The show brought together technology, supports and finishes to create printed products with added value
This afternoon, Graphispag bowed out in Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via Exhibition Centre, having witnessed signs of recovery in the graphic industry as well as the incorporation of new players in the printing world. The high numbers of trade visitors from all over Spain, the amount of business contacts made and the fact that numerous orders were signed during the show all point to a turning point: the printing market is now a multi-sector industry – dynamic, seeking out new applications and investing with a determination to continue printing virtually anything.
With the final figures still to be confirmed, though estimates point to 20,000 visitors (35% from outside Catalonia), Graphispag has joined the revolution in supports and new print applications and managed not only to attract graphic arts professionals but also new demand sectors such as labelling, packaging, PoP, interior designers and decorators, designers, publicists and manufacturers of ceramics and textiles, amongst others.
The President of Graphispag’s Organizing Committee, Ángel Artola, noted that it is the type of printed product that now determines investments in technology and is responsible for contacts with new professional profiles seeking print solutions for their business needs.
This is why on top of the standard trade show featuring some 200 exhibitors from 13 countries, Graphispag also recreated a house, a store and a bar full of printed products which were supplied by the exhibitors themselves. With the Print All Experience area, the aim was to demonstrate the absolute predominance of printing in our everyday lives and the opportunities for personalizing any kind of product, material or surface.
Innovation was another of the cornerstones of this edition. Graphispag exhibited and explained the latest developments in advanced printing which can be used in a huge range of industrial sectors. This alliance between traditional printing, special inks and smart materials can offer alternative business opportunities for graphic companies and other sectors looking for new areas in which to specialize: smart packaging, anti-counterfeit labelling, smart textiles, printed electronics and 3D printing are just some of these possibilities.
However, printers still make up the bulk of visitors to Graphispag so the show’s offering was geared towards demonstrating how to create printed products on both paper and other supports that offer added value to users. At the same time, the educational content of the show was designed to improve the efficacy and profitability of graphic companies and to identify trends and opportunities in printing with different systems and materials. The show also launched a new networking area which proved extremely popular, being used to host short meetings to share professional information and expand visitors’ network of contacts.
The next edition of Graphispag, organized by Fira de Barcelona in collaboration with the Graphispack Association, will be held in March 2017.
Barcelona, March 2015
