Ricoh has given Ipex 2014 a much-needed boost after confirming its attendance at the London event.

The digital manufacturer has said it is "committed" to the show, which is moving from its previous Birmingham NEC base to the Excel in London for the 2014 event.

Peter Williams, executive vice president of the production printing business group at Ricoh Europe said Ipex will reflect an "evolving multi-channel industry".

He added: "The recent announcements on new initiatives by Ipex to reflect the role of print in the marketing mix align with Ricoh's own focus to provide print service providers with the products and services that they need to expand beyond print.
"We are committed to supporting this key industry event and look forward to meeting the visitors at the show."

Ricoh's commitment to the London event comes several months after Heidelberg, HP and Agfa revealed that they would not be attending the 2014 iteration of the UK exhibition.

Trevor Crawford, event director of Ipex 2014, said the organisers were "delighted" that the manufacturer chose Ipex to showcase its latest technology.

"Our industry is becoming increasingly digitally focused, and the scale of commitment by lead players like Ricoh to Ipex 2014 reflects this," he added.

Konica Minolta is among the latest companies to sign up to the London event, nearly doubling its stand size over the 2010 event. Other exhibitors that have recently committed to the show include Atlantic Zeiser, Autobond, Roland DG and Red Tie.
Last month, Ipex organiser Informa moved to quell exhibitors' fears about the show's international standing by unveiling a ￡1m Hosted Buyer Programme for the 2014 event.

The scheme, a direct response to the high profile withdrawals, aims to not only increase the total volume of visitors from the 2010 show’s  95,000, but also increase the international footfall, from 48% in 2010 to around 55% in 2014.