Graph Expo was held this October in Chicago, IL. The windy city was alive with the Chicago Marathon and a few big sporting events. The show was even started at a somewhat later time due to the events. The short hours didn’t stop attendees or exhibitors from making Graph Expo a huge success.
The McCormick center was jam packed with mostly digital devices. Whether it was a digital print engine, an automated short-run finishing machine or a unique software package there was a very heavy orientation towards more sophisticated and flexible equipment that can handle unique projects.
Ink jet was expected to be a large part of the exhibitor’s offerings, however, short of a few special applications the majority of manufacturers just aren’t ready to bring high-speed quality ink jet to the market. MGI in particular refrained from marketing their upcoming Alphajet B2 Inkjet sheetfed print engine. Instead the focus was on the hugely successful Meteor series and the new JetVarnish 3D.
When measured up against other shows the attendance was certainly lower than Graph Expo has brought in the past. Fortunately those who did make the trek to attend the show were key players in the industry and were very focused on getting business done. Without any formal numbers I can say that for me it was one of the most successful Graph Expos that I can remember.
Next year the show goes international, sporting the name Print 13 the show will be somewhat larger than the Graph Expo counterpart. Print 13 takes place in September next year and that show is on track to host more than 650 unique exhibitors.