Graph Expo: Where's the Next Wave?

Last week we visited Graph Expo, one of the premier exhibitions for the printing industry, especially for high end production-class systems. Although many business sectors report waning interest in major live exhibitions as  regional and 'virtual' alternatives provide sufficient information and value to both vendors and users, this segment continues to attract healthy and even increasing participation. There are several understandable reasons for this ongoing interest in attending such events live: first, the systems in question involve investments of tens and often hundreds of thousands of dollars, and these decisions must be prepared with live demonstrations and expert discussions. 

Second, the real judgement about the quality of the product, namely the final output, can not easily be represented in any way other than in a direct encounter. The exhibition was full of vendors working hard to demonstrate their products' benefits: huge systems with no exhaust piping (implying more environmentally-friendly workplaces), print output being trampled underfoot by design and not by accident (showing the durability of the print output and media), new applications, improved color, new speed and size formats, etc. All of these simply must be seen to be believed (and bought).

Also, the pace of product development and technology transition is increasing dramatically. Since there are not that many outlets to see a production system the size of a bus, you have to be there to get the picture. So Graph Expo (and related events such as DRUPA and IPEX) is and will remain a draw.

So we can report healthy participant rates and a number of significant new developments. Digital systems were of course everywhere, and the newly emerging "light production"and wide format inkjet systems are clearly active and increasingly competitive spaces. But those trends were already evident years ago. With all due respect to the massive development efforts and long timeframes required to bring such systems to market, the vendors who were showing these systems were not really on the cutting edge.  

To anticipate key future trends, it is necessary to look closely for what is not (yet) so prevalent in the booths and show reports. In this vein, we noted a number of key developments that will further facilitate the transition from analogue to digital and empower print providers to match offset output quality in smaller print volumes and to profit in areas never before possible. For example, until recently, you needed a high end press to produce the most impactful documents with beautiful images and specially defined "spot" colors on coated/glossy media, with special visual and even tactile effects. Key developments shown at Graph Expo indicated how quickly this will become possible for smaller, highly targeted and even individualized print runs. These developments will affect (in both positive and negative directions) future business prospects of established vendors and open new opportunities for relative unknowns.

For those readers who missed the chance to visit live, feel free to contact Woodford Group to discuss how to get the full picture from this key event.