The final visitor numbers will be a long way from those attending a Fespa in normal times. But these are not normal times and to have organised and opened a printing exhibition under Covid restrictions is in itself an achievement.
And those present, either as exhibitors or visitors, were well aware of this. There were smiles all round, relief that some kind of face to face event was taking place after several postponements had stretched the tolerance of the organisers.
While the show was also weakened by the absence of key players, from Asia and North America in particular, leaving this as a show with a European feel, there were visitors from further afield. Those that made the trip, whether from Mexico or the suburbs of Amsterdam, had firm investment plans. In the hackneyed phrase of many exhibition organisers, the quantity of visitors was not what matters if the quality was there. And at at the RAI centre in Amsterdam it was.
The event has always showcased technology and trends, especially since inkjet has come to be the dominant technology for large format printing. This was no exception, with further incursions into textiles, from direct to garment printing of T-shirts to soft signage and home decor and interior surfaces. Again the absence of major suppliers makes it difficult to draw conclusions about industry directions from this show. The next Fespa in Berlin, opening at the end of may next year, ought to provide that with some true product introductions.
For while this was the opportunity to get close up with technology that had only previously been seen in a Zoom, there were few true surprises.
Canon brought the Arizona 135 GT and Colorado 1630, both of which are in the company’s showrooms already. Likewise, Mimaki had already announced the JXF600 as its faster flatbed, but had not been able to show it yet. Agfa has welcomed UK visitors in Rugby to see the Beast, the Tauro H3300 UHS flagship high speed press. The company also produced the Oberon 3300 roll to roll press as a model that sits beneath the Tauro and above the Anapurna entry level models.
Roland DG was one with a previously unannounced technology, the desktop VersaStudio BN20A print and cut machine for first time inkjet printers. This is not really the Fespa audience, but the device will have appeal to dealers and it was accompanied by more traditional large format machines from the Roland DG portfolio.
SwissQPrint introduced its Generation 4 models across its Oryx, Impala and Nyala flatbed machines. There is a change of print head, improved workflow and faster production – the new Oryx is rated 40% faster. They also feature from new recent features offered as options.
Durst had one of the few North American machines with the Vanguard VR6D, a first time for this machine as a Durst owned brand. Vanguard will continue to operate separately from Durst in Europe, though benefiting from support and technology over time.
In the end though, Fespa 21 was probably less about a showcase for the latest technology developments and more about the being there, celebrating and enjoying the industry meeting in the same space, IRL.
