Sign Africa Durban Expo Showcased Latest Signage And Print Trends

The Sign Africa Durban expo, which took place from 13-14 March at the Durban ICC, not only attracted visitors from all around KwaZulu-Natal, but also areas such as Maputo, East London, Lesotho and Johannesburg.

The 1005 visitors who attended were inspired by the latest technologies and trends in printing, branding, T-shirt printing, vehicle graphics, direct to film and garment solutions, laser engraving, digital label printing and other cutting edge technology.

Exhibitor Feedback:

‘It was a great show. We had a number of leads, both for our consumable and equipment range. The leads are all strong, so I think the quality of visitors was really great,’ said Gavin Turner, Intamarket Graphics.

‘We introduced our CO2 laser machine to the KZN market for the very first time and we generated a lot of interest. Our presence in KZN is getting felt now because we have been here for a couple of years. Something new that we also showcased to the KZN market was our gift division and interior decor items. We found a lot of people who are decision makers in terms of procurement and purchasing coming through and showing a lot of interest, and we already got a few orders, which is a positive sign,’ said Gourav Baid, Allrich.

‘Regarding the newly developed Canon channel, the (first day of the show) was a cracker. Before 10am, we had 13 inquiries that turned into leads. I am going to schedule a follow up round of sessions with all the leads that were generated. So (the show) is definitely worth the bang for the buck,’ said Jason Annetts, Kemtek.

‘We got some solid leads. Our Mimaki CJV150-160 always goes down well in Durban. And we had quite a few calls for our sublimation and our JFX200-2513 EX,’ said Prunel Bhoophal, Graphix Supply World.

‘I noticed a lot of people walking through, which was great, (including) people that are not from the industry that were quite intrigued by our product. In general, I think it was a great success,’ said Kuben Pakkri, Metro Plastics.

‘For newer machines, we had a better influx of people that wanted machines instead of people just browsing for machines, and looking for what they need for their new businesses. It was a good show. It’s been productive. We had a lot more people that were interested in purchasing solvent and UV printers. DTF has been the biggest question on everyone’s lips at the moment as well, and it’s going to become big in the market. People were very impressed with the speed of the new ER-642,’ said Calvin Spracklen, Roland.

Judges visited each stand at the expo and judged the stands according to criteria based on design, staff friendliness and professionalism. The results are as follows:

Sign Africa Small Floor Space

Winner: Uprint Digital Direct.
Runner up: National Screen & Digital Supplies.

Sign Africa Small Shell Scheme

Winner: JG Electronics.

Sign Africa Medium Floor Space

Tied: Maizey Plastics and Macquip and Screenwise.

Sign Africa Medium Shell Scheme

Winner: Midcomp.
Runner up: Chemosol.

Sign Africa Large Floor Space

Winner: Roland Speedwrap Challenge.
Runner up: Curv Signage Systems.

Africa Print Small Floor Space

Winner: Fujifilm Graphic Communication South Africa.