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VISUAL IMPACT SYDNEY 2023
Visual Impact Sydney achieves show success
Visual Impact Sydney achieved success this year, attracting the highest numbers of visitors since the mid-2010s
Just a few short of 4,000 people were clocked through the doors of the Visual Impact Sydney expo, with 936 of those from exhibitor teams. Numbers were fairly even across the three days, with just under 1,000 people attending on Day 1 – many of them queuing to get in as soon as doors opened – just over 1,000 on Day 2, and more than 900 people taking the opportunity to attend on the final, shorter day.
Some exhibitors, including Wilenco and Mutoh, reported selling all machines on their stands… and more.
Numerous product and technical experts from overseas manufacturers and local dealers also took the opportunity to share their knowledge and provide additional options to visitors. This was complemented by a program of seminars which ranged from specialist advice on
finance and skilled migration visas, to industry insights and tips from the experts.
New initiatives, like the Photo & Fine Art Exhibition, Photography Workshop and Channel Lettering Workshops were also well-received, not only creating interest for visitors, but helping to draw a wider and more diverse group of visitors to the show, according to the show’s organiser Visual Connections.
The Australian Sign & Graphic Association (ASGA) launched an innovative initiative known as the Sign Service Centre, conceptualised to serve as a hub for smaller suppliers that would prefer to present their offerings without having to commit to the purchase of exhibition space for the entire duration of the event.
The ASGA, together with Visual Connections, also saw the relaunch of the ‘Try-A-Trade’ focused education and recruitment initiative, attended by around 100 year 10 to 12 students.
The path ahead for these students was illustrated by the presentation of the LIA Graduate of the Year Awards, which saw the winner, Angus McGrath from Note Printing Victoria, win the $10,000 Visual Connections/LIA scholarship, while Multicolor Queensland’s Bradley Powell took out the Ball & Doggett $5,000 Future Leader Award.
The show started on a high note with a smoking ceremony and official welcome by the Gawura Cultural Immersions group at the entry to Halls 5 and 6 of the Sydney Showgrounds.
Inside Visual Impact, visitors saw all the latest innovations in systems, equipment, software, media, consumables and services for the diverse and exciting sector.
Here are some of the highlights of the four-day show:
BALL & DOGGETT
Ball & Doggett showcased a range of solutions, especially from HP and Roland, as the company bolsters its play in hardware following its Conect Enterprises acquisition.
At Visual Impact, the company’s sign, display and digital general manager Rob Brussolo took ProPrint on a tour of the stand where the new Roland TrueVIS AP-640 resin machine was on show.
In addition, the HP 700 W large format printer also took centre stage at Ball & Doggett’s stand. Brussolo also showed ProPrint the latest cast film from Metamark, the MetaCast MCX which recently launched in May.
A highlight on the stand was the purchase of a HP Latex R2000 supplied by Ball & Doggett by Victoria-based signage and installation company Printflex. The deal was finalised the show.
CMYKHUB
“The team at CMYKhub enjoyed a steady stream of visitors at our stand over the three days. We enjoyed catching up with several existing trade partners and meeting new ones outside of their busy workdays. We were overwhelmed by the support for our pending roll label launch with sample pack requests at the show. This has been reflected in an encouraging product launch last week, with several orders placed already, as well as hundreds of quotes completed, and sample packs distributed nationally,”
CMYKhub national communications manager Glen Francis said, adding that Visual Impact was also a fantastic opportunity to share the company’s low-cost subscription prepress and graphic design service, Design Desk.
“We found the signage industry particularly engaged with our solution to provide them more time to focus on production and installation rather than creating the artwork. The ability to re-create low resolution images for them to print at large scale was a feature they highlighted as key for their business.”
EPSON
Epson’s theme at Visual Impact 2023 was, “Relax, you are in good hands” as it demonstrated consistent quality imaging across a range of different media types and showed a sample of its new SC-F2260 direct-to-garment (DTG) and direct-to-film (DTF) printer. The printer is expected to ship in July and features a host of upgrades that make it faster and more efficient while also enhancing support for increasingly popular DTF production workflow.
Epson Australia marketing manager Priscilla Dickason said, “You’re in good hands because we have everything you need regarding digital signage, DTG, DTF and much more. The main objective is to showcase everything that Epson products can do. We moved a little bit away from our normal corporate theme. The first thing you saw when entering the show floor was our beautiful lion print with the Epson logo. There was a lot of colour on the stand to stand out from the crowd. It all came together to show the breadth of products that Epson offers and its wide range of applications.”
HP
HP secured commitment on all printers showcased at the HP Beyond Expectations stand. In addition, the company confirmed several commitments from its valued channel partners, who also invested in HP’s presence at the event, and delivered countless printer demonstrations.
Visual Impact was HP’s first public viewing in Australia of the HP L2700 3.2 latex printer, which generated a lot of interest and excitement among visitors, customers and channel partners.
Reflecting on Visual Impact 2023, HP Australia country manager of large format print Craig Hardman said, “We are extremely happy with the success of Visual Impact in Sydney. The event was a huge hit and met all the expectations we had, with a lot of interest in the technology we had on show at the HP Beyond Expectations stand”.
JETMARK
Jetmark showcased the Colorjet Verve flatbed printer capable of printing on any rigid surface, including ACP, foam board, flute board, glass, ceramic tiles, and more, reliably and cost-effectively. The company also featured its Ultimate Digital Bulk Ink System, including new Eco and Eco 2 inks and promoted the Zed7 range of premium print, laminate, and glass etch films, Cover Styl architectural vinyl and Solar Screen high-performance window films.
KISSEL & WOLF
Kissel & Wolf showcased the high-volume Mutoh STS Direct to Film (DTF) printer with the Pronto Plus Series system on the Mutoh stand at Visual Impact Sydney.
Kissel & Wolf digital sales manager Andrew Marrs explained that the technology is new and started to emerge in “a pretty big way” last year, and that the STS DTF printer and Pronto Plus Series system was introduced to the Australian market at the beginning of this year.
“We already had an existing partnership with Mutoh, so when we found out that Mutoh was running its own version of the STS system, we realised that we have a product that we can get to market through a partnership with them,” he said.
POZITIVE
Pozitive showcased swissQprint’s latest Nyala technology at Visual Impact Sydney.
Pozitive managing director Phil Trumble said the 3.2m by 2m flatbed printer is one of the most versatile machines in the market.
“It has won best printer in its class in Europe for the last eight years running. The reason is that not only can you print flat sheets, you can also print flat cut sheets using our pin system, with multiple lay positions,” he said.
The swissQprint Nyala press delivers on many benefits with its cutting-edge print head technology and the high-precision droplet placement perfected by swissQprint. For example, the Nyala 4 achieves a maximum resolution of 1,350dpi, with an output of up to 206 m2/h.
PRINTIQ
Australian software businesses printIQ saw “lots of activity” on its stand at Visual Impact Sydney over the three days of the tradeshow. The company’s sales manager Justin Webber said printIQ has been in the
business of empowering printers for more than two decades, and doesn’t have plans to slow down any time soon.
The business is unique in that it updates its software several times a year following customer feedback and recommendations, and is passionate about continually developing products that empower printers to overcome any obstacle they may face, and believes that its technology is the key part of that success.
SMARTECH
“Visual Impact Sydney was an awe-inspiring event that left over 400 attendees captivated and inspired at the Smartech stand by the incredible showcase of innovation and technology in large format and print finishing Solutions,” Smartech graphics design manager Ximena Guzman said, confirming that the HP Z9 PRO and HP Latex 700w were star attractions on the stand and garnered significant attention with their exceptional print quality and versatility.
“Visitors were impressed by the stunning colours, sharp details, and seamless performance of these advanced large-format printers. Furthermore, the Aristo TL 1925 cutting solution demonstrated precision and efficiency, captivating audiences with its ability to seamlessly handle intricate designs and produce flawless results,” she said.
Guzman explained that the point of difference at the show was showcasing print finishing equipment, which highlighted Smartech’s commitment to excellent service nationwide. “The OKI Pro1050 and Graphtec DLC1000 solutions offers a complete label printing and cutting system for those looking to bring label production in-house. Additionally, our Parcel Locker Solutions generated considerable interest, providing a convenient 24/7 click and collect service to enhance the customer experience,” she added.
STARLEATON
Kwik Kopy Miller Street, Sydney purchased the first Canon Colorado M in Australia, finalised at the Starleaton stand, where the Canon Colorado M5W large-format (1.6m) roll-to-roll UVgel printer with white ink option, made its local debut.
In addition, Starleaton displayed a wide range of systems, equipment and media, and featured a host of sustainable solutions that represent ‘world’s best practice’ in advanced manufacturing, waste reduction and recyclability.
This included Neschen laminating machines, imaging devices including the Canon Colorado and Epson wide-format printers, and Zünd cutting systems and software for cutting, routing and engraving.
Also included in the range of solutions demonstrated at the show were the Epson SureColor R5000 64-inch resin printer featuring the new Epson UltraChrome RS ink and the 76-inch Epson SureColor F10060 dye-sublimation, as well as the Neenah Coldenhove transfer paper for dye-sublimation transfer printing, demonstrated in action on the Epson F10060 printer.
SPICERS
RollsRoller founder Göran Johansson flew to Visual Impact Sydney 2023 from Sweden to give exclusive demos of his equipment on the Spicers stand, where Queensland-based Storm Signage finalised the purchase of a RollsRoller Flatbed Applicator 340, supplied by Spicers Australia.
A focus of the Spicers stand was its new edition Evolution in Grip range suitable for window, wall and floor applications, which offers more sustainable solutions and includes brands such as 3M, General Formulations, Phototex, Kavalan, Bauhaus, Rocal , Yupo and Digitac (see page 32 for more info on this).
VELFLEX
Velflex exhibited a wide range of products for single and full-colour heat transfers, including Stahls' Hotronix presses and DTF machines.
Velfex managing director Ben Carroll said, “This is the first Australian engineered and designed DTF sheet-fed purpose-built machine. It’s designed and made by Impression Technology here in Frenchs Forest”.
Visitors to the Velflex stand were shown the benefits and differences between printing detailed transfers on intermittent sheet printers and continuous roll-to-roll technologies.
Carroll also hosted a seminar at the show themed of “Expand your offering with heat transfer”.
In conclusion, Visual Connections CEO Peter Harper said exhibitors were delighted with the attendance at the show this year, which was up 10 per cent on the last Sydney show in 2018, and up more than 20 per cent on the 2017 iteration.
For Harper and the Visual Connections team, however, the moment to bask in the success of one show is short – they are now already turning their sights to the next industry expo, Visual Impact Brisbane, which will run from 17 to 19 July 2024.
