International Media Summit : The Buzz About IPEX

WITH MORE than 1,000 exhibitors from over 40 countries, IPEX 2010 is poised to deliver plenty of premedia, digital and offset press, postpress, finishing and converting solutions. Held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, UK, from May 18-25, the show will occupy more than 645,835 square feet of floor space, filling 11 halls.

Evolving from the Great Exhibition of 1851, IPEX now heralds itself as the largest English-speaking global technology event for print, publishing and media. Acquired by IIR Exhibitions in 2006 from industry association Picon, a new footprint was created to provide visitors with a floor layout that features the entire print production workflow. The organizer recommends using the IPEX Website (www.ipex.org) for registration information and a host of show specifics, such as sales brochures, the exhibition layout, an exhibitor list and hotel accommodations.

To promote the show, IIR Exhibitions and AD Communications recently hosted the IPEX International Media Summit at the ExCeL London international exhibition and conference center. Some 80 journalists, representing more than 100 graphic arts titles from around the globe, gathered for a preview of what nine exhibitors will be highlighting at IPEX.

International Growth

Trevor Crawford, the event director for IIR Exhibitions, opened by stating that the goal for IPEX 2010 is to grow international attendance by 50 percent, and to achieve a net attendance of 55,000 visitors. As of early February, he revealed that the pre-registration count was already up 360 percent on the 2006 cycle, and that there are more than 11,000 pre-registrations, with the top countries (excluding the United Kingdom) being France, Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, India, Spain, Denmark, the United States, South Africa and Australia.

Among the products discussed at the press event were the enhanced versions of the toner-based Xerox 650/1300 continuous-feed monochrome printing systems. Some new features include: heavy-weight media compatibility, running duplex applications up to 200 gsm, the FreeFlow Print Server 7 and ImageSmooth Technology for producing sharp images. Xerox also announced its first production ink-jet system, but further details are being held for the show.

With its largest stand to date at an IPEX show, Canon Europe will offer the first international showing of the imageRUNNER Advance Pro series of light production engines. Canon imagePROGRAF printers—ideal for large-format applications such as graphics and signage—will also be featured.

Under the banner "Power to Succeed," Fujifilm Europe will introduce the Jet Press 720 B2 sheetfed digital ink-jet press suited for short-run printing. With production speeds of approximately 180 sheets (A4 size equivalent) per minute or 2,700 B2 sheets an hour, it employs SAMBA print-head technology for single-pass, ink-jet printing at 1,200x1,200 dpi resolution. The worldwide rollout schedule of the Jet Press 720 will be announced at the show.

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