According to the organisers, FESPA China 2013 - due to take place between 18th and 20th November 2013 in Shanghai, China - is taking shape as an important and influential event for the region’s printers, with strong involvement from major international suppliers and an increased emphasis on digital technologies.

Leading digital hardware brands with a confirmed presence on the FESPA China exhibition floor include dgen, Epson, Fujifilm, Kornit Digital, Mimaki and Mutoh. Digital software and consumables are also well represented, with a broad range of international exhibitors of workflow solutions, materials and inks.

The two-day Future for Print Conference, which is a free educational feature within the show, will feature speakers from HP, Xaar and Kornit Digital, among a line-up of influential speakers from China and worldwide.

Of FESPA’s current exhibitor bookings for China, one third are from international suppliers keen to showcase their product innovations to a qualified audience of Chinese decision makers.

FESPA China, FESPA’s first event in China, is in fact an exhibition with a 30-year heritage as CSGIA, a leading show for Chinese screen and textile printers. The CSGIA exhibition was created and developed by CSGIA, FESPA’s Chinese national association. The event has alternated annually between Guangzhou and Shanghai, and the last edition attracted attendance of 12,670. FESPA China 2013 is the inaugural event to be delivered through a joint venture of FESPA and CSGIA, with support from regional trade organisation ASGA.

FESPA CEO Nigel Steffens, who devised the plans for FESPA China, comments: “When we launched FESPA China in partnership with CSGIA, we had three key objectives with regard to developing the existing event. Firstly, to transform CSGIA into a more international event, by attracting high calibre exhibitors from outside China, and appealing to visitors from neighbouring countries, in addition to the loyal Chinese visitor audience.

“Secondly, we wanted to help CSGIA make the event more representative of the contemporary printing industry, by giving it a greater focus on digital technologies. Chinese printers are recognising the importance of investing in digital to innovate and compete on the international stage, and they need guidance from FESPA and CSGIA, and from the leading digital suppliers.

“Our third key intention was to enhance the CSGIA event by incorporating the type of educational and inspirational content which visitors expect from global FESPA events. With the free on-site Future for Print conference, and other visitor features focused on garment printing and vehicle wrapping, we will deliver an event which is engaging and enlightening for Chinese printers.”

FESPA China & CSGIA 2013 takes place from 18-20 November 2013 at the state-of-the-art Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center (SWEECC).