Print 2009: Trade Show Like an Open Book Exam – Still Too Much To See in Too Little Time
Attendee numbers were off at Print ’09 as would be expected in this withering economy. But who was there and what transpired highlights the underlying future vibrancy and of the printing industry. Just as the national printing trade associations are telling their printer members that they must “reinvent themselves.” Mirror reflections would suggest the same challenge for organizers of tradeshows.
With 90 seminars running upstairs and dozens more free on the show floor in the special interest pavilions and in many suppliers’ booths the opportunity for education was truly unprecedented. The first three days (Friday through Sunday) of this six-day event were Death Valley for attendance. Suppliers simply cannot be expected to invest the premium costs levied by a facility like McCormick Place and not get more face-to-face exposure with more prospective buyers. And yet the printers that were in attendance, while perhaps not signing immediate purchase contracts, were reported to be seriously planning for 2010 capital moves.
No printer’s strategic plan can be considered to be thorough and complete without key officers becoming personally immersed in the emerging technology enhancements prevalent at the leading national tradeshows. While capital investments are made in stair step fashion, the technology learning/planning process is a continuous, near vertical learning curve for users. It never flattens out. So for me Print ’09 was truly a Mecca of current information.
As has been my practice, this summary tradeshow article will touch the highlights but concentrate on opportunities for my clients - the small to medium sized printers including the in-plants.
No block buster new technology or product was introduced and in fact most press announcements, including for the first time the Must See ‘ems List, were released in plenty of time to plan efficient scowering of the two halls dedicated to Print ’09. The emerging medium-sized printer could have spent their entire visit focusing exclusively on extraordinary software applications and come away with several winners.
The pace of change and advancement of technology by manufacturers continues to outpace user adoption. This is good news for buyers as the concern for Beta testing in many applications is virtually unnecessary.
