What viscom 2019 has to offer to signmakers and digital printers

From 8 to 10 January Europe’s trade show for visual communication in Düsseldorf will come up with fresh ideas for the sector right at the beginning of the year. Home to digital printers and signmakers, the trade show brings together manufacturers and end-users from large format digital printing, signmaking, textile finishing as well as out-of-home advertising. 

Personalisation continues to be a top trend
As a trade show for business practitioners viscom bridges the gap between technical possibilities and practical implementation. And it’s already clear that personalization and customization continue to be the hot topics in signmaking and printing. “Realizing various print motifs and shapes within one production run is simply a must today,” says Mathias Ahrberg, who specialises in PoS materials, promotional products and displays at his company Ahrberg GmbH. “We have therefore extended our pool of machinery to include a digital board printer and a milling table after testing several machines “in vivo” at viscom.”

Visitors with high propensity to invest
Like Mathias Ahrberg one in two viscom visitors views the trade show as an excellent opportunity to put concrete investment plans into practice. “We have spent two days looking at laser systems and cutting plotters, which we have now also bought,” confirms Tobias Grabmeier, CEO at advertising specialist Kreafaktur Reklamefabrik. “Viscom offers superb opportunities for making comparisons and we could get sales advice right at the machines themselves.” This proximity to signmakers and digital printers is the great asset of viscom: especially the exhibition areas of digital printing, signmaking, textile finishing, out-of-home advertising as well as PoS displays are rated as “very good” by trade visitors. 

New themes added by concurrent trade shows
2019 will see the ranges of viscom being enhanced even further by two attractive concurrent trade fairs: PromoTex Expo, the new International Trade Show for Promotion, Sports and Workwear, will enrich the viscom exhibition area “Textile Finishing Machinery” with fabrics and application examples. Another new feature is the “Marketing Innovations” Forum in Hall 12. Here viscom visitors can meet with fellow professionals visiting PromoTex Expo and PSI – the Leading European Trade Show of the Promotional Products Industry and discover innovative packaging, goods display and digital marketing solutions for the PoS. New business solutions for commercial printing will also be on display here. Also in focus: “Merchandising and Licensing” – a field that constantly offers new business opportunities due to such mega events as European or World Cups.  

Straight to the innovations of the industry
To make sure trade visitors easily find their bearings at the multifaceted trade show and get to the innovations of interest to them without any detours, viscom 2019 offers a new service on site. For the first time, buyers and decision-makers can inform themselves about relevant innovations and where to find them already in the lobby. In this way viscom connects the industry insiders in an even more targeted manner – and what is more – in a personal way. Visitors preferring to plan their trade show visit themselves at their computer can use the complimentary matchmaking programme starting six weeks prior to the start of the trade show. 

Know more, experience more
To give its visitors that special knowledge edge viscom works out a comprehensive expert programme for signmakers and digital printers. “Those wishing to invest meaningfully have to know which trends will shape the industry long term,” says viscom Director Petra Lassahn and adds “this is why we cooperate with seasoned industry professionals for our lectures and workshops and present new, successful business cases.” The new “Forum 13”, for example, provides sector professionals with inspirations for an efficient workflow as well as the use of smart textiles and innovative digital printing technology. In a live workshop, digital printers, sigmakers and textile finishers will jointly install a showroom at the trade show. Visitors can follow the installation, seek advice from the practitioners and get to know the manufacturers of the materials used.

Praiseworthy practical examples
On top of this, the SUPERSTAR AWARD 2019 provides inspiration for PoS displays. On a special area viscom and publishing house Display will exhibit over 100 convincing display solutions and will select the award winner during the trade show. At the European Wrap Star trade visitors can watch Europe’s best car wrappers as they work. The crew of MR Clipart will be organising this competition at viscom already for the tenth time.