The draw of major trade shows may be waning, but the organisers of North Print and Pack are betting that many print fans prefer to opt for local events. This is the hope for 'the north's only major print trade show' as the PR wallahs call it, taking place in Harrogate from May 14th to 17th. Printers and print buyers will appreciate the convenience and the easy schedule they will find there. A low-stress environment may even be more conducive to productive business than the traumas of mega shows in far-flung lands.
The organisers have almost gone overboard to create a compelling and dynamic event so a visit would definitely be worthwhile. North Print and Pack isn't just print show, nor is it a dress rehearsal for Ipex. Informa, which organises both, has added a new educational emphasis to the show, particularly in topics that contribute and are linked to print media supply chains. Check out the Printers' Profit Zone, The New Printing Landscape Theatre and the dedicated Packaging Theatre: somewhere amongst this mix of free seminars will be the info you need to grow your business. Sessions cover topics such as cross-media and web-to-print, which should be a no-brainer for any printing company who wants a future.
There are also workshops to help with more immediate concerns such as how to get financing in the current climate. These sessions are intended to offer practical advice for printers and pre-press professionals, for North Print and Pack is very much about real applications. Even if you think digital applications or multi-channel media are not for you, I recommend you take the time to at least go and hear what is said in these educational seminars. You never know, you might learn something that will help your business: that prospect has to be worth an afternoon at least.
The calm and focus of North Print and Pack is also a great opportunity to get up close to some of those companies that it can seem impossible to reach at larger shows. Ricoh, for instance, has a wide product range plus extensive business development modules which it offers through its Business Driver programme. North Print and Pack will see the launch of Ricoh's Carbon Balanced Printing (CBP) programme, which already has one company certified. CrossPrint doubled its digital print volumes within four months of installing its new Ricoh C751 digital press as a complement to its litho presses and completing the CBP. At North Print and Pack, Ricoh will explain the programme in depth and show you how digital and litho presses can provide a means of attracting new business and improving profit-per-page ratios.
Digital printing will have a heavy presence at North Print and Pack, with companies such as Xeikon and Konica Minolta exhibiting alongside Ricoh. Both Xeikon and Konica Minolta also have active environmental initiatives in place to support their customers. Xeikon, for instance, constantly works to reduce the recycling costs for its products and minimises environmental impacts starting with the design. Xeikon digital presses are also capable of outstanding colour quality. Konica Minolta's Digital1234 programme offers assessment and implementation guidelines for going green: this will be a focal point at North Print and Pack.
As to new kit, of course there will be plenty of stuff billed as 'new'; whether it is new or not is actually irrelevant – you care only if a piece of equipment solves a problem for you. Top of the list of things to check out, but that you might not have thought about, are a new production scheduling module from Accura MIS and EDoc Builder for the Accura web-to-print portal for creating content. Compare this technology with kit from MIS market leaders EFI.
If colour is your thing, North Print and Pack offers a great opportunity to learn more about the PantoneLive cloud-based colour management system – it offers unparalleled control over brand colours, especially for packaging. There will also be a new packaging proofing system from GMG along with a demonstration of integrated digital packaging. RCS, Screen, Conversion, Highcon and Scodix have set up a complete system to show what can be done to create personalised print and packaging applications using a digital press and finishing equipment.
An American poet, William Carlos Williams, once said that 'the local is the only universal'. Visitors to North Print and Pack can expect to see this principle in action. There won't be the full range of technologies impacting every link in print media supply chains at North Print and Pack, but there will be all you need to get to grips with the important trends in our industry.