The Print Show encourages companies to print without barriers

September 12, 2023

The Print Show has evolved and grown into a successful and anticipated annual date in the print calendar.

Launched in 2015 following a gap in the market for a UK-focused event for commercial print, The Print Show has since evolved and grown into a successful and anticipated annual date in the print calendar.

This year, the event will run from Tuesday, September 19th to Thursday, September 21st in Hall 17 of the NEC, Birmingham.

The 2023 edition of the event is set to be a strong event with the likes of Fujifilm UK, Liyu UK, Konica Minolta, Kyocera Document Solutions, Vivid Laminating Technologies, Premier Paper Group, and more all confirmed for the show.

Event director for The Print Show, Chris Davies says: “Over the seven exhibitions we have done The Print Show has continued to grow and grow, attracting around 100 exhibitors at each show. We’re still adding businesses to our floor plan, but we are set to fill far more space than ever before as we’ve now removed unneeded areas in order to better support our exhibitors.

“This year has a host of new exhibitors, as well as businesses which have collaborated and built on the success of last year’s show.”

The theme of the 2023 event is ‘Print Without Barriers’ which refers to print not just being ink on paper, but a diverse medium and an excellent route to market. Ahead of where it usually is at this time of year, The Print Show 2023 has more major brands and manufacturers confirmed than ever before with companies bringing hardware, software, and paper and consumable solutions, resulting in a full offering from pre-press, to production, to finishing and everything in between.

This means anyone in the print industry visiting The Print Show this year will have access to all the expertise, resources, demos, and samples they need to invest and grow their business.

Speaking about what he is most looking forward to this year, Davies says: “I’m really excited for the Gala Dinner as it will be a great way to chat and celebrate with exhibitors and visitors, especially as we haven’t held an evening function at The Print Show since 2017.

“I’m also looking forward to seeing people attending the Knowledge Zone as I think it’s a perfect way for visitors of various backgrounds to learn about topics and trends that affect everyone.”

A Range of Exhibitors

In terms of what visitors can expect to see from the event, hardware manufacturers such as Fujifilm, Konica Minolta, Kyocera Document Solutions, Morgana, Vivid Laminating Technologies, Liyu UK, Trotec, InkTec, and HPC Laser will all be demonstrating their latest technologies.

Liyu UK and Fujifilm UK will both be bringing the biggest presence with Fujifilm having broken the record for the largest single stand at The Print Show, and Liyu UK having expanded its presence making it now the largest stand at The Print Show 2023.

InkTec says its focus will be showcasing its new and complete range of DTF (direct-to-film) solutions including a 60cm printer, compact shaker, air purifier, high-quality inks, hot and cold peel PET films, and hot-melt powder.

Included in the launch of InkTec’s complete range of DTG solutions, both hardware and consumables, the company will showcase a new 3.2m roll-to-roll LED-UV JETRIX printer and its extended range of compatible inks.

Visitors to the Konica Minolta stand will be able to experience live demonstrations of its flagship AccurioPress C14000 high-volume toner press, AccurioShine 3600 digital embellishment press with iFoilOne (for hot foil stamping), and TU-510 innovative four-edge trimmer and creaser. This will showcase that it is possible to complete entire jobs on a single production line.

Premier Paper Group will also be hard to miss having chosen a large slot at the entrance of the hall, and Vivid Laminating Technologies has also recently expanded its space at The Print Show. This demonstrates the high levels of anticipation as the run-up to the popular event begins.

Speaking about why businesses from different areas of the industry should attend, Davies adds: “As more and more companies diversify and try to become ‘one-stop-shops’ for their clients, I think it’s incredibly important to research and network with as many businesses as you can. You never know when you will need each other.

“A customer may present you with a question or ask you about a service which you may not have the answer to. The Print Show allows you to see what is in the supply chain but also learn about some of the latest innovations and talking points.”

Resellers, Software and Consumables

A number of print machine resellers such as Graphtec, Encore Machinery, Your Print Specialists, Colyer, Perfect Bindery Solutions, Aurora, D&K Europe, and Ashgrove Trading will also be showing a range of hardware, widening the options on displays even further.

In the world of software, companies such as Accura MIS, PrintIQ, Wildcard Software, Zaikio, Flex4, and Digital Specs, and more will all be on hand to demonstrate their individual offerings.

XMPie will showcase its flagship product, XMPie PersonalEffect which enables printers to create highly personalised and targeted print communications that drive value, engagement, and ROI.

PrintIQ has positioned itself more prominently this year and is hoping to boost the awareness of Automated workflow and Business Intelligence with its powerful cloud-based MIS solution. The company will have several experts on hand at its stand with demonstration screens to provide the information visitors require.

Trade printers such as Route 1 Print, Solopress, Tradeprint, VB Media and Venture Banners, Trade Embroidery, Baker Labels, Very Displays, and more will all be using their presence at The Print Show to demonstrate their product offerings for the various areas of print, as well as highlight their own trade offering for those looking to outsource or add extra offering to their own print businesses.

Finally, paper merchants such as PG Paper and Elliott Baxter Group will be on hand to discuss their products, as well as The Online Print Coach who will be discussing how he can help print businesses to grow and become more successful. To help businesses with environmental solutions, the show will also host companies like Russell Richardson & Sons, which will demonstrate its waste management schemes, and CarbonQuota which can help businesses to achieve net-zero and reduce carbon emissions within operations.

One exhibitor that says you can almost sense the optimism about The Print Show 2023, is Tradeprint. Anthony Rowell, sales and customer success director and sustainability lead at the company, says: “We love face to face networking and we love getting out to see the innovation in technology and the great sustainability initiatives the industry is delivering on.