From October 1 to 3, it is celebrated graphispag at the Gran Via venue of Fira de Barcelona, the trade fair for the graphic industry and visual communication. The show will allow visitors to discover the latest developments from a hundred companies, suppliers of technology, media and printing finishes, and will activate the sectoral debate, focusing on innovation, personalisation and sustainability to increase the value of graphic products.
Graphispag 2024, which expects to receive more than 11.000 visitors, will also address new business models for graphic services companies and industrial applications of printing in sectors such as packaging, furniture, consumer electronics, interior decoration, or sporting goods, among others.
The president of the Graphispag organizing committee, Xavier Armengou, assures that the graphic sector maintains the upward recovery trend of the last two years, which is why there is greater optimism and confidence: "Printing companies are aware that it is time to invest in innovation and more versatile equipment to improve their competitiveness and increase the value of their printed product catalogue in order to differentiate themselves, diversify and respond to new customer demands.”
The latest graphics technology
To help in decision making, the graphic fair, which will exceed 6.000m2 net of trade shows and activities, will feature more than a hundred exhibitors from eight countries, including the main suppliers and distributors of printing, finishing and transformation technology, as well as firms of printing, signage and visual communication materials and services. The presence of firms such as Digidelta, Emg, Epson, Fujifilm, Heidelberg, OPQ Systems, Mastertec Develop, Realisaprint, Roland DG, Siesa and Zund.
The printing machinery sector has the greatest weight in the commercial offer, with 30% of the exhibitors, followed by the finishing and transformation equipment sector with 19%. Meanwhile, the companies of materials, supports and consumables account for 16% of the offer and printing, signage and signage services, 10%. The software and design tools, textile, advertising, functional printing, visual communication sectors, as well as guilds, associations and specialised press complete the areas in which the rest of the participating companies are located.
Sectoral debate
How can graphic companies attract more customers? What impact do artificial intelligence and personalisation have on the productivity of the graphic industry? What formulas exist for printing in a more sustainable way? These are some of the questions that will be answered in the “Impulso-Diálogos” space within Graphispag, designed to promote sectoral debate. The programme proposes more than twenty conferences, round tables and presentations with the participation of 60 speakers.
The consultant and sales expert Monica Mendoza will talk about omnichannel business strategies for graphic companies to gain customers. For his part, the consultant James Casals will offer an overview of the major trends impacting the sector and will identify the attitudes that the graphic arts company must have to face its future. In addition, John White Grafiklandia will help discover how to transform the daily work of the graphic company with artificial intelligence applications and tools that maximize quality and productivity and help create personalized products.
There will also be talks about sustainability, functional printing, graphic design, packaging printing and applications of digital printing in different sectors of the manufacturing industry, as well as financing lines and subsidies available to companies in the graphic sector.
Also, the Gremi d'Indústries Gràfiques together with Pla Associats will present a proposal for the future of the sector based on a new collaborative and circular production model in which companies optimize and share technology and human capital.
As a complement, Graphispag has created a networking area to facilitate the exchange of experiences and information between graphic professionals and to promote commercial or collaboration agreements between companies.
Live demonstrations
To test the workings of the graphic technology on display and inspire new ideas for creating unique printed products, Graphispag will include two live demonstration areas: “Click & Print” focusing on the possibilities of personalising all types of objects, and “Interior Design and Wrapping”, on the application of printed materials on different surfaces.
At the same time, the show is launching the “Hacking the Icons” project, an exhibition in which six industrial design agencies are giving some of their most iconic works a “restyling” by applying digital printing to them. The aim is to highlight the value of printing in the design, manufacture and mass customization of all types of products in areas such as furniture, consumer electronics and household items.
Another new feature of this edition are the themed routes to help visitors discover technologies and materials focused on commercial printing, large format, personalization, packaging and labels, interior design and the publishing sector.
Finally, several entities will hold meetings, gatherings and assemblies within the framework of the fair.
Coincidence with Liber
Graphispag will be held simultaneously with Liber, the International Book Fair, in Pavilion 2 of the Gran Via venue of Fira de Barcelona. This coincidence strengthens the traditional relationship between the graphic industry and the publishing world. All of this will be a good time to learn about the new needs of the book sector in terms of formats, finishes, print runs, on-demand printing or personalization of publications.
Graphispag is a biennial exhibition organised by Fira de Barcelona in collaboration with the Graphispack Association and supported by more than 40 professional entities linked to the graphic and visual communication industry.
