“Graphispag connects the printing industry and other sectors that use printing with the latest innovations”

Graphispag returns to Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue from 1 to 3 October with the latest innovations in printing materials and technology, and finishes recently presented in the European market. It will also incorporate interesting activity areas that will help to update knowledge, discover new graphic applications, network with suppliers and customers, and make investment decisions. As the only trade show for the sector in Spain in 2024, Graphispag will be an excellent opportunity for companies and professionals from the graphics and visual communication industry, as well as other sectors that use printing techniques, to connect with innovation to increase the value of printed products. We spoke to the show’s director, Josep Alcaraz.

What are your forecasts for exhibitor and visitor participation at this year’s trade show?

Graphispag will have a good coverage of the graphics market with the presence of more than a hundred exhibitors, including the main suppliers and distributors of printing, finishing and transformation technology, as well as printing, signage and visual communication materials and services firms. The greatest weight in the commercial offer corresponds to the printing machinery sector with almost 35% of exhibitors, followed by finishing and transformation equipment with 18%. Meanwhile, materials and media companies account for 17% of the offer and printing, signage and signage services, 11%. The sectors of software and design tools, textiles, advertising claims, as well as guilds, associations and specialised press complete the fields in which the rest of the participating companies are included. In terms of visitors, our aim is to attract some 11,000 professionals linked to the graphics industry, visual communication and other sectors that use printing techniques in their processes.

Graphispag has been moved to October. How has this change of dates been received by the sector?

This change of dates was agreed with the main suppliers and industry associations. It is true that, due to the calendar, this year we could have coincided with Hispack again, as we did in 2022, but the proximity of Drupa in May made it inadvisable. That is why we decided to move the fair to October. Graphispag will thus be the only trade fair platform of the year in Spain for the graphics and visual communication industry, where suppliers and distributors will present, locally, many of the new products launched a few months earlier in the European market. It is a useful and close opportunity to get to know first-hand the latest innovation, materials and printing, finishing and transformation technology to continue diversifying and adding value to printed products. The show can help in making investment decisions in the final stretch of the year and, above all, create an industry meeting point where graphics professionals can see, learn and ask questions about the latest developments and also exchange information and experiences about the market.

At the same time, Graphispag will coincide with the International Book Fair, Liber, promoted by publishers. What synergies are established between the two events?

Graphispag will coincide with Liber in Hall 2 of the Gran Via venue. This is not the first time that the two events have collaborated, as at a previous edition of Liber, Graphispag participated by organising an area of graphic applications aimed at the world of books.
This year, visitors who come to Liber will be able to access Graphispag with their pass to discover new printing solutions, papers, inks, finishes, personalisation, binding… which they can then prescribe and demand from their printing suppliers. Likewise, the publishing industry uses solutions from the printing industry to redefine processes and even generate other business models, as in the case of on-demand printing and distribution of books, and also to be more sustainable by applying eco-publishing criteria. For this reason, the simultaneity of both fairs will create spaces for relationships to address common challenges.

A trade fair is always a reflection of the market. What is your assessment of the current state of the printing industry and what trends will be seen at Graphispag?

The graphics industry is a transversal sector that brings together various specialities with their own characteristics, demand and growth rates. For example, packaging and label printing, which is currently leading the graphic activity, is different from commercial printing, large format or book printing. However, generally speaking, there is greater confidence and optimism and graphic companies are aware that innovation is their main asset to differentiate themselves, diversify their product catalogue and improve their competitiveness. In this sense, we are at a time of increasing investment to adapt to the new demands of customers, especially in terms of sustainability with more efficient equipment and materials with less environmental impact, as well as to automate all types of processes, both in production and in sales and customer relations. It is also possible today to increase the value of the printed product thanks to personalisation and the versatility of printing and finishing equipment. All these trends will be seen at Graphispag.

What activity areas are included in this edition?

Graphispag’s activity areas are open to all visitors. The “Impulso-Diálogos” conference area will occupy a central space in Hall 2. This is the culmination of the pre-fair meetings that we have held in recent months and we will be talking about printing applications for different sectors such as packaging, decoration, advertising, publishing, as well as more cross-cutting issues such as personalisation, sustainability, process automation and new ways of selling graphic products. On the other hand, we are launching two new live demonstration areas: Click & Print, which will allow visitors to learn about the technology required for the printed personalisation process of all kinds of objects, and the Interior Design and Wrapping area with the application of materials on multiple surfaces and end products. We will also have an exclusive area for networking, where exhibitors and professionals will be able to hold business meetings, interviews and informal encounters. We are also preparing guided itineraries at the fair aimed at user sectors of printed applications and an exhibition area of award-winning graphic applications linked to the show.

What would you highlight from this year’s Graphispag conference programme?

This year’s Graphispag programme includes more than twenty lectures. For example, we will be devoting some presentations to success stories with personalisation techniques. We will also offer an overview of the major trends that are impacting the graphics industry and which will mark the new products presented by suppliers at this year’s European trade fairs and which we will see at Graphispag. In addition, we will talk about graphic design, functional printing, digital content production, printing trends for sectors such as advertising, packaging, textiles, interior design and retail, publishing and other industrial sectors with the presentation of inspiring practices. There will also be round tables focusing on the sustainability of the graphic process and product, the impact of artificial intelligence in printing and the state of training for employability in the sector. Other topics to be addressed include technology, printing materials and substrates and smart inks. Finally, we will include some sessions related to business management. For example, we will have Monica Mendoza, a reference in the world of sales known for her motivational style. At Graphispag, Neobis and the Gremi d’Indústries Gràfiques de Catalunya will talk about financing and access to Next Generation funds to boost innovation and sustainability in the sector. The Gremi will also present a preview of the sectoral study it is carrying out. In total, we estimate that more than 60 speakers will take part, including technology and media manufacturers, printers, agencies, designers, representatives of professional bodies and user brands, among other experts.

Graphispag goes beyond the printing industry itself and aims to attract professionals from industrial sectors that use printing in their processes. What are the objectives behind this strategy?

It is a line of work that we started before the pandemic with exhibition areas in which we showed specific graphic applications for the packaging and label industry, large-format advertising, publishing and retail. This year we want to continue to broaden the range of industrial sectors that use print in order to increase business opportunities based on growing demand. So, without forgetting that the main visitor and protagonist of Graphispag are graphic services companies, we intend to open the show to professional profiles from other industrial sectors that use printing techniques in their processes. This year we are going to focus especially on textiles and sporting goods, interior design and decoration, as well as automotive and consumer electronics. It is a real challenge to ensure that professionals from these fields see Graphispag as an interesting show for them. That is why we are reaching collaboration agreements with sectoral entities that represent them, identifying and directly inviting profiles of interest, creating content and demonstration areas tailored for them, organising awards and an exhibition of applications within the framework of the show, and making the commercial offer include versatile printing solutions that can be incorporated and adapted to the activity of this new public to improve efficiency and optimise processes, as well as increasing the value of their products through personalisation.

Finally, why should graphic professionals attend Graphispag this year?

Graphispag will be the only graphics trade fair to take place in 2024 in Spain. As a sectoral meeting point, our show connects the graphics industry, visual communication and other printing sectors with the latest innovations presented this spring by suppliers of materials and graphics technology in the European market. In particular, the graphic services companies that make up the bulk of Graphispag’s visitors have the opportunity to see the equipment in operation, to compare and test the results that can be achieved, to discover new applications and to clarify questions. If we add to this the networking and the exchange of information and experiences with other professionals, as well as the interesting educational content of the fair, the visit to Graphispag will be very fruitful for you. We are convinced that the show will help them to make investment decisions to innovate and diversify their catalogue of graphic products and services. On the other hand, I would like to invite professionals from other sectors that use printing systems to visit Graphispag because they will also find at the show tailor-made solutions to increase the economic, aesthetic and functional value of their products.

Barcelona, July 2024

PHOTO OF JOSEP ALCARAZ, DIRECTOR OF GRAPHISPAG 2024 here