Is the demise of Newstec a loss to print?

NEWSPAPER PRINTER

“We signed a deal for our new folder and extended mailroom at this year’s Newstec. It is a great loss in terms of networking. Everyone is in the same place so you can organise meetings that would usually take months to get sorted. Having said that, I can understand why they have done it. The investment cycle is coming towards the end. Everyone has spent heavily in recent years so there has to be a slow down. On the plus side, other events could be better attended as a result. Though for everyone in the industry, time away from the office is at an increasing premium.

Ian Fisher
Managing director
Mortons of Horncastle

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POST-PRESS MANUFACTURER
“It is sad that the event will not be carrying on. But with Drupa, Ifra and Ipex it is hard to see how it could. It is a great networking opportunity. I think something will rise from it. I would like to see a series of conferences perhaps, with meeting points set around it. I think people would be as likely to attend that as an exhibition. It just needs something to organise a get together around. I would stick with Brighton. I would be surprised if somebody didn’t pick it up.”
Martin Harrison
Product manager
Muller Martini

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NEWSPAPER PRINTER
“It was a valued event. All our systems have been well established for a few years now, but in the beginning it was very useful for us to see what the competition were up to and what technology was out there. The model for our first print centre came out of a forum in Brighton. I haven’t been for the last five years as time and resources all need to be balanced out, but I always enjoyed it when I attended. The seaside location and fresh air were certainly preferable to staid alternatives such as the Birmingham NEC.”
Alistair Gay
Production director
Newsquest Glasgow

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DIGITAL MANUFACTURER
“I’ve been going to the exhibition since my teens and I’m 57, so it genuinely will be missed. There needs to be something to replace it and we look forward to seeing what that is. Within newspapers, we’re like a family that doesn’t get to see each other as often as we’d like, so it was always great to catch up. I remember 10 years ago, there were often as many as 3,500 people attending. It hasn’t been like that recently, but that’s more down to companies merging and consolidating. There’s simply fewer people in the sector to come along these days.”
Pat Holloway
UK marketing manager
Kodak GCG