Middle East print industry growth highlighted at Gulf Print & Pack 2015
Gulf Print & Pack 2015 enjoyed its most successful edition to date as its doors closed last week.
As the Middle East region’s definitive platform for the commercial and package printing industry, 2015’s edition of the show posted a 26.7 per cent rise in visitor numbers, with a footfall of 11,918.
Running from 13-16 April at Dubai’s World Trade Centre, its registration data showed that visitors came from 110 countries (compared to 93 in 2013, 83 in 2011 and 65 in 2009), underlining the show’s growing importance in the wider MENA region. While the majority of visitors (both onsite and pre-registered) came from the UAE, the wider MENA regions also put forward good visitor figures, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Iran and Kuwait. The event also attracted high visitor levels from India, China and Pakistan.
The four day show was inaugurated by H.H. Sheikh Hasher Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, director general of Dubai Information Department, and featured over 300 exhibitors including: AFRA, BOBST, Emirates Trans Graphics, Giffin Graphics, Heidelberg, Kodak, Nilpeter, Omet, Prati, Prestige Graphics Trading and Xerox. Featuring a multitude of new product launches, there was also an increase of around 30 per cent more working machinery being demonstrated on the show floor.
Predicted industry growth rates were echoed and exhibitor optimism rewarded with packed aisles. Numerous deals were done across the event, with highlights including Saudi Arabia’s Al Khalaf Holding being the first to buy Heidelberg’s newly launched Linoprint C Series machine, Logical Signage acquiring the region’s first Xerox Colour 800i/1000i press, and Eiffel Printing Press LLC buying the brand new Ricoh ProTM C7100X from Giffin Graphics.
Mike Simmonds, event manager at Gulf Print & Pack, commented: “We are delighted with the amount of business conducted at Gulf Print & Pack 2015. The show has been gaining momentum every year and this edition has been the biggest and best ever to date.
“This year’s show was unquestionably upbeat and was a real buying show with many exhibitors selling everything on their stands! The exceptional level of business being done on the exhibition floor firmly positions Gulf Print & Pack as the region’s largest and most effective exhibition for commercial and packaging printers, brand owners and industry suppliers.”
Andreas Hoffmann, of Primera Europe, added: “Gulf Print & Pack 2015 was a very successful show for us. The international show visitors were very interested in the different printing solutions Primera is offering. So we are expecting a great demand for our dry-toner and inkjet-based label printers in the United Arab Emirates and the neighbouring countries.”