Are you a seasoned sign maker or budding garment decorator? If so, then there is only one place to be in 2025 and that’s the NEC in Birmingham.
Sign & Digital UK and Printwear & Promotion LIVE! return to the NEC in Birmingham from Sunday, February 23 to Tuesday, February 25, for another three days of innovation, inspiration and interaction.
Garment decorators, sign makers and print service providers are invited to join the in crowd and attend this unrivalled opportunity to view all that is new in these thriving industries.
Visitors can expect to see an abundance of new equipment launched at both exhibitions, as exhibitors from across the garment decoration and sign making sectors grasp the opportunity to launch their cutting-edge kit into the market place.
New equipment launches of interest include:
- First time exhibitor China Print Supplies will be carrying out live demonstrations of the SinoColor FB-0906s A1+ mini UV flatbed printer and SinoColor FB-2513s 2.5×1.3m UV flatbed printer. This will the first UK outing for these machines.
- Epson’s stand will feature the launch of the eco-solvent SureColor S9100 printer, the long-anticipated replacement for the SureColor S80600. Also on stand will be the odourless and water-based ink 64in resin printer, the SureColor R5000 and the Epson range of UV printers.
- The new Mimaki JFX200-1213EX flatbed printer will be making its UK and Ireland debut on the Hybrid Services stand. Also featured will be the all-new Mimaki CJV200 solvent printer/ cutter and UCJV330-160 UV printer/ cutter.
- InkTec will be unveiling the new JETRIX XAR320 hybrid printer with a special live demonstration taking place at 11am on Monday, February 24. Visitors will also be able to explore the new JETRIX LXa8 LED UV true flatbed printer and UV6090 flatbed printer.
- A. Smart has recently been appointed as the UK distributor for Hanrun’s range of DTF printers, and as such will use P&P LIVE! as the place showcase these products to the UK market for the first time. On stand will be the new Hanrun Evo-A450 45cm wide printer.
- Leading the line-up on the Roland DG stand is the TrueVIS XP-640, the latest addition to Roland’s large format printer series. Another highlight on stand will be the VersaOBJECT CO-300iF2 flatbed UV printer. Roland is also introducing the TY-300 DTF production transfer printer.
- Several direct to film options will be found on the YES Group stand, including the Prestige R2 Pro Max Bundle and the DTF Station Prestige R1.
Event director, Tony Gardner, says: “Following the success of the first co-location in 2024, I am really looking forward to the event later this month!
“With key names exhibiting there will be plenty of new equipment on display. As a central part of the industry calendar and launch pad for new products, both exhibitions will present plenty of opportunities for visitors to explore new revenue streams and to enhance their own businesses in 2025.
“Also, the benefit of the co-location (more than 80% of the Sign & Digital UK visitors attended P&P LIVE! in 2024) presents a great opportunity for sign makers and digital printers to explore adding garment printing and personalisation to the business offering by visiting P&P LIVE!”
Exhibitions co-locate for the second time
2024 saw Sign & Digital UK and Printwear & Promotion LIVE! co-locate at the NEC, in what was a successful first for both the visual communications sector and the garment decoration industry. The co-location attracted record visitor numbers with more than 8,000 attendees taking the time out of their busy working schedules to discover all that the two exhibitions had to offer. Visitor numbers for SDUK alone were up by more than 2,000 when compared to 2023.
With the two exhibitions moving into Halls 19 and 20, they will be immediately adjacent, so once inside it will look and feel like one big event, rather than separate shows. Registering for one event automatically grants visitors access to the other, without the need to register twice.
What to expect
The educational and hands-on opportunities on offer at both SDUK and Printwear & Promotion LIVE! are second to none.
As with previous years a full and varied line up of expert speakers from across the industry has been confirmed for SDUK’s The Explains Lounge. With interesting interviews with well-known faces from the across the industry to panel discussions covering the latest pressing topics, the full-to-the-brim schedule is one you will not want to miss.
The Sign Studio returns in 2025, under the new name of The Sign Makers’ Workshop. This unmissable feature is a must-attend whether you are a vinyl veteran or beginner. Experienced sign maker Paul Hughes will be on hand with a number of live demonstrations and practical sessions to help sign makers out.
A new feature area for SDUK in 2025 is printMAX’s Personalisation Zone. This interactive space has been designed to highlight the growing potential in the personalised gift, homeware and merchandise markets.
And finally, 2025 heralds the return of the Hexis Wrap Battle! Competitors are invited to showcase their skills in vinyl wrapping and battle to be crowned Wrap Battle Champion. Entries are now open online.
Over in P&P LIVE! visitors can attend a number of informative, interesting and dynamic seminars in The Decoration Advice Suite and The Knowledge Centre. Sessions cover all aspects and elements of garment decoration and marketing, all delivered by industry experts.
A day with a YouTube sensation
Visitors looking to attend the show on Monday are in for an amazing surprise as the King of car customisation himself, Yianni Charalambous, will be making a special guest appearance.
The owner of Yiannimize will be partaking in a very special interview on The Explains Lounge. Yianni will be delving into his experiences and achievements, with the audience able to ask the man himself their burning questions.
This is one session not be to missed!
See you there!
As the UK’s longest-running exhibition dedicated to the visual communications sector and the UK’s only exhibition for the garment decoration industry come together once again, there is no better place for PSPs to visit to keep their finger on the pulse of what’s new in the industry, and to speak to those in the know.
Both Printwear & Promotion LIVE! and Sign & Digital UK promise to be another showstopper when they throw open their doors on Sunday!
