Figures released for Fespa 2018

Fespa Global Print Expo 2018 in Berlin last month attracted the largest number of visitors ever for a four-day Fespa show, with 20,442 individual visitors to that and co-located European Sign Expo 2018. This represents a 22% increase on the number of individual visitors to Fespa Digital 2016 (Amsterdam), Fespa’s last four-day event.

In total Fespa 2018 attracted visitors from a record 142 countries. Two-thirds of all visitors dedicated more than one day to the show. These repeat visits brought total event attendance at Fespa 2018 to 33,799. Germany delivered the largest percentage of visitors overall (26%), the top ten countries in terms of attendance after that being the UK, Poland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, France, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Belgium and Sweden. The dominant area of visitor interest according to registration data was digital printing, which was the key focus for 44%. According to Fespa one in three visitors indicated an interest in textile and fabric printing. Commercial print, finishing, design to print, sublimation printing and industrial printing also featured particularly strongly among visitors’ priorities for the event. FESPA exhibitions director Roz Guarnori said: “When we announced the change to an annual four-day Fespa event cycle we fully expected to see some ‘levelling off’ of attendance between the historical flagship Fespa event and the four-day digital event. Against these expectations, we’re absolutely thrilled to have welcomed just as many visitors as we did over five days in Hamburg in 2017, and to have exceeded typical attendance at a Fespa Digital show by over a fifth. With 35% of visitors having final decision-making responsibility in their businesses, and the same proportion of the audience coming primarily to research or purchase new equipment, it’s clear that Fespa is viewed all over the world as a leading showcase of latest technology for digital, screen and textile print, and a vital event in informing critical investment decisions.” The next Fespa Global Print Expo takes place at Messe Munich, 14 - 17 May 2019.