It’s official – all stands for the Visual Impact Expo at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre in July are now 100% booked, with a full house of suppliers ready to showcase their latest equipment, systems and services. And, as the first local show for Queensland in more than six years, organisers Visual Connections are expecting record attendances.
Scene from Visual Impact 2023, held in Sydney
As per usual, the exhibition will cover a diverse range of solutions, from signage and displays, to wide-format printing, textile printing, LED and illumination, fabrication, routing, engraving and laser cutting, software and workflows.
Leading names who will have major stands include Ball & Doggett, Mimaki Australia and Roland DG, Celmac, Elizabeth Machines, Sign Essentials, Epson Australia, Graphic Art Mart, HP, Multicam and Wilenco.
They will be joined by Smartech, Spicers, Alfex CNC, Amari Visual Solutions, Avery Dennison, Creative Graphic Supplies, Currie Group, Bannermate, Lettertech Australia, Paper Handling Equipment, Stick On Signs and Trotec Laser.
Velflex, Mutoh, Pozitive and Neofoam will also have sizeable stands, as will Adzon, Arlon, Banner Brother, Complete Signage Installation, Dakco LED, Digital FX, Eventec, i-Create Laser Cutting & Engraving, Interone, M-Power Software, O’Brien Engineering, Prime Graphics, Print IQ, Pulse Laser Systems, SALed, SAS, Signovate, Sign To Badge Solutions, Worldkougei, Zoometc, as well as Australian Skills Management Institute, Ecolease and Finance@Work. 
Event Manager Charly Blades
Exhibition manager Charly Blades says: “The floorplan is looking like a really good balance between the larger suppliers with multiple solutions and product lines, and the smaller local and international exhibitors who always bring a range of resources, affiliations, solutions and options which are invaluable to industry businesses and ideally complement the offerings of the bigger names."
The comprehensive showcase will be complemented by a busy program of ‘Connections Sessions’ – short, sharp and focused mini-seminars which will centre around connecting industry businesses with the people, ideas and information they need to build business success…while maximising the value of their time at the show.
Blades adds: “We know how pressed for time industry businesses are, and how difficult it can be to get away from the office. That puts the onus on us to deliver as much value as we can, in the limited time people can make available to attend.
“We are doing that with this educational element by offering shorter, more focused sessions in a comfortable, conversational environment. As well as giving visitors the chance to gather a lot of information, insights and ideas in a short space of time, the sessions are also designed to start conversations by connecting industry decision-makers with the experts who can help them build their business success.”
The full program is still being finalised, but sessions are already locked in on subjects of wide-ranging interest, from workforce satisfaction, apprenticeships and training, and sustainability, to more targeted expert sessions on topics like heat printing and décor applications.
The popular Try-A-Trade activities will also be back for the Brisbane show, with Visual Connections partnering with Brisbane TAFE and various sponsors to present a pared-down version of the new ‘Sign & Print Career Connections’ program.
“The full stand will actually be in transit to Perth in July, to give us time to prepare for the West Australian Careers & Employment Expo but we’ve designated a sizeable area at the Brisbane show to keep the momentum going in terms of attracting and engaging new talent," says Blades.
She adds: “Students will be able to try their hand at a range of industry-related tasks under the watchful eye of TAFE trainers, current apprentices and industry volunteers, and careers advisors Tina Mavris and John Watters from AusSIP will be on hand to talk to students about career opportunities. We will have plenty of Sign & Print Career Connections brochures, as well as our new online resources, available for those who are interested."
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
Visitors interested in new opportunities for their signage businesses will also be able to try the latest channel letter bending solutions at daily Channel Lettering Workshops, run by LetterTech Australia in partnership with Bounce LED. Registration of $25 per person covers a full overview of what channel lettering and 3D illumination using LEDs can bring to your business, and a full demonstration of just how easy they these technologies are to use.
With such a lot to see and do, Visual Connections is expecting the industry to come out in force to take advantage of the first Brisbane show in more than six years.
According to Blades: “Attendance numbers for our exhibitions have been really strong in the past couple of years, with people keen to take any available opportunities to acquaint themselves with the very latest solutions."
Registrations are building strongly in the lead up to the show, with hundreds already taking advantage of the convenient, online registration process to confirm their attendance.
Visual Impact Brisbane Is sponsored by Platinum Sponsor Roland DG and Gold Sponsors Avery Dennison, Epson, Graphic Art Mart, HP, Spicers and Trotec. It will run from 9am to 5pm on Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 July, and from 9am to 4pm on Friday 19 July, at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre at South Bank.
https://www.visualimpact.org.au/brisbane-exhibition-2024
A compact but powerful trade show (see floorplan below)
