The stands may be packed away and the last visitors long gone, but Gulf Print & Pack organisers are still reeling from the success of their best event to date.
Gulf Print & Pack
Priding itself as the definitive platform for commercial and package printing in the Middle East, Gulf Print & Pack 2015 posted a 26.7 per cent rise in visitor numbers since the last outing, with a footfall of nearly 12,000.
The event was inaugurated by H.H. Sheikh Hasher Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, Director General of Dubai Information Department, and was hosted by the Dubai World Trade Centre for four days April 13th-16th 2015 and from registration details, 110 countries were represented by visitors compared to 93 in 2013, 83 in 2011 and 65 in 2009, indicating just how important the Middle East's print and packaging industries have become on the global stage.
The majority of visitors were from the UAE, but the wider MENA region was represented in the data, with both onsite and pre-registered visitors coming from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, India and Kuwait. India, China and Pakistan were also represented.
More than 300 exhibitors took their place on the show floor for the event, including: AFRA, Bobst, Emirates Trans Graphics, Giffin Graphics, Heidelberg, Kodak, Nilpeter, Omet, Prati, Prestige Graphics Trading and Xerox. There was also an increase of nearly one-third (30 per cent) more working machinery on the show floor as businesses demonstrated their innovations in full flow for all to see.
Growing optimism in the Middle Eastern print and packaging industries paved the way for an
enterprising atmosphere at Gulf Print & Pack. Many deals were done including Saudi Arabia’s Al Khalaf Holding becoming the first buyer of Heidelberg’s newly launched Linoprint C Series machine. Logical Signage ccquired the region’s first Xerox Color 800i/1000i press, which also debuted at the show. Finally, Eiffel Printing Press LLC bought the brand new Ricoh ProTM C7100X from Giffin Graphics.
Mike Simmonds, Event Manager at Gulf Print & Pack, commented: "We are delighted with the amount of business conducted at Gulf Print & Pack 2015. The show has being gaining momentum every year and this edition has been the biggest and best ever to date. This year’s show was unquestionably upbeat and was a real buying show with many exhibitors selling everything on their stands. The exceptional level of business being done on the exhibition floor firmly positions Gulf Print & Pack as the region’s largest and most effective exhibition for commercial and packaging printers, brand owners and industry suppliers."