IPEX is one of the world’s longest established exhibitions for the print industry with a heritage that dates back to the 1800’s. It is the UK’s largest and most prestigious print solutions event and is expected to attract thousands of visitors from the UK and around the world. This year’s edition will take place 31 Oct - 3 November 2017, at the NEC in Birmingham, UK, and will focus on Print in Action.

IPEX is the longest-run print exhibition in the United Kingdom. What can we expect and what will IPEX’s partners and visitors benefit from?
IPEX has a range of exhibitors attending the show from across the entire industry, from the UK and worldwide, with many hosting UK debuts of new technologies and advancements. At IPEX, the show’s key focus is to combine machinery, content and the printing community around a ‘Print in…’ theme. There will be opportunities to interact with exhibitors showcasing equipment from major manufacturers such as Ryobi, Konica Minolta and more. Live printing and finishing demonstrations will feature at the exhibition, and there will be a chance for visitors to directly see, touch and feel the potential of print.

Can you tell us more about the other activities at IPEX 2017 such as conferences, workshops, etc.?
The centre stage will be a big focus of the event, with the ‘Print In Action Conference’ developed by Content Curator James Matthews-Paul. The programme welcomes prestigious guest speakers and leading lights from the print industry and beyond, who will present and analyse the most important issues in the industry today and how to manage them. We have just announced the programme and two of our keynote speakers - Francois Martin- former global marketing head for HP’s Graphic Solutions Business, who is now a senior graphics industry consultant and digital print evangelist. As well as Deborah Corn, Principal, Chief Blogger and Intergalactic Ambassador to The PrinterverseTM for Print Media Centr. The full line up of ‘Print in Action’ sessions will cover every aspect of the industry and emerging trends and markets such as print in brands, retail, communications, industrial, public space and publishing. The line-up of speakers and seminars at the show is now available on the IPEX website.

How many exhibitors do you expect and why is IPEX 2017 the right event for them?
We are expecting more than 150 exhibitors at IPEX this year. The printing industry has seen huge technological and organisational changes over the last decade. Some applications of print have diminished, while others have expanded in quality, volume and impact. People interact differently with print these days, and both specifiers of print and consumers of printed products have very different expectations of what it can do. Therefore, we are planning an event that will show how every aspect of printing can become more relevant today than ever before. IPEX 2017 will cover all applications of printing – from signage and advertising through to packaging of finished products – and will help staff from print management companies, design and marketing agencies learn the latest capabilities of printers and print technology. The exhibition, covering all kinds of print, will help printers understand what the creative industries will expect of them over the next three years and beyond.

In 2014, IPEX was organised in London, but this year it is returning to Birmingham. Why is that so? When comparing to London, what are the main advantages of returning to Birmingham?
The show is proud to be returning to Birmingham, where it has been hugely successful in past. The move back to Birmingham from London was confirmed by exhibitors as the right decision, due to its more convenient location and IPEX’s successes in previous years. With its location next to Birmingham International railway station and trains every 20 minutes from London to Birmingham taking just 1 hour 22 minutes, as well as 16,500 car parking spaces, the NEC Birmingham couldn’t be more accessible to all.
IPEX has also always had an active social scene around the event, and The NEC lends itself to that with the facilities available onsite and close by.

One of your collaborations in this year’s event is with London College of Fashion. Considering the fact that this collaboration is based on art, can you tell us more how will these two industries – print industry and industry of art, combine, and what they can deliver to the market?
This unique collaboration with the London College of Fashion (LCF), showcases student designs which incorporate creative, digitally printed textiles and print-capable substrates. Taking place throughout IPEX, visitors can experience these exhilarating performances, uniquely choreographed to original music, to discover some of the most exciting and extravagant applications that can be created using print. IPEX is excited to be partnering with LCF and is keen to see what the future makers of print have to offer. As a new addition to the show, this will be something you will not want to miss. Dedicated sessions will take place each day to deliver the story of the project, presented by the students themselves.

One of your many interesting sections will be PrintIT! Awards for industry’s school programme of print in the UK. What is the current situation in print education in the UK? Is the curriculum aligned with the print industry’s market?
The Future Skills Theatre will also host the highly anticipated PrintIT! Awards by Earth Island and Smart Directions Conference with speaker case studies and debates hosted by Digital Printer. Visitors will be able to join in with the discussions to share opinions and experiences, providing a great opportunity to exchange print industry knowledge. The BPIF will also be hosting their ‘meet the experts’ sessions from stand D500, pre-bookable and free for all visitors who want to find the solutions to their business requirements or need some expert guidance to stay ahead.
There is no formal education agenda for people wanting to get into print, but IPEX position at the centre of the industry is a great venue to facilitate the debate about how to put it back on the agenda. The ‘Future Skills Zone and Theatre’ programme was designed to help anyone considering a career in print understand the opportunities available.

After finishing school or university, what are the first steps of young people in this business? What are the benefits they get from receiving PrintIT! Awards?
The PrintIT! Awards represent one of the few industry initiatives that encourages younger people to use and design for print. Many people in the UK, in particular, recognise that there is a long-standing issue with training and education, which is why IPEX is proud to host these awards, providing wider visibility throughout the industry. There has been a growth of interest in print and design related apprenticeships, despite a lack of government funding, and various companies are providing knowledge or resources to local colleges or starting their own branded entry-level courses. IPEX’s JEC and exhibitors all see the importance of inviting students to the show to start their imagination rolling and demonstrate that there is an exciting, vibrant and multifaceted industry here within which they can build a fulfilling career.

The print industry is going through one revolutionary change after another, and it has never transformed and developed so quickly before. What are key characteristics a company should have to be able to adapt to these rapid changes?
This is an excellent question and was one of the main topics on our agenda as we started to plan the Print In Action conference.
At the moment, we are seeing a transition across all industries to an automated, digitised future. Many processes that were performed manually within a print shop are now automated and manufacturers are working to incorporate further automation and robotics within their next generation of machines. Owners of printing companies must make sure they review processes regularly and commit to an end-to-end workflow to ensure they remain competitive. They should also stay on top of trends in consumer interest and technology – both of which are explored in full at IPEX.

In your opinion, in what way will the printing industry develop in the next five years?
Our technological future in print is changing rapidly, as you observed in your previous question. Digitisation will give digital natives easier access to print technology. With the buzz of 3D print now established in its key industrial and consumer sectors, the focus can return to where real innovation is happening across textile, printed electronics, packaging, publishing, and the graphic arts. People have always made the industry what it is, and a younger generation will come to these sectors with fresh eyes and ideas. It’s now up to us to recruit and inspire them. At IPEX, we see the next five years as a major opportunity to redefine print’s relevance to the broadest possible audience, which is why we have made our conference programme look forward to exploring this new reality.
For more information visit www.ipex.org

Interview by: Ivana Bjelica