Sign & Digital UK, the leading trade exhibition for the sign making and wide format printing industry, returns in 2015 with more than 180 of the sector’s biggest name suppliers, including Hewlett-Packard, Roland DG, Canon UK, Hybrid Services/Mimaki, Colourgen/Mutoh, Fujifilm, Agfa Graphics, Esko and many more.
Running from 24th to 26th March 2015 at the NEC, Birmingham, Sign & Digital UK 2015 is 20% larger than the 2014 edition and is expected to welcome 7,000 visitors.
The theme for this year’s event is Creating Business Connections and will focus on the best cutting edge technology, services and practical advice - making it ideal for print business owners looking to gain a competitive edge in a fast developing industry.
The exhibitor line-up will be supported by an extensive, free-to-attend seminar programme featuring four theatres and workshops packed with practical advice and tips on getting ahead. To help visitors navigate the show and find the right products and seminars, there will also be three highlighted trails – the Textile Trail, the Retail Route and Materials World.
EXHIBITORS
Sign & Digital UK 2015 will showcase a broad range of wide format printing and finishing suppliers operating in this market, from small and specialist businesses, through to the leading industry brands. Software, design, printing and finishing equipment will be demonstrated, as well as the latest display systems, materials and applications. For visitors, this is a great opportunity to learn about new markets and new revenue streams, as well as the latest advances in technology.
Confirmed exhibitors, include Canon UK, Hewlett-Packard, Roland DG UK, Colourgen/ Mutoh, Fujifilm, Hybrid Services/Mimaki, Agfa Graphics, Grafityp, Inktec/Jetrix, i-Sub Digital, Esko, Ultima Displays, Graphic Printing Technologies (GPT), Vivid Laminating Technologies, William Smith, MTEX, Paperlinx UK, Granthams, Art Systems, Perspex Distribution, PrintMax, Atech, Perfect Colours, AG CAD, Antalis, CWE Solutions, Signmaster Systems, Soyang Europe, Stanford Marsh, Complete CNC Solutions, Friedheim International, and Maxicam.
New exhibitors for 2015 include Biesse Group UK, Blackman & White, CMYUK Digital, Admiral Tapes, Freight Products, CR Clarke & Co, Installation Squad, REFORMA UK, Carmo A/S and Tooltec.
The full exhibitor list can be found online at www.signanddigitaluk.com/exhibitors-list/
SIGN & DIGITAL UK IS A ‘BUYING’ SHOW
Sign & Digital UK brings buyers and sellers together. Suppliers exhibit to sell volume units, launch new products and maximise PR. Visitors wait for the show to compare products and benefit from show offers. If you are going to go shopping, then it is vital to go where you have the best choice, price and advice.
Rudi Blackett, event director says: ‘’As well as being a buying show, Sign & Digital UK has always been and will continue to be a ‘production’ show with a wide range of new printing, finishing and sign making products being demonstrated, coupled with plenty of business advice on offer.
The exhibition is not only a showcase of the very latest products and processes needed in the production of wide format print output, signage and displays, but also a hub of information on new revenue streams and developing markets such as textile print and retail display.’’
CREATING BUSINESS CONNECTIONS: WHAT TO EXPECT?
2015’s new theme – Creating Business Connections will be explored through product demonstrations, theatre programmes and trails, with particular focus on rapidly growing industry sectors such as soft signage, POP/POS displays for retail and textile printing for interiors.
The seminar programme will feature presentations, talks and interactive learning across four theatres. The British Sign and Graphics Association (BSGA) will run two workshops on compliance with company regulations and standards, providing indispensable information for any sign companies looking to establish themselves as prime suppliers or contractors.
VISITOR TRAILS
In order to help visitors discover the industry’s biggest market opportunities and emerging revenue streams, the 2015 show will feature two new exhibition trails - the Retail Route and Materials World, as well as the return of the Textile Trail. The trails will highlight relevant exhibitors and showcase a wide range of state-of-the-art products and services across the board.
2015 SEMINAR HIGHLIGHTS
Learning is at the heart of Sign & Digital UK. There are four education theatres and a series of workshops, which will feature an estimated 35 daily seminars, covering practical tips and new business ideas.
BUSINESS THEATRE
The Business Theatre will offer practical skills and identify new revenue opportunities for business owners looking to expand and improve their services in 2015.
Sessions include “Exploring the wallcovering opportunity with HP Latex Printing Technology”, “Why and how can digital technology be used in new markets?” and “Diversifying your business: insights into training for new market opportunities”. Trotec Laser will be sharing tips and tricks on using lasers plus Frazer Chesterman will discuss why and how digital technology can be used in new markets.
With the UK sign industry facing tighter regulations governing its activities, complying with changing legislation will be addressed. The BSGA will run two workshops to help sign companies get to grips with changing industry legislation and will cover the contentious topics of requirements under new European standards and the impact of changing planning laws on sign maintenance. The sessions will use practical case studies and Q& A sessions for maximum interaction.
ADOBE THEATRE
The ever-popular Adobe Theatre will feature five daily workshops, focusing on practical tips and advice for mastering their latest software packages. This includes the 'Creativity Overload’ session, designed to help people refine their Photoshop editing skills, and the ‘Don’t break the grid’ session, where attendees will be taught countless workflow improvement tips and timesaving tricks.
Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Bridge are some of the other software packages the workshops will focus on sharing practical tips and advice.
COREL THEATRE
Combining a range of practical workshops and product demonstrations, the 2015 Corel Theatre is a must-attend for anyone in the design, sign making & printing and the embroidery and promotional items sectors.
The seminar sessions include a practical step-by-step guide to creating various items including business cards and posters with CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite X7. Attendees will also learn how to create and customise their own webstore and how shoppers can customise products using DecoNetworkTM.
For those working with apparel and promotional items, garment printing, embroidery and appliqué, they will have dedicated sessions in the Wilcom DecoStudio® e3 workshop.
SIGNLAB THEATRE
Wide-format design and production software specialists, CADlink Technology will present a series of SignLab seminars focusing on best practice print and cut, sign and display design and production workflows.
Session highlights include an introduction to using dedicated sign-making software packages, including tips and shortcuts on the most common tools used in day-to-day design and production environments.
The ‘SignLab for Mimaki’ session will look at boosting design and production workflows with Mimaki printers. Some of the key areas to be explored include print and cut set-up, utilising time saving tools, supersizing images and easy to use special effects features.
The ‘SignLab for Versaworks’ session will focus on features that enable Roland users to maximise the benefits of Roland’s print and ink technology. Practical skills include contour cut-lines, working with VersaWorks colour palette and working with Roland colour profiles and metallic and white ink sets.
Sign & Digital UK is free to attend and registration is now open.
Please sign up at www.signanddigitaluk.com,
Or to enquire about exhibiting, please contact the show team on +44 (0) 1342 332000, or email signanddigitaluk@fav-house.com