Fespa Eurasia gears up for sixth edition

Fespa Eurasia is gearing up for its return to Istanbul, Turkey, from 6-9 December to mark the sixth outing of the exhibition.

According to Fespa, visitor numbers have risen 25% since the first event in 2013, with last year's show attracting 8,761 visitors.

Fespa group exhibition manager Michael Ryan said exhibitors at this year's event would include Roland DG and Mimaki Eurasia, which is putting on its biggest display to date.

“We are aiming to raise attendance numbers, but it will be fantastic if we get a similar amount of people to this year's event,” he said.

As well as exhibitors, major draws are set to include events focusing on interior print decoration and live textile manufacturing.

“Turkey, along with Italy, is a massive textile printer and very competitive for the global market, so we expect big investments in new technology from local businesses as well as those further afield.”

Ryan added: “The region has had so many economic and political issues recently and exchange rate fluctuations are causing issues. But the print industry seems defiant and resilient.”

This year’s event will occupy two halls at a new venue, Istanbul Expo Centre (IFM), near the city centre, offering exhibitors savings of up to 40% over the previous venue.

Exhibitions director Roz Guarnori added that research suggested the average budget per visitor last year was €134,678 (£120,972), with 80% confirming they had plans to buy at the exhibition or within 12 months.

Over 82% of visitors surveyed said Fespa Eurasia was the “most important show in the region” for their business.

And data from last year's event revealed 93% of visitors were decision-makers or involved in the decision-making process, according to Fespa.