers.

WrapFest welcomed nearly 800 individual wrap professionals and played host to over 35 global brands from different parts of the industry all showcasing their products and innovations. Solutions included graphic, colour-change, and paint protection films, window tints, digital printing, design software, cleaning products, and tools.

Exhibitors such as HP, ADAPT, 3M, William Smith, Spandex and pole position sponsor Hexis were all available for live demonstrations. Other exhibitors included Grafityp, Avery Dennison, 3M, Innotech, The Wrap Institute, Antalis, and Signgeer.

Attending the event, it was clear to see it was unlike many others in the industry as the location invoked a more relaxed and informal setting.

WrapFest acted as a hub for the vehicle wrapping community and allowed businesses and brands to promote and create promotional content for their products; all beautifully displayed on vehicles like cars, vans, and motorcycles.

The location meant two halls housed exhibitors, interactive zones, and speaker areas, while downstairs the vehicle pit garages played host to demonstrations and competitions such as the World Wrap Masters.

You can check out our recap of the event on our Sign7 YouTube channel or at the link below:

The event also meant a variety of new products were launched including APA’s bespoke Silverstone Green vinyl wrap, created exclusively for WrapFest, as well as 3M and its Black 2080 Wrap film series high gloss, Star Vinyls’ Luxe Lightwrap range, and Innotech’s launch of General Forumlations’ DRIFT vinyl.

Attending the event, Matthew Abel from Encore Customs, said: “I've never been to an event like WrapFest before. I had some really interesting discussions with experts and discovered many new suppliers such as APA and Grafityp with Omega Skinz, which I found really eye-opening, particularly as I have recently started my own business.

“I enjoyed learning from the live demonstrations too, particularly The Wrap Institute's session, and feel I really benefited from the large number of enthusiastic wrappers in one place.”

The event’s Wrap Talks were popular with visitors who heard presentations and interviews from the likes of Solskin Ravn (World Wrap Masters), Justin Pate (Wrap Institute), and celebrity vehicle wrapper Yianni Charalambous (Yiannimize).

Yiannimize spoke about how he established his business and achieved fame after a chance introduction to an Arsenal football player.

Duncan MacOwan, head of Marketing and Events at FESPA, added: “We always knew there was a gap in the market for an event like WrapFest but we had no idea just how much the industry needed it. The event has proven to us that launching WrapFest was one of the best decisions we have made.

“The event was absolutely buzzing with wrapping professionals keen to learn, network, and do business. As the organisers of the event, we are so proud to be able to facilitate this knowledge and business exchange.”

If you’d like to share news or opinions with us feel free to email at news@signlink.co.uk or join in with the conversation on Twitter and LinkedIn.