I
n truth, a printing exhibition is often seen by printers as either a waste of
time or a way of wasting time – depending on their outlook. For suppliers it
is seen as a necessary evil and a major expense. The question which begs
answering is Why? Why is it a waste of time, why is it more of an expense
than an advantage? The answer, when you really look at the information, is
relevance. Printers want to know that a show is relevant to them, that it will
have the things they want to see, the people they want to talk to and a good
representation of the industry in general. Suppliers want to know that they
will have a reasonable volume of qualified visitors to their stands to justify
the expense of being at the show.
As mentioned the complaint is always relevance. So, how do you ensure that the
show is relevant to everyone? Exhibition Organisers must have the knowledge
and expertise to organise a show in order to bring all the elements together. The
caveat that they often times do not have is expertise in the specific industries that
the exhibitions address. It is for this reason that they often partner with media
houses to act as the official media partner for a show. The idea is that the media
house is closer to its market than the show organiser and therefore, will be able
to attract visitors and the right type and level of exhibitor. This can, but does not
always, work.
Another solution is a full joint venture and this is just what has happened for the
PrintExpo exhibition taking place at Nasrec on 15 - 18 March 2016. Specialised
Exhibitions, part of the international Montgomery Group has entered into a joint
venture agreement with Sentient Publishing – publisher of The GAPP Magazine,
The SA Print Directory and The GAPP Contacts directory - to create a dedicated
show specifically to address the needs and requirements of the South African
Printing Industry. The result is a major change to the show. It will now be known
as The GAPP PrintExpo.
What is it that makes this such an ideal combination?
The first and most important aspect to remember is that both parties bring their
own specific strengths to the equation. Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery has
been presenting trade shows for more than 100 years. It has a long-standing
relationship with the printing and packaging industry. It also hosts the
top-grossing shows in a number of different industries including Mining
and Industrial, Building, Security, Food and Hospitality and Marketing, apart
from its Printing and Packaging offerings. Electra-Mining is its largest trade show
and regularly attracts more than 100 000 visitors to a staging of the show.
I
15
