Fespa has confirmed three new feature events in 2024. Making their debut: the Digital Signage Lounge, the Personalise Make Wear Smart Factory, and the Sportswear Pro Conference.
The Personalisation Experience Conference, World Wrap Masters, Sustainability Spotlight and Club Fespa Lounge will also return. These features will run alongside this year’s Fespa Global Print Expo and the co-located European Sign Expo, Personalisation Experience and Sportswear Pro events. The show runs from March 19–22 at RAI Amsterdam in The Netherlands.
Digital Signage Lounge
The European Sign Expo 2024 will host the new Digital Signage Lounge, a networking hub created for visitors to explore business opportunities associated with digital signage. The lounge will highlight advancements in the digital sign sector, showcase the latest digital screens and software, and offer expert advice. Visitors to the Digital Signage Lounge will also gain free online access to the ‘Fespa How-to Guide’, for any printer exploring digital signage as an added business offering to their customers. Daily workshops, run by digital signage experts, will also take place each afternoon.
Personalise Make Wear
Also new in 2024, and part of Personalisation Experience and Sportswear Pro, is the Personalise Make Wear Smart Factory. Debbie McKeegan, textile ambassador for Fespa, will host this feature. The Smart Factory will demonstrate end to end production of personalised sportswear garments and merchandise across four workflows:
- Direct to garment production of polyester training tops, using print and software solutions.
- Roll to roll production of yoga pants, using design, print and finishing solutions.
- Direct to object printing on water bottles.
- Direct to film transfers for sweatpants.
Visitors can attend guided production tours of the workflows and daily catwalk runway shows.
In addition, Debbie McKeegan will host fireside chats on topics including: ‘The Smart Factory and Customisation Technology Explored’; ‘How to Implement Sustainable Manufacturing at any Scale’; ‘Personalised Production – Opportunities, Challenges and Solutions’; and ‘The Market Shifts and Technologies Driving Print Workflow Automation’.
Sustainability Spotlight
This feature will highlight more than 100 eco-conscious graphics and textiles substrates, while giving visitors the opportunity to learn about more sustainable production processes.
Materials on display will include natural and cellulosic fibre types which, when combined with social initiatives across Africa and Asia, make smaller volumes more cost effective. This is particularly useful because, while Europe is a key generator of new fibre types, the difficulty in scaling these up into other countries is challenging.
Each substrate on display will include an information card so participants can learn about its sustainable attributes and how it can be used to produce innovative, environmentally conscious products. Visitors can access the free Sustainability Spotlight content catalogue after they have attended. Content in the catalogue includes: blogs, podcasts and interviews from global brands and experts, exploring themes such as certification Schemes, Energy Reduction, and more.
Michael Ryan, head of Fespa Global Print Expo, says, “By attending our educational events, visitors are guaranteed to enhance their industry knowledge, learn about the latest industry trends and be inspired by other printers and visual communicators.
“Our Digital Signage Lounge and Personalise Make Wear features are set to be insightful and impactful. The popular Sustainability Spotlight and World Wrap Masters events will be enjoyed by first-time and returning visitors alike. Additionally, our Personalisation Experience and Sportswear Pro conference programmes will give visitors even more of an opportunity to learn, network and maximise their business growth. This year, there’s truly something for everyone and we can’t wait to share the experience with visitors.”
