Promotions company dmg Media maintains thatit will hold a print show next June, despite evidence from PrintNZ that a majority of printers and suppliers feel they, and the industry, can’t afford to support it. Bruce Craig investigates
In June 2006, New Zealand printing trade show Printech was closed to exhibitors and visitors for most of its second day as a power failure plunged much of Auckland city into darkness. The lights went out across Auckland as exhibitors and visitors waited patiently, listening to periodic announcements that promised the lights would go back on.
By the time Printech 2006 officially closed, several exhibitors had expressed their anger to the media about the failure of show organisers and ASB Showgrounds itself to provide back-up power to ensure the show went ahead.
In spite of the shambolic middle day, and a drop in visitor attendance, promoters found positives with dmg’s Rochelle Gray saying, “People were saying that it was the quality of visitor that enabled them to do so much business and some were ecstatic about the amount that had been accomplished.”
However, some companies were clearly not ecstatic and that feeling lingered as they voiced their opinions in a subsequent review conducted by PrintNZ earlier this year.
Ruth Cobb, membership manager for PrintNZ, says the results of that survey confirmed an overwhelming majority of those companies would not participate in a show. She says, “The results were as follows: 64 per cent said, ‘No they would not participate’; 23 per cent said ‘Maybe’ although in the main these were steering towards a ‘No’; and 13 per cent said, ‘Yes.’”
Focus groups have their say
PRINTNZ communicated this information to dmg, which decided to host meetings of focus groups in September. Irene Smith of dmg says, “We had a focus group, for a round table, for the show. They were quite clear we had to re-imagine the show. We are now going through the process of what that reinvention could be.”
Richard Penny, marketing manager at Fuji Xerox, attended the focus group meeting and appreciated the opportunity to state the company’s position. He says, “We said we were interested in changing the format. The focus group sessions were positive and it was fairly universal that the format needed revamping. We think that there is value in talking about technology and applications with a view to growing the market. For example VDP has been on the periphery of print, but will be a key driver of it in the future.”
It is evident that the concept of a PacPrint-type show, a mini drupa, holds little appeal for the main suppliers. Penny says no one could see much value in the idea that the suppliers should go along to show off all their biggest equipment. He says, “To be honest, if you’re a printer, you can go to a show room.”
At the meeting’s end, dmg informed the attendees that they would return to them with a proposal for a different format at the end of October.
That never happened. Instead, dmg sent out invitations to Printech 2010 which they say will take place on June 27-29 in Auckland.
This caused some confusion and some of the focus group attendees felt dmg had ignored their opinions. Ruth Cobb says, “I guess it’s about the process that dmg have followed. There’s not been a consultative process. If they can shape a show that the majority of our members want, then we will support it, but we’ve got to ask: is this what the industry should be spending its money on?”
Irene Smith denies that dmg is proceeding full steam ahead with no change to the show’s format. She says that dmg has engaged a research company with the objective to identify the degree of interest of both providers and users of print and communications solutions in a new Printech offer. Surveying solutions providers, and buyers such as marketing and media managers, the company was due to report back to dmg as this issue went to press.
She says, “The message we got from suppliers was, ‘If dmg runs a show that’s a template of the former show, we won’t support you’. We fleshed it out and now I think we have a reasonable direction. We are now researching the industry. We haven’t really pushed it. We don’t want to sign them up for something that they don’t know they are getting.” Never the less, dmg has not rescinded its October invitation to exhibitors, though Smith says that anyone who pays a deposit can get a refund if the show they sign up for turns out to be different from the one they get.
Which show does the industry want?
AS gatekeeper for the print industry in New Zealand, PrintNZ believes New Zealand companies could perhaps spend the money that they would spend on Printech, somewhere else. Ruth Cobb says, “It’s easy to go to PacPrint in Melbourne. The cost of Trans Tasman travel is often cheaper than travelling domestically. In tight economic times every company is looking at expenditure closely, and dmg hasn’t told us the value of going to Printech. I know some of our views will be criticised because some small New Zealand suppliers will see it as an opportunity.”
One of those smaller suppliers, Steve Wilson, general manager of distributor TS Wilson wants an old fashioned trade show. He says, “We need as much exposure as we can get. One show every four years isn’t enough. The locals here don’t want to go to Melbourne. The main reason to have it here is so the customers can see what we have available for them. You always get the rank and file coming through Printech. Everyone seems to gauge it on who makes the decision but the guys from the floor need to see the gear. They are the guys who will make the decisions.”
Smaller companies like TS Wilson didn’t have a stand at PacPrint and may see a similar show in Auckland as an opportunity to go up against the bigger companies. However, what happens if the big companies don’t front up?
Chris Agius, general manager sales at Heidelberg New Zealand, is one of several decision makers who find it impossible to justify the cost of setting up at this show. He takes a larger view and says, “Globally today there are many trade shows and, based on low attendance figures, seen at the recent Print 09 in the US is testament to the fact that shows are declining in popularity. As an organisation, Heidelberg will most likely focus on drupa followed by China Print and then IPEX.”
“In our region we have PacPrint in Melbourne every four years and Printex in Sydney every four years also. PacPrint is held the year following drupa and Printex the year following IPEX, so both have relevance to new product releases. The fact that Printech is in the same year as IPEX we simply cannot justify the cost of exhibiting at this show. Heidelberg New Zealand will be represented at IPEX catering and assisting the needs of New Zealand printers. We also have a fully equipped Print Media Academy to demonstrate our technology. I am positive that people will attend Printech, particularly local Aucklanders, so we wish both exhibitors and those attending a first-class show.”
Garry Jackson, general manager Print Counsel, agrees that we need to support industry initiatives but also takes a more global view. He says, “You need to step back and look at things. Too many businesses are caught up in the moment. As far as print shows go, drupa is number one and IPEX is number two, though sometimes IPEX is the preferred one because it’s not too big and they speak English. IPEX is still a very big show. It depends on your budget. If we go to IPEX, we won’t go to Printech.”
He believes timing matters crucially in the current financial environment. He adds, “You’ve got to time it between the slots. That is, you’ve got to time it between IPEX and drupa, which is what PacPrint is.”
There are many roads to market
IT isn’t just IPEX, drupa, PacPrint, and Printex that Printech must compete with. Many companies have taken matters into their own hands. Jenrite recently ran a road show through the main centres. It was so successful that general manager Steven Kemp is talking about making it an annual event. In Auckland alone, numerous companies have held open houses, and similar events including Heidelberg, Allied Machinery Supplied, Blue Print Imaging, Graphica Technologies, Digital Vision and Fuji Xerox to name but a few. Other companies are happy to fly prospective clients to their show rooms, and to other print houses, both here and overseas.
Marketing itself has changed drastically since decision makers learned how to press the select button on their computers. Information, which used to be guarded, then released at trade shows like Printech is now accessible at the touch of a computer key. In the internet universe, we simply can’t keep any secrets and most companies have given up trying to guard those kinds of advantages. Instead, they find smarter ways of marketing their technology and different roads to drive to their markets.
No more Printech
IRENE Smith insists that the fact that dmg has put its trade shows up for sale won’t harm what it does in relation to Printech. She says, “The Australasian business is for sale. We had hoped to sell it as one but not now. We are splitting the trade show and home show portfolios.”
She concedes that no major print suppliers approached dmg about holding another Printech next year. There was one small supplier who contacted dmg about it. So a large part of dmg’s task must involve drumming up interest in the show. She agrees that there is no chance of holding a print show similar to the 2006 show, but says that dmg is in the business of making money from trade shows, so the company will continue looking for a market for a show. She says, “We’ll go back to the core advisers and let them know the results of our research. We want to communicate what print can do for the wider community. They’ve told us they don’t want metal on the ground, so we are looking at the next step onwards. It can’t just be a traditional print show; it has to be more than that.”
Smith says they will be contacting ad managers and direct mail managers to see if they would be interested in attending. She admits this would change the focus of the show, moving it way from print. She says, “It won’t be called Printech anymore.”
