Details of inaugural FESPA Eurasia event announced

FESPA is 'further expanding its global reach' with the launch of FESPA Eurasia 2013. The inaugural event will take place between 3rd and 5th October 2013 at the CNR Expo, Istanbul, Turkey.

Istanbul is the prime location for the FESPA Eurasia show, bridging the European and Asian continents. It is at the centre of Turkey’s economy, culture, and history as well as having a contemporary visitor infrastructure. The city is easily accessible from neighbouring countries in South East Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and West Asia with direct connections into Atatürk International Airport just 10 minutes from the CNR Expo venue.

Covering 7,000m2 and with the objective of attracting around 8,000 visitors, the FESPA Eurasia 2013 show is designed to provide visitors from across the region with access to innovative products, technology, applications and conference programmes tailored to specific market trends and requirements. The event will cover all aspects of wide format digital printing, signage, garment decoration and screen printing.

Turkey is ‘one of Europe’s fastest growing economies’ and it is predicted that in 2050 its ‘economy could be the second largest in Europe,excluding Russia.’ The retail sector in the region is experiencing massive growth; in Turkey alone the retail industry has a volume of 50 billion USD, creating growth markets in Point of Sale (POS), outdoor advertising and digital display.

The FESPA Eurasia show will have a dedicated sales representative on the ground in Istanbul and will be supported by the FESPA team in the UK.

FESPA’s Managing Director of Exhibitions and Events, Neil Felton explains, “Turkey and the surrounding economies are a huge growth market for the print industry and over recent years we’ve had increased interest from this region. For example 1500 visitors from the region attended FESPA 2010 and Turkey listed among the top 12 countries at FESPA Digital 2012 in Barcelona. Turkey has a strong presence in the garment decoration market, which is an important facet of all FESPA shows and will form a prominent part of FESPA Eurasia.”

Yasar Guvenen, FESPA Board Member and Owner of visual communications specialist AlVisual adds, “With the growth of this industry, it is important for a show like FESPA to share its knowledge and best practice to the market to help it flourish. It will provide the regional print community with the opportunity to see new technologies and learn about the latest developments, which will enable printers to examine their offerings and grow their business.”

Taner Guven of consumable manufacturer, Optimum Digital Planet comments, “The regional print market is growing, with solvent and ecosolvent sales constantly increasing. The UV market is also thriving because of the textile printing industry. FESPA Eurasia will have a positive effect on the Turkish and surrounding countries’ print markets; many printers in the region don’t have a Schengen visa, so are unable to attend the FESPA shows. A FESPA event in Istanbul will reach printers that FESPA’s main European and Asian events cannot.”

Neil Felton continues: “We’ve been assessing the market for a while and have been intensifying relationships with associations and major print service providers (PSPs) in the region to understand the demand and main growth areas. We believe that establishing our brand in the Eurasian market will help FESPA’s global reputation and attract major suppliers keen to reach customers and prospects in these important developing countries. The market will benefit not only from a high calibre exhibition but also from an educational programme consistent with FESPA’s philosophy of reinvesting profit for the long term benefit of the printing community.”