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DSPA RELAUNCHES AS PRISM TERIOSTAR AIMED AT COPYSHOPS AND CAD/GIS MARKETS SEAL EXTENDS TEXTILE RANGE INDIGO MAKES ECONOMIC SENSE FOR NB COLOUR PRINT HILLSIDE TO OFFER INTEGRATED MARKETING VIA WIDE-FORMAT INVESTMENT WORLD'S FIRST 64'' PRINTER TO FEATURE A MICRO PIEZO TFP PRINTHEAD ROLAND ACADEMY INTER-SCHOOL CHALLENGE INX ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT TO OWN A MAJORITY INTEREST IN MEGAINK DIGITAL A.S. PrintIT! AWARDS CEREMONY CONCLUDES ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR GET A WORKMATE WITH ECRM EPSON ENTERS NEW MARKETS WITH INKJET LAUNCHES

Features

AWAY DAY TO GENEVA
About a £100 should get you to Fespa Digital for the day – a small price to pay for investigating print applications that could see your business soar.

An early morning EasyJet flight to Geneva, a couple of coffees and a quick bite for lunch shouldn’t cost more than about a hundred quid, a no brainer really when you think about what you can achieve for that relatively small sum and just one day out of the print shop. Throw in another £100 and you could take your salesperson too, and for a mere £300 total you could add your designer into the mix – then you’ve really got a key team to investigate all the ROI nuances surrounding the new wide-format systems and applications you’ll see.

“Fespa Digital is doable in a day and given that 80 percent of exhibitors will not be at Drupa it’s an event that should attract anyone wanting to explore how digital wide-format printing can extend their scope,” says Fespa managing director Frazer Chesterman.

The showground is just a ten minute walk from the airport - though there’s also a free shuttle bus - and this year will host over 250 Fespa Digital exhibitors, a 30 percent increase on the 2006 event but still of a size that you can manage on a day trip. And if you always thought Fespa events were really targeted at the screenprint sector Chesterman is keen to reiterate that’s not so this time. “The main Fespa events have focused somewhat on the screen industry but this digital show is something else, focussing as it does on the innovation and evolution in digital wide-format printing for all-comers”.

So expect to see everything that wide-format can achieve from signs and graphics through to ceramics, textiles, metal and wood applications with exhibitors demonstrating kit and consumables all under the one roof, making it a melting pot for ideas. “Come along for the day and you’ll have your eyes opened as to what you can achieve,” enthuses Chesterman. “Think outside the box - bring along your designer as they’re bound to have a different take on what you can do with some of the new technologies on show, and why not bring whoever is responsible for your sales so they can learn how to sell/market any potential new services.”

If you arrive early enough to beat the shutters lifting on the show at 10am you can listen to a half hour talk on innovation in the Atrium. Once inside you can pick up two ‘piste maps’ that will guide you to certain products: the blue trail leads to key innovative products while the green trail takes you to environmentally sound solutions/services.

On the innovation trail are Caldera, Chimigraaf Iberica, Durst Phototechnik Digital Technology, EskoArtwork, Gandinnovations, HP, Kornit Digital, Madico Graphic Films, Matan Digital Printers, Mimaki Europe, Mutoh Europe; Océ, Printos/Videojet Technologies, Regulus, Sawgrass Europe, Sepiax Ink Technology, SeteMa and Ultraflex Systems.

The green trail spans 3P InkJet Textiles, Clipso Swiss, Durst Phototechnik Digital Technology, EFI Vutek, Ferrari, Freudenberg Evolon, Hexis, Hollanders Printing Systems, HP, Kornit Digital, Madico Graphic Films, Mutoh Europe, Rowa, Sawgrass Europe, Sepiax Ink Technology, Summa, Triangle Digital and Ultraflex Systems.

To get the most out of your visit it’s worth having a look at the list of free seminars and workshops on the Fespa website – where you can also register for free show entry (15 Euros on the day). Obviously you will get the full programme of events on the website but just to give you a taster, the seminars include: ‘Print for profit’, ‘Flexibility through technology’, ‘The Green debate’, “Sustainable, innovative and creative design’ and ‘Are you ready for the future?’. Thursday 3 April is the show’s ‘Green’ day, with all seminars focussing on environmental issues. As mentioned, the seminar programme is free but make sure you get there early to grab a seat – you’ll find the Showcase Theatre in aisle H by the escalators.

The Adobe Presentations and Workshops on 2 April are worth consideration if you want to find out more about how its software can help your large-format workflows and designs and get hands-on in training workshops. Again, the full programme is on the Fespa Digital website but broadly speaking morning sessions are open to all while there’s limited space on the workshops for which you need to pre-register.

Fespa Digital is at the Geneva Palexpo on 1 – 3 April.

W: www.fespadigital.com