Landa to review Ipex participation

The company made a sensational debut at Drupa last month, where it unveiled its Nanography digital printing process. It is currently on the Ipex floorplan with a large space of almost 1,650sqm in the digital hall.

"We are revisiting the question of Ipex in light of all this commotion," chairman Benny Landa told PrintWeek.

"We need to take a closer look and make a determination. First of all that will mean knowing the facts. How many players have decided not to show and what affect that is likely to have on customer attendance? That’s the only thing that counts," he said.

Landa said a decision would be made "very soon".

He declined to comment specifically on HP’s decision not to be at the show.

At present Landa is the biggest new exhibitor at Ipex, just as it was at Drupa.

The Ipex time frame of spring 2014 would appear to be a good fit for the firm, which plans to have commercially available products ready at the end of 2013.

Ipex event director Trevor Crawford said: "I’m not surprised he’s reviewing it. We have an open dialogue with Benny and the rest of his team. We really are at the beginning of this show cycle and we’re in a fabulous position on the back of a record-breaking Drupa for us.

"The vast majority of digital players are taking larger footprints, and we are without doubt the major international show that year," Crawford added.

Landa also described printing industry trade shows as having "an enormous impact" on customers’ buying decisions. "Customers come to trade shows and fall in love with technology and make a judgement about it. Customers make mental decisions at trade shows, even if they don’t buy until some time afterwards," he said.