Printex/VI 2015 will take place in Sydney just days after the giant ISA show in Las Vegas and a couple of days before the giant FESPA 2015 in Cologne Germany. One can only assume that some major decision makers will prefer to attend one of these other big shows in preference to our small show (relatively speaking). Could we ever conceive that VI could become a truly international show of similar stature to these other shows? Do we want our show to become that big? Australia has hosted many giant international events and continues to strive to attract more mega events, so why not the biggest wide format event in the world. Just a thought!
In 35 days’ time, FESPA 2015 will open its doors to transport international printers from across the wide format universe into a galaxy of print!
This year FESPA’s Global Expo brings together four events, including: FESPA 2015 addressing screen, textile and digital wide format printing, FESPA Fabric for garment printing and decoration, European Sign Expo for non-printed signage and visual communication solutions and Printeriors, the new interior décor showcase and conference. Together, these events mean there is more to engage with than ever before, and with just five weeks to go, it’s time for visitors to 
begin making their final preparations.
This five-point checklist should help visitors take the first steps in planning their voyage to FESPA 2015:
5! Pre-register to avoid paying onsite fees Visitors planning to attend FESPA 2015 should pre-register at http://bit.ly/1xRN50j. By doing so now, you will not be charged the onsite registration fee of €70.
4! Take advantage of the flight and hotel offers FESPA is continuing its partnership with Lufthansa Group to offer discounted flights for visitors. This year, additional destinations and airlines have been included in the Lufthansa Group deal. Delegates planning to travel to FESPA 2015 will not only be able to get discounted flights to Cologne Bonn Airport, but also to Frankfurt and Düsseldorf – both within easy reach of the FESPA 2015 host city by train. To take advantage of these rates, visit: www.lufthansa.com/event-booking_en and quote ‘GBSEGFD’ to access the booking page.
Visitors planning to stay in Cologne for more than one day can also get the best possible rates with FESPA’s preferred accommodation partner, Avantel. Visit www.avantel.de/Fespacologne2015 to find hotel rooms at discounted rates.
3! Plan your time at the show
With more than 700 exhibitors demonstrating technology, applications and consumables for the digital, screen and textile print and signage industry, there is more than ever to see at FESPA 2015. Visitors will also have the chance to explore new and growing sectors like industrial, digital textile and fabric print, as well as direct-to-garment technology.
Visit the FESPA 2015 website for the full list of confirmed exhibitors.
2! Familiarise Yourself with the Educational Content There will be two main conference hubs at FESPA 2015; The Education Hub (Hall 8), which will provide pertinent insight and inspiration into digital, screen, industrial and textile printing, and the Sign Hub - a theatre dedicated to signage - located in European Sign Expo (Hall 7).
FESPA’s new interior design showcase, Printeriors (Hall 9), will host its own dedicated conference on Thursday 21 May. The complete content programme will ensure that all aspects of wide format speciality print are covered at FESPA 2015 Global Expo. For information on all sessions click here. 
New to FESPA 2015 is the Industrial Print Showcase (Hall 8), delivered in collaboration with ESMA. The showcase will build on the exhibition’s 50 year heritage as the leading event for the screen industrial sector. The showcase will highlight the cutting edge innovations that are taking place in industrial printing using both screen and digital processes. It will create an easily identifiable destination area where visitors with an interest in industrial applications can see what is happening in industrial print, enabling visitors to investigate further any items of particular interest.
1! Enter and attend the FESPA Awards
Shortlisted entries to FESPA’s annual awards programme, which celebrates print excellence, will be showcased at FESPA 2015. The global competition is open to any print service provider, culminating at the prize-giving ceremony at FESPA’s Gala Dinner in Cologne on 19 May.
For print service providers wanting to showcase their creative work to a global audience, there is still time to enter the awards, with the closing date on 17 April. Visit: www.fespa.com/awards for more information and to download an entry form.
Roz McGuinness, Divisional Director at FESPA, comments: “With only five weeks to go until the show opens its doors. We’re making the final preparations for FESPA 2015 to make sure visitors have the best possible experience. With no other global wide format event in 2015, it’s a destination in the calendar that printers won’t want to miss.”
And the industry agrees with her:
Last year’s Hall of Fame Printer of the Year Award winner, Keith Ferrel, General Manager at Cactus Imaging, Australia, shares this thoughts on FESPA: “FESPA offers a captive, interested audience of like-minded people and by attending gives printers the ability to make new connections, develop stronger relationships, and learn from product demonstrations and extremely informative and well thought out educational seminars.
“Technology is at the forefront of business and it is so important for businesses going forward that they are up to date with the latest of what the world’s leading print manufacturers have to offer. That is why FESPA is a must attend.”
Thomas Struckmeier, Managing Director, Blasé GmbH, Germany adds: “A must see show - the place for inspiration. If you want to stay one step ahead of the market, go to FESPA.”
To keep up to date with the latest event news and to pre-register to attend visit: www.fespa2015.com, www.fespafabric.com, www.europeansignexpo.com, www.printeriors.net.
One entry pass will provide visitors access to all four events.
FESPA 2015
www.fespa2015.com
