Printing Industry Events

In addition to featuring fully operational equipment, most printing exhibitions, conferences, and trade shows offer seminars on printing issues. Some exhibitors provide hands-on educational demos. And don’t forget to fill up your bag with all those cute tchotchkes such as promotional light-up pens, squeezable software mascots, and company T-shirts.

• Digital Print World www.digitalprintworld.co.uk

  Geared toward digital printing (as opposed to offset or letterpress printing), the annual Digital Print World is a predominantly British show, but it attracts attendees from all over the European Union.

• DRUPA www.drupa.com (English-language site); www.drupa.de (German-language site)

  Held every even-numbered year, DRUPA is enormous. That’s why it’s a two-week event. Featuring nearly 2,000 vendors and welcoming nearly 400,000 attendees, DRUPA is a truly international print show. Attendees can see everything from software vendors to bookbinding machines.

• Graphics of the Americas www.graphicsoftheamericas.com

  This Miami-based trade show is oriented toward Latin American printing consumers. While many exhibitors speak Spanish, and many of the educational sessions are presented in Spanish, it is a fully bilingual show.

• IPEX www.ipex.org

  Held in England, IPEX is very much an international print show, with large attendance from the United States and Europe.

• On Demand Conference and Exposition www.ondemandexpo.com

  Focusing on digital, on-demand printing solutions, the On Demand Expo includes exhibits and educational sessions devoted to variable-data printing issues.

• Print/GraphEXPO/Converting Expo www.gasc.org

  The GraphEXPO shows in Chicago occur annually, but every four years (2001, 2005, 2009, 2013, and so on), they kick it up a notch and present the even larger PRINT show. The PRINT shows include actual operating printing and finishing equipment and occupy the massive McCormick Place convention center from the floors to the rafters. Wear comfortable shoes.