Attracting more than five thousand visitors, said to be a 12% increase on the previous year's event, this show impressed for a number of reasons. Firstly, a significant number of exhibitors were using the two-day show to launch new products into the market, a clear indication that these companies were expecting the right type of customer in attendance.
Elsewhere, there were companies showing truly innovative products that engaged the audience. Among these were Martek Industries, which showcased its range of portable high-resolution inkjet printers, including the VersaCode and EBS-250 'Handjet' machine. Both machines are suitable for product marking onto a range of surfaces, and they were impressing visitors throughout the event.
And arguably one of the busiest stands at the show was that of Glossop Cartons, the UK-based retail packaging firm that has certainly recognised the importance of getting its name known by its audience, not least through its latest investment.
Led by director Jackie Sidebottom, the company recently became the first to place a production order for the Highcon Euclid digital cutting and creasing machine, and her team were on hand to showcase the possibilities of its new technology.
Equally, there were firms exhibiting that made it clear that their presence at the show was more for visibility, indicative of the event's growing prominence on the trade show calendar.
"We are incredibly delighted," says Alison Church, head of marketing at show organiser easyFairs UK. "The feedback from exhibitors is that they were impressed with both the quality and quantity of the audience, which was very encouraging."
According to Church, exhibitors also reported a "buzz" that had perhaps been missing from some other trade shows.
"The focus on innovation, and the end product, is what this show is about and we will continue to build on that," she said, with 69% of exhibitors having rebooked for next year's show onsite.
Registration for October's London show is already open, now is the perfect time to register your interest. See you there!
Tim Sheahan
Packaging Group Editor
