Seven days that will enter into the history of the global printing industry. ExpoPrint Latin America 2014 revealed a market that is willing to invest and transform its businesses, thereby increasing the optimism of those who are part of this sector which is fundamental for industry.
The numbers make clear the positive climate during ExpoPrint. A total of 48866 visitors - of these, 4082 foreign, came during the seven-day event and passed through the more than 40 thousand square meters of the fair, familiarizing themselves with the innovations of over 300 exhibitors who had on display more than 750 brands. The business generated during the fair reached expectations, more than US$ 400 million. Preparations have already begun for 2018. The fair will take place over five days, from Tuesday to Saturday, at Expo Center Norte.
The president of Afeigraf (Association of Agents of Suppliers of Equipment and Supplies for the Printing Industry) 2012/2014, Dieter Brandt, believes that all the goals set for ExpoPrint Latin America 2014 were fully met: "We started small and are now the world's third largest fair in the printing industry. ExpoPrint 2014 reached and surpassed all of its goals. Four years of intensive work, which culminated in seven days of a flawless fair. It is a great honor to be part of this big moment in the print media industry."
Klaus Tiedemann, president of Afeigraf 2014/2016, commented on the positive numbers: "The high number of visitors -- from Brazil, Latin America, and around the world -- was reinforced by the quality of these people, with many decision-makers and entrepreneurs ready to invest, which was reflected in the value of the business generated in the seven days of the fair, and will continue to set the tone for the negotiations which were begun at ExpoPrint and will be completed over the coming months."
The director of APS Feiras & Eventos, Ismael Guarnelli, highlights this: "It was a success in every way. The figures show that the promotion work generated great results. The return for visitors and exhibitors due to the organization of the fair was something that left us extremely satisfied. Without a doubt, ExpoPrint Latin America 2014 was, above all else, a great victory for the printing industry as a whole."
The vice-president of Afeigraf 2014/2016, Elaine Almeida, also emphasizes the work done: "As one of the founders of Afeigraf and one of the creators of ExpoPrint, I would like to comment on my satisfaction with the success of the fair. It is a fair already established worldwide and it is a pleasure to see here all clients from Brazil, Latin America, and the whole world, to witness ExpoPrint as the largest fair in Latin America and one of the largest in the world. This is greatly satisfying, because we started with this objective and to see it being achieved is excellent. "
Exhibitors highlight the quality of the public at ExpoPrint 2014:
To rediscover and strengthen the bond with existing customers, acquire new contacts, consolidate important business, and to have prospects to work on in the coming months. The exhibitors' objectives before ExpoPrint Latin America 2014 were fully achieved. Those who had doubts due to the current market, felt that ExpoPrint was the turning point for the Brazilian and Latin American printing industry. The testimonials demonstrate this view.
The president of Heidelberg do Brasil, Jose Luis Gutiérrez, said that the company fulfilled its objectives: "We had three objectives when we started ExpoPrint: the first was economical, with order volumes, which we reached and surpassed. The second was to serve clients who are satisfied and proud to be our partners, something which we are also achieving. And the third objective was that our employees would motivate themselves and believe in the printing industry, which we also successfully managed to achieve", said Gutiérrez, who added: "We divided our stand into one section that was more industrial and the other section was commercial, with equipment possessing the latest technology in the market."
For the Latin America marketing manager at Agfa Graphics, Eduardo Sousa, "ExpoPrint is our industry's most important fair in the Americas, and we reaffirmed its importance, bringing optimism to the market. Agfa has a lot to celebrate, because it has introduced important innovations and trends, such as the web-to-print solution. The customers were impressed with the range of the tool -- we did good business with the software and also with our inkjet printing."
The director of planning and marketing at Alphaprint, Hadriano Domingues, highlights the qualified audience of ExpoPrint Latin America 2014. "In our stand there was a strong presence of decision-makers, such as owners of printing presses and professionals from the commercial area. We were surprised by the quality. We had sales during ExpoPrint and projects that we will be working on after the fair. Clients were interested and we believe that the end result will be very positive."
Hamilton Terni Costa, a printing industry consultant at ANconsulting, believes that ExpoPrint positively surprised. "Firstly, because of the size and presence of brands from around the world and Brazil, of course. Then, because of the good response that, on average, the exhibitors had, with a reasonable number of letters of intent and even final negotiations. It was a big gamble by an industry that has not been going through an easy period, quite the opposite in fact. But the fact that a professional printer comes to a fair of this size and sees the whole strength of the industry, certainly encourages those who have the resources but are unsure of investing."
Hamilton also reinforces: "Another idea felt was the search for solutions, not just equipment, by the printing firms. In this respect, the management and control software, as well as the web-to-print software, were intensely visited. A good sign, since this shows that the search for operational efficiency and better marketing position are becoming a priority. This is very good."
Business transformation:
ExpoPrint serves as a place for the exhibitors to present their solutions to customers seeking new business, as is the case with Esko. For Marcos Cardinale, manager of digital marketing, "ExpoPrint 2014 was very good for Esko. We got to know new customers and new companies. A highlight for us was the many commercial companies that came to the fair with a view to changing their business to packing, and for this we have a lot to offer; for example, new technologies for impressions on printing plates, cutting machines, and a range of software. At ExpoPrint we had contact with these companies and converters."
Roland is following the same path, as product manager Wilians Lotti explains: "For Roland it was very important. Since we have diverse equipment, such as the UV line, it is important to show to the greatest possible number of people and different markets. ExpoPrint provides the opportunity to present our solutions and technology in a different environment than we are used to. Therefore, ExpoPrint was very good as it brought us a good customer base."
Anderson Chaves, from the Printing Systems sector of Fujifilm do Brasil, sees ExpoPrint as an opportunity for presentation to a new niche. "ExpoPrint was a very interesting opportunity for Fujifilm, because it is the first time we are presenting to a printing industry in the country. The reception from all the customers was fantastic, mainly on account of the technological innovation in digital inkjet printing with its outstanding features, besides all the other applications and solutions for various segments of the printing market."
There was also a new public for Mimaki, as Danilo Ribeiro points out: "It was a pleasant surprise, because we had never participated directly as Mimaki. We were surprised in relation to the quality of the public, many decision-makers, people really interested in understanding the products we brought to ExpoPrint."
Moment of change:
For many companies, ExpoPrint Latin America 2014 proved to be a transformation point in a market that, for some, came at a time of indecision. The largest printing event in the Americas proved that it is the ideal place to confirm important negotiations, which positively surprised many exhibitors.
According to Caio Nakagawa, product manager at Furnax: "It was a fair that brought together many of Furnax's current clients; we reencountered friends and did business. It was a positive fair. We had been pessimistic due to the setting of the World Cup and presidential elections, but the end result was very positive. We confirmed some business and there is much more to come."
Luiz Cesar Dutra, CEO of KBA Brasil, was also surprised with ExpoPrint. "We had been in a slow market, with people in doubt. However, ExpoPrint surprised, with big movement, many visitors interested in getting to know the new KBA, a job that we have been doing for some few years. During the demonstrations, people saw our machine designed for the carton market and got to know KBA."
Dutra emphasizes the role of the fair in transforming the momentum of the sector: "The fair came at the right time to turn the market around and give confidence to the printing entrepreneur. We have the expectation of consolidating business deals that we initiate. We confirmed important business deals at the fair, some that we had been working on and others that arose here. So our expectation is that we can consolidate the business started at the fair by the end of the year. Overall, we are quite happy with the organization; it was very important for KBA. The investment was worth it and now we await the consequences and positive results for 2015."
The surpassing of expectations was also seen at Sun Chemical. For Cristina Barros, Key Account Manager - Narrow Web & Metal Deco of Sun Chemical do Brasil, "We were incredibly surprised at the number of visitors. The large number and the quality surprised us; among the clients there were many decision-makers, who work directly with production and came to know more about our technologies."
Cristina also noticed the change in behavior of the printing entrepreneur: "We see that Brazilian printers are seeking new technologies and ways to grow their business, with greater profitability and productivity. This was very satisfying for us. We are very happy with the results from ExpoPrint and we will prepare ourselves for the next edition, and may it be even better than this one."
André Agnesini, sales and graphic arts manager at Xerox, was another one to highlight the exceeded expectations: "The fair was very good for us. We had a different expectation because we were anxious about this difficult time of the year for the industry, but the return on investment was very good. We had several leveraged opportunities and we managed to capture many innovations that will surely be transformed into business soon after the fair, throughout the entire product line, with many inquiries. For us, in relation to the portfolio as a whole, it was extremely positive. We will definitely have an intensive post-fair period."
For Milton Fetter, commercial director of printing division of IBF: "A very positive final result, we are very pleased with the result and glad to see the show so vibrant. IBF has been supporting ExpoPrint from the start, with a very good relationship. On average, the public was excellent, with many visitors and clients who we had hoped to welcome and they came to honor us. The fair was vibrant with all the stands full of people; this is very good for the fair and the industry itself. It fully met our expectations and the results generated were excellent."
New technologies:
The presentation of new and unreleased technologies has always been a feature of ExpoPrint Latin America, and the 2014 edition was no different. Fernando Alperowitch, director of the HP Indigo business unit in Latin America, says: "ExpoPrint is already a reality in the industry, known as the best fair in Latin America, and this edition did not disappoint. We are really pleased."
According to Alperowitch, "Looking around the corridors, the stand of HP and our partners, there is the latest technology -- some for the first time in the world being shown at a fair, bringing the very best to the Brazilian and Latin American public. Without doubt, the fair was better than expected. During the World Cup there were some doubts about the state of the industry and even the Brazilian economy. But after the start of ExpoPrint, I think there is consensus among the exhibitors that the response of clients and future clients has been positive in relation to the fair and even about the industry."
Ferrostaal also reaped the rewards at the fair. Director Richard Möller commented: "Our final result is the best possible. We had been expecting a large and qualified audience; the doubt was the level of real investment interest of the public. And the surprise was great, because we managed to do business. The market had been showing little enthusiasm for investment, but at the fair we were extremely happy. We looked to show different equipment which could add value to our customers; for example, the LED UV technology, which had an impressive level of interest and incredible success. We had to do more presentations than planned."
The general manager of Ferrostaal, Janio Coelho, agrees: "We have been promoting the LED UV technology for a long time and ExpoPrint 2014 had a greater than expected impact. What we hear from customers when walking around the fair was the progress that this technology has brought to the market. Our stand was full during the presentations and the level of questions and business generated surprised us. The technology proved to be ready for action and the customers understood this. So we are happy with the result."
According to the OKI Marketing Manager, Marcio Marquese, "For OKI, the fair was a success for the exhibition of the new equipment and for the generation of business. It's a public that closely follows the technology we offer to the market."
Innovation was also the vision of the marketing coordinator of Gomaq, Danilo Munhos: "Participating in ExpoPrint Latin America 2014 was very important, after all, encounters like this provide great opportunities and the chance to show what Gomaq, together with RISO, have to offer in terms of innovation for the printing market. Participating at the fair is always an exchange of information, because we can detect customer's needs and present printing solutions that satisfy their demands. And the large number of people that visited our stand generates new and future business partners."
And for Amando Varella, commercial director of Papirus, "In recent years, Papirus has been gaining more maturity, seeking improvements in its processes and ensuring a better position in the carton paper market. Our participation at ExpoPrint shows this evolution to our customers, and the result was transformational. We were very pleased with the involvement of our customers, partners, and suppliers."
Union of forces:
The recent union between Canon and Océ made ExpoPrint Latin America 2014 an important setting: "This fair is of utmost importance for Canon. We are well positioned in the market and, with the recent acquisition of Océ, we have reinforced our position. At ExpoPrint, we seek to bring our whole portfolio of products. For us, it was very useful to show the Canon/Océ union. And customers could see the strength and coverage of the solutions", said Fabiano Peres, sales supervisor at Canon.
Peres also mentioned the visitation of current and new customers as important. "We strengthened relationships, we managed to move forward with negotiations already underway, and also initiate new opportunities. That was the goal: to strengthen our position in the printing market, to improve customer relationships, and create new opportunities. And this was achieved 100% at ExpoPrint."
Another recent partnership, between Rotatek and Durst, was also a highlight. "Overall, it was very good. The customers understood our message and learned that we are working with Durst equipment. We had a very good volume of business that is well underway to be consolidated after the fair. We are quite happy and should renew our participation for the next ExpoPrint", says Alexandre Dalama of Rotatek Brasil.
Positive results:
The results were positive for exhibitors. This is the case for Compulaser, which reports through its director, Renato Oliveira: "The participation of Compulaser at ExpoPrint 2014 generated surprising results for us. We planned to launch the Professional Guide -- Printers and Designers at the event, and concluded that it was the best choice, because we exceeded expected sales by 166%. It was a success! We needed to bring in another batch to meet demand."
Oliveira continues: "Besides all the positive results with the product, several companies came to us during the fair with an interest in getting into the next edition of the Guide, and the majority of the partners of this edition have already expressed their satisfaction with the project and confirmed their presence for the next one. And the results don't end there, because up until this moment we have received an average of 300 emails which includes compliments, questions, and purchase orders. It is very rewarding because the return is not only ours but also for all the supporters of the project who have already done new business after the fair."
For Ronaldo Arakaki, marketing and business manager at Konica Minolta, "The participation was very satisfactory. We had the expectation of initiating a lot of business and we can say that the result has exceeded all our expectations." The same view was held by the director of Konita Brasil, Letícia Candido de Araujo: "ExpoPrint 2014 was excellent for Konita Brasil. We managed to promote our products, we did great business, and we are looking forward to the next fair."
Silvane Salamoni, director of Diginove, concludes: "The fair was excellent, because there was the consolidation of our equipment and graphic finishing, with laminating machines, slitter-scorers, and hot-stamping. Being at ExpoPrint in important stands such as Konica Minolta and Xerox is the approval of our work and the technology we have brought to Brazil." The Ecalc software was also well received at the fair, as pointed out by Cléber Estevan, marketing and public relations manager. "The fair was very good for Ecalc. Besides being important for new business, it served to maintain the relationships with our customers. We had many visitors in our stand. Overall, the fair was very good for presenting our line of software products, with many upgrades."
According to Rodrigo Abreu, partner & president of AlphaGraphics: "ExpoPrint was productive, with many contacts obtained. Our goal was to promote the project of Franchise Conversion, which is directed to independent entrepreneurs who are in charge of traditional printing presses. The visiting public was qualified and we expect that our participation at the fair will generate new business. Moreover, it was a great opportunity to show the market the investments we are making to expand our network in Brazil."
Gianberto Monchini, financial manager at T&C, comments: "The fair was very good because it brought many innovations such as the new Scodix and the Epson line, as well as CtPs. This helped in having much success at the fair, as did the work, such as promotion, done at home before the fair. It really is a great event for us and we will be at the next fair."
Enio Zucchino, manager of market development for commercial printing at Kodak, emphasized the company's choice for ExpoPrint Latin America 2014: "Kodak made sure to bring the entire portfolio of products to the fair -- nowadays we are 100% focused on the area of graphic industrial printing, showing entrepreneurs ways to revolutionize the printing business and differentiate themselves in the market. It was one of the fairs elected by Kodak for participation. The public was consistent with what we had expected, but more qualified in knowing what to look for. So, the final result was excellent for us."
New frontiers:
ExpoPrint Latin America 2014 was also used to reduce borders, both for foreign exhibitors who were showing their solutions to other markets and for national firms that did significant business with visitors from around the world.
For Osmar Barbosa, general manager at EFI Metrics, from the area of Productivity Software in Latin America, "ExpoPrint Latin America is a showcase of new technologies. For us at EFI, it is always a very important and anticipated moment. During the event, thousands of visitors could check the performance of three important lines of EFI: the EPS management systems, Fiery solutions, and digital inkjet equipment, as well as clarifying doubts with executives and seeing the performance of our products. The result satisfied our expectations, with good business done, including with foreign companies."
According to João Benetti', director of communications at Policrom, "the fair is excellent, with good attendance from Brazil and also visitors from Latin America. There was large recognition of the brand, thanks to our quality products. Promoting the brand and bringing innovations is priceless."
Don Langston, a consultant at Cron, was in Brazil to present the CtPs of the brand and spoke about ExpoPrint Latin America 2014: "It is excellent. In many fairs around the world, business is down. Here, business is growing, with a large volume of people. We sold machines during the fair and we have many orders for after the fair. Our goal is to make Cron a global brand."
Trish Kempkes, the Director of Global Communications at BW Papersystems, of which MarquipWardUnited is a part of, highlighted the international factor of ExpoPrint Latin America 2014: "ExpoPrint was a great experience for us at Marquip. We are getting to know the Brazilian market and also had contact during the fair with customers from other countries such as Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Uruguay. It's a great opportunity to meet new people."
The fair was also positive for Overlake, as highlighted by the directors Francisco Veloso and Osvaldo da Costa: "The fair was very positive, both in the domestic market, with many visitors from Brazil, as well as many visitors from abroad, particularly Latin American countries such as Peru, Paraguay, and Bolivia. We managed to conduct important negotiations for the second half."
For Calcgraf, prospecting for customers was intense, as was the meeting of users of the system throughout Brazil and even from abroad: "The presence of Latin Americans was great, exceeding the previous edition of the fair", said Karina Escobar, director of the company.
According to Corinne Périgaud, from the sales and marketing area at Techkon, while still at ExpoPrint: "The show is very good, with many visitors. We are pleased with the demand for our two products. Business is very good. We have been to other fairs in Europe and there we do not see the volume of people as in Brazil."
Diego Garcia, from the external market sales sector of Ibema, says: "The fair drove many people, starting from day one, numbers which were above our expectations. The fair is very diverse and complete, it is very interesting for foreigners and there are business opportunities. We serve many foreign countries such as Peru, Colombia, Paraguay, Argentina, Mexico, U.S.A., South Africa, and China. ExpoPrint has become a reference point. For us, it has generated immediate, medium-term, and long-term dividends. The contact with foreigners benefits us, since we learn about other markets, and for them they get to know the quality of Brazilian products."
David Pachon, of PrintLAT, came from the United States to Brazil and concludes: "The fair was very good, always full, with very competitive stands. It is a very important fair, which took place four years ago. We are happy to participate, we did a lot of business."
Public:
With 48866 visitors, the professionals who came to ExpoPrint LatinAmerica 2014 have not regretted taking time out from their companies to see live the great technological innovations of the largest printing event in the Americas.
Alexandre José, from Diadema (SP), owner of an offset printing company says: "The fair was very good, with many new innovations. I learned a lot and think it is the ideal time to invest. I believe that, despite the crisis, there are many new features for reducing costs. Entrepreneurs can learn a lot here at the fair."
Saul Lemos de Andrade, from a company in Curitiba (PR) that works with invitations. "ExpoPrint was very fruitful. The show features plenty of technology and new features. Here you have the best that is on offer. The expectation was exceeded, I really enjoyed it."
Eduardo Meirelles Dias, an entrepreneur in the printing sector, in Uberlândia (MG): "I am visiting ExpoPrint for the third time and the results were great. The show surprised us and met expectations. We always support the fair and, in four years time, we want to put our company on show as an exhibitor to demonstrate our products here as well. It is a fair that covers the entire graphic medium. I am from Minas Gerais and we came in a caravan. The trip was worth it."
Celso Soares de Carvalho, an entrepreneur from Santo André (SP): "I came to check out finishing machines and digital printing. And we found what we were looking for." Anibal Oliveira, an adviser from São Paulo (SP), says: "I really enjoyed the fair, it is very comprehensive with everything involved in printing. I emphasize the diversity because you can find everything you need here."
Lenecir José Benacchio, a printing professional from Santa Helena (PR). "ExpoPrint was great because it satisfied our desire to seek updated information and see the market trends. The printing industry is undergoing change and even some difficulties. Therefore, we have to look for alternatives; we learned a lot at ExpoPrint."
For Raquel de Oliveira Segura, manager of a printing firm in Cambé (PR): "I really liked it this year. I came in search of some solutions and found them. We are a small business and we found interesting solutions here."
Fabio Pizzato, from Paranavaí (PR), reports: "I enjoyed the fair, there is a lot of technology. New machines, with various finishing options. Also, options for bags, which is a growing sector in Brazil. And the printing firms are looking for these niche markets."
From Rio de Janeiro came Augusto Camilo, who works with printing services. "I got the best possible impression. Everything you need in the printing world, screen printing, equipment, and accessories, here you find it. New features, releases, additions to our work in Rio, I found everything here. The trip was worth it because we needed two days to see everything on offer at ExpoPrint." Jocileide Camilo, also from Rio de Janeiro, agrees. "It was very good. We managed to gather many new innovations to get our team working. Now we will have a lot of work when we get back to Rio."
Latin America was present in force at the fair. For the Argentine Antonio Beccacece: "The fair is very good, with modern equipment from many locations around the world, with much progress. We were very well received by the Brazilians and we talked with many people from Latin America, we have a great relationship and we were served very well." Another Argentine, Jorge Mobaied, had the same impression: "A fair that is really very important for all of Latin America, because we find the most varied and modern equipment. This is very attractive."
The Argentine Chamber of Entrepreneurs and Allied Printers (CAEGA) honored ExpoPrint through its president Juan José Elena and its vice president Enrique Cuesta, who spoke about the fair: "I saw a lot of technology and the presentation of trends, of what the future will be like, especially in digital printing." Juan José Elena also had the same impression, and he highlighted the diversity of the countries of the visitors, which was a hallmark of ExpoPrint Latin America 2014.