AWA Pressure-Sensitive Graphic Films Seminar 2017 predicts greatest volume growth prospects in Asia

AWA Pressure-Sensitive Graphic Films Seminar 2017 has recently been organised in New Orleans (October 9), opening new vision and prospect of the signage industry, covering topics on vehicle graphics, architectural graphics, and promotional graphics as well as supply chain, with an update on global market developments and technologies coupled with industry innovation and issues. The 2017 edition of this annual event, which alternates between Europe and US, opened with an overview of the global graphic films market from Sami Mulari, manager, Market Research and Consulting, for AWA Alexander Associates – global market researchers and consultants with a unique industry focus on the specialty paper, film, packaging, printing, coating and converting sector.

Mulari showed how the robust graphic films arena will grow at a solid annual growth of six percent to 2019 globally, with the greatest prospects volume growth prospects in Asia – with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.3 percent. Indoor advertising and branding applications still claim the highest percentage market share globally, but the vehicle graphics sector will, he said, experience the greatest upswing to 2019 – 8.5 percent. Referring to the changing wide-format market, Steve Urmano, director of Wide Format for Keypoint Intelligence/InfoTrends, then took the stage to delve more deeply into the opportunities for pressure-sensitive materials for wide-format printing. He said flatbed UV inkjet is proving the most versatile of today’s technologies. Others sessions at the seminar focused on include demanding applications of polyurethane films, successful retail graphics, ink/substrate combinations, and indoor advertising and branding. At the closing remarks, Sami Mulari thanked the seminar’s gold sponsors HP and UPM for their support.