Another Shoe Drops for Ipex

This shift in the market is sad for Ipex and is further evidence of the sea change taking place in our industry. Just a year ago, drupa was busy but attendance was noticeably off from 2008. GRAPH EXPO keeps on plugging along but is also a shadow of what it was a decade ago. The projected footprint for PRINT13 in September occupies only the South Hall, where once it occupied both sides, including two floors on the North and sometimes the annex across the highway. It is still a vitally important show for the North American market, but is drawing less of a crowd. And while GRAPH and PRINT aren’t going away—the U.S. market is just too big to ignore—I worry that Ipex is getting ready for its last dance. And this is too bad.