Planning for the industry’s future at The Print Show 2021

The Print Show will return in September, running as the only event this year dedicated entirely to the UK print and wide-format industry.

Having postponed the 2020 show due to the Covid-19 pandemic, The Print Show is back for 2021, with the primary aim of helping to drive recovery in the market and allowing visitors and exhibitors alike to catch up on the latest goings on after a year of unprecedented disruption.

The event will take place in Hall 7 of the NEC in Birmingham September 28-30, again welcoming a wide range of exciting exhibitors from all corners of the market.

As has been the case since the event debuted back in 2015, The Print Show will remain entirely focused on the UK printing market, playing host to the leading manufacturers and suppliers serving British print companies.

Event director Chris Davies said: “It’s been a really tough 12 months for the industry but we firmly believe that The Print Show will be a catalyst in the market’s recovery, allowing people to reconnect and offer a major platform for exhibitors to showcase their latest developments.”

The show will run in line with strict government guidance in terms of Covid-19, with the health and safety of visitors and exhibitors being the number one concern for organisers. More detailed plans as to how the show will operate will be announced closer to the event.

Mr Davies explained: “We have been keeping up with all of the latest government announcements in terms of how and when exhibitions will be able to run, and we are fully confident in our ability to host an informative and exciting event in September.”

He added: “While we understand that some people may be a little hesitant about visiting a large event after all that has gone on, I want to make it clear that we are fiercely dedicated to the safety to all of those in attendance and we will ensure that all of the relevant Covid-19 protocols are in place.

This year, The Print Show will operate under the banner ‘Print Without Barriers’, designed to encourage visitors to look outside of their traditional markets and consider moving into other areas in order to diversify their service offering and win new work.

Given what has happened over the past 12 months, this is more important than ever, with many print companies having seen demand for certain types of work decline. However, those businesses that are active in several markets, including key growth sectors, have been able to remain busy and, in some cases, grow.

“Since we launched in 2015, we’ve been promoting the benefits of diversifying into new markets, and this year will be no different,” said Mr Davies. “As we have seen in the past year, there will always be a demand for print, but it’s all about knowing where this demand is and making sure you get a piece of the action.”

To reflect this approach, the Business Seminar Theatre will return, playing host to a series of specialist speakers, while the Diversification Zone will feature, allowing visitors to gain an insight into a number of potential expansion markets, including 3D print, promotional print and packaging.

In addition, the popular celebrity speaker feature that debuted in 2019, with Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Chris Eubank and Gregg Wallace, will return.

This year, former Apprentice and Countdown star Nick Hewer and boxing legend Frank Bruno will both appear at The Print Show, while a third star guest will be unveiled closer to the event.

For more updates and news about the event, follow @theprintshow on Twitter or visit www.theprintshow.co.uk