FESPA gears up to re-start global shows—an update from CEO

Not just for the industries they serve but also for economies trade shows and events are vital. FESPA is an important part of this, and the organisers battled valiantly to stage shows during the COVID and beyond. This update from Neil Felton, CEO, FESPA, is revealing. Over the last several weeks, it finally feels like the whole FESPA world is back in motion after nearly two years on pause and with international connections so severely constrained. He reveals that in Mexico, Brazil and Europe, FESPA has been able to host the first live events after 18 months of successive postponements, and it’s been nothing short of fantastic to bring this colourful, creative global community of speciality print back together.

Across these three exhibitions on three continents, FESPA welcomed more than 30,000 individual printers, sign-makers and garment decorators. Delegates have travelled from more than 120 countries for the FESPA experience after such a long time deprived of the opportunity to connect with each other and suppliers in real life. At FESPA Mexico in late September, the team and 250 exhibiting brands met 8,287 visitors from 32 Mexican states and from 20 other countries, topped by USA, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain and Guatemala.