Durst Group adds open house twist to FESPA showcase
Spanish Durst customer, Nivell Publicitari, will showcase the manufacturer’s print solutions live at its Barcelona facility during this year’s FESPA Global Print Show
The inaugural Sign Show, which co-located with The Print Show, drew visitors from across the industry, with the event set to return for 2026
The inaugural edition of The Sign Show has been hailed a major success by exhibitors and visitors, with organisers confirming that the event will return in 2026.
Running alongside the co-located The Print Show, the new event sought to deliver a meeting place for the UK sign industry and an opportunity for sign professionals to explore the latest in signage solutions
Early feedback from exhibitors and visitors suggests the show did exactly this, with many of those who attended praising the event for its showcase of signage. From fixings and fittings to traditional sign-making and wrapping, the event offered something to everyone involved in signage.
“I’m extremely pleased with how things went,” says event director Chris Davies, adding: “It’s been a brilliant few days and we’ve been absolutely blown away with the response to the new show.
“We identified the need for a dedicated signage event in the UK a little over two years ago and have worked hard to ensure we deliver something that met this demand. From what I saw in the hall over the three days at the NEC, we have absolutely achieved this target. The challenge now is to develop and grow the event for 2026 and beyond.”
Visitors passing through the archway marked ‘The Sign Show’ were met by the impressive stands of HP and Hybrid Services (Mimaki Europe), with a nod towards the wide-format print element of signage. The field of wide-format could be explored further across the stands of other leading manufacturers inside The Print Show.
Behind these two stands lay a celebration of signage, with suppliers and manufacturers from across the market showcasing all manner of solutions. LKH Tools, which was located near to the entrance, reported very heavy footfall across all three days, while just a few stands down, Sam Armstrong and the Make it Happen team were kept busy both on the show floor and running bootcamps throughout the show.
Other stands of note included Signgeer – accompanied by their own superhero in ‘Signman’, the company welcomed plenty of visitors to its stand. Meanwhile, the BSGA had a very busy show, hosting a live version of its ‘Sign Surgery’.
In addition, EKFA Frame Solutions showcased its services and solutions not only on its own stand, but also across the hall. This included partnering with the organising team to help produce the impressive setup for The Knowledge Zone speaker area within The Print Show section of the hall. The same could be said for Metalworx, which helped create the School of Wrap centrepiece of the show.
Mention of these two features nicely leads us to the four special areas spread across The Sign Show and The Print Show.
In The Sign Show section of the hall, visitors were able to try their hand at wrapping on the School of Wrap with the help of specialists from CVi Group and Space Architectural Interiors. Attendees were also able to explore the range of wrapping products available from Fedrigoni and All Print Supplies, while FESPA UK was on hand to recycle any leftover waste and talk visitors through its Waste Accreditation initiative.
Across the aisle at the Traditional Sign-Making Masterclass, attendees were invited to learn from Signmode’s David Mearns about classic sign-making techniques and try out signwriting for themselves. Mearns even created a hand-drawn version of the event’s logo on the backdrop of the area.
“It’s been a brilliant few days and far exceeded my expectations,” Mearns says, adding: “It’s been so refreshing for people to come and see some traditional signage and learn more about how it is made. Well done to the organisers for such a great event.”
Finally, Neon Creations drew the crowds at Neon Insights, where those in attendance could learn about the core differences between traditional neon and LED versions, as well as how these incredible pieces are created. Visitors were also invited to try out neon glass-bending, under the watchful eye of the brilliant Tony Spink.
“Honestly, we’ve had a fantastic few days,” Spink says, continuing: “We’ve all really enjoyed being here and speaking with people about what we do. We’re so passionate about neon signs and being at The Sign Show has allowed us to speak with all kinds of people about who we are and what we do.”
Looking ahead to 2026, Davies says that his thoughts have already turned to what he and the team can do improve on year one and deliver an even better event for the industry.
“I’ll happily admit that I’m looking forward to a few days off, but I’d also be lying if I said that I wasn’t already planning for next year,” he comments, adding: “Me and Lucas Naylor (sales executive) have had some really positive conversations with exhibitors about returning for next year. Absolutely watch this space for more news.”
