Newspaper & Mailroom

World Publishing Expo Closes, But Innovation Continues

Friday 02. November 2012 - More than 7,000 visitors from more than 83 countries attended the World Publishing Expo, the world's largest exhibition for the news publishing and media industries, which closed in Frankfurt, Germany, on Wednesday.

“By all accounts, the Expo was productive for both exhibitors and visitors alike,” said Vincent Peyrègne, CEO of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), which organised the events. “I received much positive feedback from exhibitors who got more value than they had expected. It is clear to me that the unique value of the World Publishing Expo comes from WAN-IFRA’s global approach of integrating it into a strong mix of events, workshops and research programs, held over the course of the year around the world. The Expo is just the tip of the iceberg.”
“Given the economic climate and the technological transformation of news publishing, these exchanges between publishers and their partners in the supplier community come at a crucial time,” he said. “It is clear that many of the innovations that power the news publishing business originate with these suppliers. The Expo this year offered much that holds great promise for the future of publishing. Berlin, with the vibrant ecosystem of innovators located in the area, will bring a unique opportunity to strengthen the new personality of the World Publishing Expo in 2013.”
The 42nd annual exhibition included 261 exhibitors from 30 countries, including printing press manufacturers, editorial and advertising system providers, new media providers and other suppliers to the newspaper industry.
Fifty-five per cent of visitors came from outside of Germany, underlining the international scope of the event.
The publishing Expo also offered a series of conferences and seminars on print production, tablets and apps, social media, paid content and other subjects crucial to the future of news publishing.
A number or major orders were signed by production supplier companies during the Expo, including Eidos Media, Wifag, ppi Media, Saxotech, 5 fifteen, Digital Collections, DCOS and others.