Leipzig was for the second time, after 2003, the meeting place for the “world’s elite of the newspaper industry”.
This was the 35th IfraExpo that Ifra, the world’s leading organisation for newspaper and media publishing, has organised since 1970. The exhibitors reported a high volume of orders placed during the show in Leipzig.
Contributing to the success of this year’s IfraExpo, besides an innovative exhibition concept (new features were, for example, the special show “400 years of the newspaper” and the IfraExpo Solution Park) as well as the Ten Points Programme with improved services (including better accessibility to and special offers in Leipzig) and attractive excursions to newspaper publishing houses in the region. Well-attended side events (such as the Publishers Lounge) provided the framework for the annual event of the newspaper industry.
The leading exhibition for the newspaper industry took place in halls 2 and 4 of the Leipzig exhibition and fairground. 313 (2004 in Amsterdam: 278) exhibitors, including all market leaders and about 150 suppliers from Germany as well as from 21 (19) other countries, were represented and presented their products and services on a net stand space of more than 14,500 (12,703) m².
This year, in addition to the traditional companies, more than 60 (44) first-time exhibitors took part. Besides proven industry solutions, a total of more than 50 (60) suppliers informed about their “IfraFirsts”. An “IfraFirst” is a product presented to the public for the first time ever at an IfraExpo. The number of visitors who travelled to Leipzig (Amsterdam) totalled about 9000 (8628) from 74 (71) countries.
Richard Elmer, in charge of marketing communications at Ferag, is very satisfied with the exhibition. “We have signed many contracts; for example, we sold to Norway and Sweden.” He says the IfraExpo public is of very high quality, “and we prefer quality to quantity.”
Thomas Hauser, vice president, corporate marketing and communications, MAN Roland Druckmaschinen, says the IfraExpo is always a highlight in the printing branch. The company has signed several contracts and started new projects in the last few days. At 450 square meters, the MAN Roland stand is one of the larger ones at the fair. More than 100 staff members from the company’s offices have come to the show. Hauser says the atmosphere at the exhibition is great, maybe because of the fact that the economic health of the branch is improving after a long phase of hard times.
“If you want to be taken seriously in this branch, you have to be at the IfraExpo,” says Hans Walla, head of European Administration Operations at Fujifilm. He is happy that this exhibition is not as hectic as one-day shows are: “It’s good, because you have time for longer conversations.” Fujifilm distributors from 18 different countries came together to make contacts at the show.
