Over the years, Sign & Digital UK has stood as the epitome of innovation and inspiration for the visual communications sector, and Premier was excited to be part of it, with a track record of past successful shows. Premier returned in 2024 with another eye catching, engaging exhibition stand. 

Premier introduced the ‘Display Royale’ and ‘Signage HQ,’ which hosted a variety of materials from their display graphics product range. The ‘Ice Bar’ for example, was adorned in Premier’s premium range of aluminium composite, eTEC ACM 3D, in the striking brushed silver finish. In addition, the backdrop for the iconic Aston Martin DB5 on Premier’s stand, was printed on Drytac Polar Blockout, an opaque printable block out film, suitable for solvent, latex and UV inks.  

The demonstration tables and windows were made of clear 5mm and opaque 5mm Plexiglas which allowed space for graphics to be applied and removed. The use of cast acrylic material helped to showcase the products’ high gloss finish, as well as favoured functionalities such as being lighter and stronger than glass. Premier’s overhead signage was produced using Foamalux Light, a foam board with a surface for direct mounting. It’s lightweight too which makes it easier to handle and hang than many other display materials.  

For visitors’ eyes only, casino tables had been produced especially for the merchant’s stand, using Ultraboard; the UK manufactured honeycomb board. Naturally, printed samples of eTEC ACM, E-Opaque board and Diplast, took the form of poker chips and playing cards. The stand also boasted a stylish lounge area, which provided a perfect backdrop for networking and socialising and of course, the promotional giveaways made a return. 

‘We don’t just attend Sign & Digital UK; we embrace a mission to redefine the norms of the sign and display market,’ said Brad Goldsmith, marketing manager at Premier. ‘Our presence at the show is not just about products; it’s about pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation. We’re creating a spectacle that leaves an indelible mark on the industry.’ 

The three-day event started on a Sunday for the first time which ensured accessibility for businesses to come and witness the latest products without compromising valuable business time. Another first for show was that it was co-hosted with the Printwear and Promotion show in the neighbouring hall, which allowed the free flow of visitors to experience both exhibitions with the same ticket. 

The merging of the two exhibitions provided Premier with the perfect platform to showcase some of the bespoke bags and packaging solutions from sister company WBC (Wine Box Company). A dedicated zone was created on the stand to display a collection of printed, fabric bags, whilst hampers, wine boxes and void fill were displayed in the Ice Bar.   

Mr Goldsmith further emphasises Premier’s commitment to supporting the UK industry, stating, ‘Attending events like Sign & Digital UK is our way of giving back to our customers. We believe in the power of collaboration and innovation to drive the industry forward. Our team of experts are always on hand to answer queries and provide tailored advice to address the unique needs of businesses.’ 

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After holding annual virtual showcases, Tecnau will stage a physical presentation of its technology. Intelligent Finishing Systems (IFS), Tecnau’s UK and Ireland distribution partner, will host UK operations looking to develop their print production capabilities.

Attendees will be able to see the latest integrated options in post-press paper handling automation for digital printing that support an array of applications, including transactional printing, transpromo, direct mail, publishing, graphic arts, books on demand and short runs.

The event will host live and virtual demonstrations of many of Tecnau’s feeding and finishing products for high-speed production digital presses. They include versions of the new Revolution 50 series for high-speed cutting and stacking of web-fed inkjet output, fully automated BookReady and Stack 1212 for cutting B2/B2+ press sheets down to finished size in a single pass, and a member of Tecnau’s Libra family of book finishing systems. Attendees will be able to participate in a networking forum with colleagues from across the industry.

Eric Keane, IFS managing director, commented, ‘After a couple of years of virtual Spring Forward with Tecnau events, this in-person opportunity will enable operations to explore up close and personal what Tecnau technology can deliver. Tecnau is widely recognised for its vital product development partnerships with customers and every major printer manufacturer. Its history and background in industrial automation has also enabled the development of customised solutions to support specific requests. This approach ensures the development of responsive solutions that meet today’s market demands and, in fact, several products have been inspired by customer requests. At this event UK operations will be able to see for themselves how they can drive their successful ongoing evolution.’

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Over the years, Hunkeler’s eponymous Innovationdays event has become an important platform for the continuous feed digital printing industry to coalesce around, attracting all the major press manufacturers as well as a variety of software developers, and providing a highly focused gathering for this part of the digital printing industry.

Almost 100 partners will also present their latest products in all areas of digital printing and processing in Halls 1 and 2 at the Messe Luzern. These partners include all the major manufacturers of printing and finishing systems, software developers and providers of finishing materials and consumables. As in previous years, many of the exhibitors will use the event to offer a European or global premiere of their latest innovations. A selection of these is listed below.

Exhibitor highlights

Mailroom automation for transactional print and direct mail will be the focus of the Bowe Systec stand, with a particular focus on the Fusion Speed inserting system, which will have its first ever live demonstration in Lucerne. The inserter can process up to 30,000 envelopes per hour and will be demonstrated in conjunction with Bowe’s Boxit system for automatic filling of postal trays. The company will also explain how upstream and downstream stages can be streamlined as part of an end-to-end automation concept.

Canon is playing its cards close to its chest but has promised two product news announcements at the event which ‘build on Canon’s expertise in inkjet’. Topics to be discussed also include the company’s strategy and how technology and business innovation can be harnessed together help ‘future-proof’ PSPs’ operations; the focus will be on publishing, promotion and business communications.

Another premiere at Innovationdays will be on HP’s stand, where the recently-launched PageWide Advantage 2200 digital web press will make it first European appearance. During the four days of the event, HP will be printing different applications such as postcards, leaflets, catalogues and books on a variety of substrates on the 150m/min press. In addition, the US company will showcase automation and services solutions.

Hybrid Software Group will feature its technologies for industrial print manufacturing processes which use inkjet and other printing techniques, showcasing all its brands covering the full stack of core technologies needed for inkjet. These include colour management, high-speed Digital Front Ends and Rips, pre-press software for labels and packaging and printhead drive electronics. All the group brands will be represented: ColorLogic; Global Graphics Software; Hybrid Software; iC3D; Meteor Inkjet and Xitron.

Converting and high quality embellishment will be the theme of the Kama stand, which will feature the Servo generation of the ProCut 76 Foil. The machine suits a range of applications from die-cutting, creasing and perforating to embellishment with hot foil, hologram and relief for commercial jobs and folding cartons. It will be shown with the AutoRegister AR3, which uses two cameras to bring each sheet into position at full speed.

Kern will present the new Kern 3200 Flash, a modular multi-format inserting system designed for flexible and complex inserting jobs in the medium- to high-output range. Different configuration options make it suitable for use in transactional and direct mail. A newly-developed inserting module is said to be the only system in this performance class that can be equipped with more than one envelope magazine, allowing the system to process different envelopes job by job, without the operator having to make a physical change. The 3200 Flash can be combined with a choice of modules, including roll and single sheet feeding. It is also possible to integrate up to 16 inserting stations.

Kodak’s Prosper Ultra 520 will get its first European showing

Another European first will be the Prosper Ultra 520 web press from Kodak. To be shown with a Hunkeler unwinder and rewinder, along with the Hunkeler WI8 web inspection system, the press will print live three versions of a ‘magalog’ (blend of magazine and catalogue) with different editorial and marketing content. The application will demonstrate the Ultra 520’s ability to print heavy ink coverage on standard offset paper at 150m/min. Other finished samples from the Ultra 520 and from the Prosper 7000 Turbo press, which runs at up to 410m/min, will also be presented, along with Kodak’s Prinergy On Demand workflow software.

Kyocera will feature its TaskAlfa Pro 15000C sheet-fed inkjet press, with a focus on its sustainability credentials, productivity, output quality and media flexibility. One-to-one demonstrations are being offered. More information may also be available about the graphic-arts focused version that is understood to be in development.

Another world first in Lucerne is the arrival of the Prinova Digital Saddle stitcher from Müller Martini. The highly automated 9000 cycles per hour unit supports both digital and hybrid print production and brings Müller’s Smart Factory concept to magazines, brochures and catalogues. Developments to the Vareo Pro perfect binding line will also be shown, including a mixed mode that allows softcover books and hardcover book blocks to be produced in the same run, complemented by a new de-stacker and sorting for subsequent InfiniTrim cutting. A variety of live jobs, including all-digital and hybrid printed products, will be featured, along with the supporting Connex workflow.

Workflow developer OneVision will explain how its software allows for ‘a complete integration of company processes’ by being configured to suit existing systems. The modular middleware can automate the production process from file input through printing and embellishment and finishing, while connecting to existing print and finishing hardware and software such as MIS or ERP.

Ricoh will be making the first public showing of its Pro VC70000e inkjet press that includes a number of hardware and software features and updates which collectively increase ease of use through automation, while providing greater media and applications flexibility via pre-coating. This will be complemented by the introduction of TotalFlow Producer, which the company describes as a ‘vendor agnostic automated job onboarding solution’. The new workflow software designed to automate job intake and consolidation from multiple sources, to run automatic pre-flighting and to support personalised job upload and status portals for print clients.

Riso will feature its newest additions to the SRA3 Valezus sheet-fed inkjet line, which are targeted at production print job demands that are difficult to handle efficiently on continuous-feed presses. The twin-engined Valezus T2200 is capable of duplex printing at 330ppm. The single-engine Valezus T1200 is aimed at both short and long-run full-colour transactional printing at 165ppm. Both are equipped with feeder/stacker units for a maximum capacity of 8000 sheets on the T2200, and half that on the T2100. Both models support uncoated papers only, from 46 to 210gsm.

The Smart High Definition technology from Scodix will appear in the premiere of the Ultra 6000 embellishment press

Also making a first European appearance will be the Ultra 6000 digital embellishment press from Scodix with SHD (smart high definition) capability. It will be used to demonstrate embellishment of B1 and B2 sheets for a variety of book covers, from paperbacks to high-end jackets and Scodix says it embodies the economics and productivity to replace analogue embellishment technology whilst offering publishers greater flexibility. Examples of the SHD technology will also be shown.

Staff from Solimar Systems will demonstrate how its workflow-enhancing post-composition solutions support production printing on both cut-sheet and continuous feed devices, finishing, mailing, e-delivery and document archiving. The company is partnering with HP to show how direct mailers can save significant sums and with Screen to demonstrate dashboard tracking of incoming work and device-level ink and media consumption reporting via Screen’s Equios workflow.

W+D will use the event to launch its new BB820+, a new flagship inserter which the company says allows for the widest range of direct mail sizes, from C6 envelopes up to B4 flat packages up to 15mm thick, and which can insert at up to 20,000 piece per hour, 25% faster than the model it replaces. The new machine comes with a new rotary feeder for consistent feeding at the higher speeds and an additional servo axis for flexible and size-dependent motion control of collating track, envelope gripper transport andinsert finger.

Short-run book printing using the Sirius dry toner technology will form a major part of the Xeikon exhibit, centred on the roll-fed duplex Xeikon SX30000 press, which is also getting its first public European showing. Three high-end applications will be shown – a coffee-table travel book, a full colour tourist guide and a highly illustrated book on architecture. The SX30000 roll-fed press will be running in line with a Hunkeler Gen8 roll-to-stack solution, producing book blocks which to be bound on an offline Muller Martini Vareo Pro with InfiniTrim.

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eProductivity Software (EPS) is developing the EFI Connect user conference (as was) into an event ‘targeted at the wider world of printing and packaging’.

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Despite a 43% decline in attendees compared to pre-pandemic levels (based on figures from the 2019 Munich event), the show still attracted a total of 375 exhibiting companies and had a 48% visitor increase on the autumn 2021 Amsterdam outing, with senior decision-makers travelling from 126 countries, including Germany, Italy, Poland, Netherlands and the UK.

Michael Ryan, head of Fespa Global Print Expo, said, ‘Every industry is changed by the pandemic, and print is no exception, but this show proved beyond doubt that print is resilient, creative, agile and focused on the future.’

More than 60% of visitors at the show had final purchasing authority, resulting in high quality contacts, confirmed sales and new distribution partnerships, according to Fespa.

Mr Ryan added, ‘Finally, we could deliver an all-round Fespa experience for exhibitors and visitors that felt like a return to form, and the consensus was that the vibe at the show was incredible.

‘Our strapline promised ‘Print In Motion’ and this came to life in Berlin, with an incredible sense of forward momentum and commitment to positive progress on areas like sustainability.’

Christoph Gamper, CEO at Durst, said, ‘It was one of the best experiences I and my team members had in a trade show so far.’

Harold Klaren, international sales manager at EFKA said, ‘What a joy it was to be part of the show in Berlin. It was a real pleasure to see and speak to everyone again.

‘We use the show to make new contacts, keep tabs on what’s happening in the industry, be inspired, and share experiences with other exhibitors.’

Fespa is now looking forward to the return of its events in Mexico, Eurasia and Brazil. The next Global Print Expo will be held in Munich, Germany, in May 2023.

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Recognising the high likelihood of continuing travel restrictions due to the pandemic, the ‘Theme Days’ will be a mix of virtual show and live event. A virtual exhibition space will be complemented by the opportunity from mid-May to book individual live demonstration sessions from the various vendors’ showrooms.

Baumannperfecta will present a fully automatic jogging and cutting system for commercial print, first shown last November as an upgrade for label production. In the new version, finished end-products are cut fully automatically, including interlaced multi-product sheets. A robot handles storage and removal of partial stacks and the transfer of finished cut products to an unloader, based around its Basa automation platform and Bass robot cutting system.

H+H will introduce the M9, a 24-plate buckle folder whose plate and fold roller automation it says allows set-up time to be reduced from several hours to a few minutes, or by up to 95%, depending on the folding sequence and application type. The company claims that the M9 will ‘revolutionise’ the production of inserts, operating manuals and product information. The S45 small folding machine ‘concept’ will also be featured.

MBO is focusing on autonomous production with signature changes, and says it is launching ‘a completely new machine component that has not yet existed on the market and that represents a milestone on the way to fully automated post-press finishing’.  The company will also show fast set-up on the K8, folding small format jobs with the T50 and T800 buckle folders.

The Post-Press Alliance companies are represented in the UK and Ireland by Friedheim International.

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The organisers say that research conducted among its audience revealed ‘a strong appetite for the live event’, with 73% of respondents seeing trade shows as an essential platform for reviewing and making future product purchases.

Occupying six exhibition halls at Amsterdam’s RAI, visitors to the expo will get the chance to investigate ‘the latest innovations in screen, digital, wide-format and textile printing, from over 300 expected suppliers.’

Fespa CEO Neil Felton commented, ‘Our audiences have told us that they need access to hands-on product demonstrations and to participate in face-to-face meetings with multiple suppliers to support their recovery, and they see Fespa Global Print Expo as a key milestone in their forward planning. Taking into account all information currently available to us, we’re re-launching FESPA 2021 this autumn with confidence that we can offer participants a live event that takes all possible health and safety precautions, while still fulfilling their key expectations of a Fespa show as an interactive, multisensory experience.’

The exhibition, which will once again be co-located with the European Sign Expo, will also see the return of the World Wrap Masters and Printeriors. Now in its fifth year, Printeriors brings together the world’s print community in a ‘celebration of interior decoration.’ This year’s edition will will feature textiles, wallcoverings, furniture and surface effects that will showcase the growing application of digital technologies in the interior marketplace.

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Set to take place in May and June, a series of sessions will see Tecnau demonstrate various continuous feed and cut-sheet production finishing solutions in combination with one of these digital print partners, with live demonstrations from the Tecnau Experience Center and partner demo centers in Europe and the United States.

‘Digital print technology continues to evolve rapidly,’ said Tecnau managing director Stefano De Marco. ‘Digital print finishing is also evolving to keep pace with these developments, but digital print customers and prospects may be challenged to stay informed. We’ve created Spring Forward with Tecnau in conjunction with our major printing partners to enable customers to see the latest printing and finishing innovations in action.’

The Spring Forward with Tecnau events will occur weekly, beginning 18 May, the company has confirmed that multiple printing systems, as well as a range of finishing alternatives, will be demonstrated across the sessions.

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Set to take place from 28 – 30 September 2021, the show will be located in Hall 7 at the NEC in Birmingham. The organisers say that the exhibition will have the ‘primary aim of helping to drive recovery in the market and allowing visitors and exhibitors alike to catch up on the latest goings on after a year of unprecedented disruption.’

‘We’re really excited to be back planning for 2021 and cannot wait to welcome visitors from all across the UK to the NEC this September,’ event director Chris Davies said. ‘It’s been a really tough 12 months for the industry, but we firmly believe that The Print Show will be a catalyst in the market’s recovery, allowing people to reconnect and offer a major platform for exhibitors to showcase their latest developments.’

The Print Show 2021 will run in line with strict government guidance in terms of Covid-19, as Mr Davies explains, ‘We have been keeping up with all of the latest government announcements in terms of how and when exhibitions will be able to run, and we are fully confident in our ability to host an informative and exciting event in September.

‘While we understand that some people may be a little hesitant about visiting a large event after all that has gone on, I want to make it clear that we are fiercely dedicated to the safety to all of those in attendance and we will ensure that all of the relevant Covid-19 protocols are in place.

‘We will be working with the NEC and the local health authorities right up to and during the event to make sure our visitors and exhibitors can attend the show without any concerns.’

For 2020 the show will operate under the banner ‘Print Without Barriers’, designed to encourage visitors to look outside their traditional markets and diversify their work. Mr Davies concluded, ‘Since we launched in 2015, we’ve been promoting the benefits of diversifying into new markets, and this year will be no different. As we have seen in the past year, there will always be a demand for print, but it’s all about knowing where this demand is and making sure you get a piece of the action.’

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Event director for S&D UK at organiser Faversham House Jenny Matthew, explained:

‘We have been in close contact with the NEC over the past few weeks and can confirm the show will now go ahead from 16–18 May 2021, in Hall 5. With the positive news of the vaccine rollout, and the government indicating a return to normality for the events industry by Easter, we felt a 10-week extension to our March dates would give us, and our exhibitors the time needed to deliver a safe and successful show.

‘In addition to planning for a Covid-safe exhibition, we have taken the opportunity to reimagine the traditional exhibition format. We have reviewed all aspects of exhibiting and have looked at how we can drive down costs for our exhibitors without compromising on quality, simplify the whole exhibition experience and ultimately deliver more value to our exhibitors and visitors. With an already packed floorplan we look forward to bringing more exhibitors on board, and welcoming the industry back, in May 2021.’

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