Heidelberg has put its weight behind Ipex 2014 after confirming its presence at the London event, which will take place from 26 March - 2 April at the Excel centre.

The offset press manufacturer will match the 2,300sqm footprint it had at the 2010 show when it exhibits within the ExCel auditorium, the largest hall in the centre.

Gerard Heanue, managing director of Heidelberg UK, said the manufacturer's commitment to Ipex 2014 is "testimony" to its support for the exhibition’s relocation to London.

He said: "The timing of the decision, which comes significantly earlier than for previous Ipex editions, is further evidence of our excitement and enthusiasm.

"The facilities at ExCel provide the scope to action new ideas to maximise our participation."

According to Heanue, Heidelberg will use the centre's international conference facilities to run a programme of events during the show, which will cover topics such as productivity benchmarking, colour management, web-to-print and integration. Trevor Crawford, director of organisers, the Informa Print Group, said the manufacturer's attendance is a "ringing endorsement" for the 2014 show.

"We’ve had an extremely positive reaction from the top 30 exhibitors, all of whom have reserved space. The level of confirmed support is so strong that we’ll be able to release floor plans early in the new year," he added.

Informa confirmed Ipex would relocate from the Birmingham NEC to London ExCel earlier this year. The attraction of London to Ipex's all-important international visitors is one of the prime reasons behind the switch. The number of non-UK attendees increased from 40% in 2006 to 48% of the total at Ipex 2010, and is expected to breach 50% next time around.