Printwear & Promotion The Total Promotional Package
The inaugural FESPA Africa, formerly Sign Africa, held in Johannesburg this summer attracted 5,460 visitors from Africa, with an 11% increase of attendees from outside South Africa compared with Sign Africa 2013.
More than 67% of visitors were owners and from senior management and over half had final purchasing authority. “Exhibitors also reported onsite sales, quality leads and positive feedback both on the new venue, and overall feel of the event, which contributed to its success,” said Dyelan Copeland event organiser.
Raymond Waldeck, managing director at Antalis South Africa said: “The show was very dynamic, there was a great deal of energy and many new technologies were shown. We made many sales at the expo and generated real leads.”
According to Patrick Lacy, ceo of Printing SA, FESPA Africa was the venue for converters and suppliers to meet and explore business opportunities. The PRINTING SA representatives who attended the FESPA Digital exhibition (Munich, May 2014) were impressed with the wide range of technology on display and disappointed that so few South Africans were able to attend. The FESPA Africa exhibition corrected that.
The Explore Technology Conference delivered 20 sessions covering industry trends, a daily debate and CorelDraw sessions. Attendees could also gain T shirt printing tips from guru Charlie Taublieb with some hands-on experience to take away a screen printed T shirt.
Lorraine Harrow, marketing manager at FESPA, said: “It has been a great launch event. We have seen printers from across Africa and speaking with them during the expo has reinforced the reason why FESPA has come to the African continent; through our events we are able to provide regional printers with access to a world class exhibition where they can explore a wide display of innovative technology and listen to educational content to inspire them and their business.”
Mike Horsten, general marketing manager, Mimaki EMEA said: “I think it’s a great step for the African continent to have its own FESPA which addresses the continent’s unique challenges and needs. For Mimaki, it’s really important to be present at FESPA and that is why we were at the expo in full force.”
Platinum sponsor Roland unveiled the VersaEXPRESS RF-640, which prints up to 48.5sqm/h, approximately twice as fast as the previous model, and is perfect for banner production. From signs and banners to vehicle graphics and wraps of all kinds, the RF-640 delivers exceptional results throughout the longest production runs.
