It may be April 1st tomorrow but the latest surge in PacPrint bookings are no joke - it's shaping up for a sell-out event with all major stands occupied by the biggest names in the industry. After two covid-related postponements, it is clear that the June show is going ahead and will fulfill an obvious pent-up demand in Australia and New Zealand for face-to-face meetings and real equipment demonstrations.
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| Filling up fast - PacPrint floorplan is looking great with more bookings to come (click for PDF) |
The latest supplier to join on the PacPrint floor is leading consumables supplier Ball & Doggett (not yet shown on floorplan above). More exhibitors are expected with the introduction of small 'Incubator' booths along the right-hand side. These are 3 x 2 metre shells complete with power, carpet, lighting and public liability insurance and are aimed at first time and smaller exhibitors plus meeting booths. They cost only $3,000 +gst each for the 4 day show.
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| 'Incubator' booths are great for smaller and 1st time exhibitors |
Still called '2021' as it represnts the postponed event, the 28th June-1st July 2022 timing for PacPrint, held together with Visual Impact and the Label & Packaging show, appears to be just right as states and territories remove travel restrictions. Naturally, covid precautions will be present at PacPrint - for example the normal 3 metre aisles are now 4 metres wide and main throughfares are 5 metres.
A check of hotels, using booking.com, around Southbank and Docklands near the Melbourne Exhibition Centre shows many are already fully booked but there is still plenty of accommodation in the CBD, North Melbourne and inner suburbs. With Melbourne's excellent public transport tram system, access is a breeze.
At the recent FPLMA Conference and Awards - the first post-lockdown print industry event held, special guest Sally Capp, Lord Mayor of Melbourne said: “During lockdowns, Melbourne’s visitor numbers dropped by 91%, retail was down by 93% and events stopped. Business visitors to Melbourne spend on average four times as much per head as regular visitors but now events are back and we’re not going into lockdown again.” The day after, mask-wearing mandates were withdrawn and reports that pedestrian traffic was up to 110% of pre-covid averages were very encouraging. The Franchise Expo is on this week and a host of events are returning to the MCEC.
