Gulf Print & Pack 2017 preview

Gulf Print & Pack returns to Dubai World Trade Centre later this month, and will once again include a large presence from the label and package printing industry.

Gulf Print & Pack is the MENA region’s leading business-to-business event for all aspects of the printing industry, from commercial, web-to-print, security and transactional printing, to labels and package printing. The upcoming edition, taking place March 26-29, will again see a focus on the latest technologies and systems including advances and trends in presses, ink systems and smart labels.

Heidelberg exhibited at Gulf Print & Pack 2015 and returns in 2017, alongside Giffin Graphics, Kodak, Afra, Ali Alhashemi Trading, Bobst Africa & Middle East, Canon, Heliozid and Prestige Graphics. First-time exhibitors debuting at the show include Barberan, Holoprint Security Solutions, Imaging Care, Konica Minolta, Pacfort Packaging and Sun Papers & Labels.

Omet will be presented by its agent in the region, Printech Middle East. The Middle East and surrounding area is important for the Italian press manufacturer, which has already installed more than 20 machines in the Middle East. Omet has also previously outlined how it is targeting growth in Iran after reporting ‘huge interest’ in its technology at Iran Print & Pack 2016, and the implementation of an educational program in the country.

‘Gulf Print & Pack is a good opportunity to keep in close contact with all the players of this market,’ says Paolo Grasso, Omet sales manager. ‘It attracts visitors from all around the area, not only from Arabian countries but also from Iran and Turkey. It is undoubtedly the most important event in the whole area in terms of technological offer. Despite the harsh geopolitical and economic crisis, the Middle East market has been experiencing an ever-growing trend creating many business opportunities especially in the food sector, with a constant look to Dubai Expo 2020.’

Printech Middle East will also represent Prati, and shows the new Futura technology at Gulf Print & Pack 2017. Launched on the Saturn Omnia slitter rewinder, the new concept enables converters to immediately upgrade and adapt their equipment to keep pace with future demands. Compared to today’s standards, this unique open-platform technology enables an unlimited number of instant upgrades to safeguard the initial investment in finishing equipment, which are designed to cover a handful of market demands. The goal of the technology is to allow converters to adapt immediately to a fast-moving market. With Futura, on-site upgrades are available. Downtime is kept to a minimum and 24-hour stoppage is enough to upgrade what once required six days to accomplish.

Trelleborg’s Vulcan offset blankets are to be shown by the company’s Middle Eastern dealer, Monia Importers, and Nicola Tugnoli, sales area manager for the Middle East and Africa for Trelleborg's printing products, says the company is, ‘expecting a high level of interest at Gulf Print & Pack 2017, which attracts printers from many countries.’

Vulcan blankets are produced at Trelleborg's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Lodi Vecchio, Italy, and are delivered to Dubai already cut and barred, ready for use on-press

Hassan Abou Taam, Monia Importers managing director, says, ‘Vulcan is an exciting product to have in our portfolio, especially as the extent of the range provides a dedicated offset blanket solution for virtually every printing situation. Trelleborg provides large scale production combined with blankets for niche markets that have been created at its impressive research and development facilities in Italy. ‘Trelleborg also provides tremendous technical support and this gives us great confidence when dealing with customers, whatever area of offset they operate in. We're looking forward to exploring with visitors to our stand at Gulf Print & Pack 2017 how we can help to make their printing business more profitable.’

China’s Cron is taking part at Gulf Print & Pack for the first time, with a Cron HDI Flexo 1600 computer-to-plate (CtP) system to be on display on the Monia Group stand. Launched at drupa 2016, this will be the first time an HDI Flexo 1600 unit has been exhibited outside of China. Cron’s thermal CtP, TP4648G, will also be on display.

‘Cron is taking part in Gulf Print & Pack for the first time, having seen strong demand for our cost-effective pre-press solutions in the region,’ comments Derek Sizer, EMEA regional director, Cron Europe. ‘The HDI Flexo system delivers superior performance and fast turnaround plate setting, but is also very economical and low-environmental impact. Gulf Print and Pack attendees will be able to see first-hand how Cron’s CtP products deliver great flexibility for a great variety of packaging and labeling functions.’

Also making a debut in the UAE at Gulf Print & Pack 2017 are DPR's label and packaging systems. Two label and finishing systems from DPR's Zodiac product line will be showcased, alongside Gemini and Scorpio die-cutting systems.  

Other label and package printing names to see at Gulf Print & Pack 2017, either exhibiting directly or through their agent in the region, include Afinia, Allaoui Graphic Machinery, Ambel Labeling and Printing Material, Berhalter, Cosmo Films, Dee Dee Label, Diehard Dies, Enercon Industries, Erhardt + Leimer, hubergroup India, Labeltech, Martin Automatic, Maxcess, Mona Equipments, Monotech Systems, Nilpeter Middle East, PC Industries, Primera Technology Europe, RotoMetrics, Sistrade, Roberts Graphics, UEI Falcontec, Uflex, UPM Raflatac, Uteco, Weifang Donghang Graphic Technology and Yupo.

Smithers Pira will also be using the show to promote its The Future of Printing in the Middle East and North Africa to 2022 report, which highlights how the MENA print market offers dynamic and exciting opportunities. Data in the new report shows the region as a whole is set to expand from a value of 26.8 billion USD in 2017 at an annual rate of 8.7 percent to pass 40 billion USD in 2022. This contrasts with a mean annual growth of 2.4 percent for 2012-2017 reflecting the opening of, until now, underdeveloped countries to the full range of modern print products and technologies. This expansion is occurring against a more static backdrop for the print industry generally, with annual global growth pegged at a more sober two percent as traditional segments decline. As a consequence, the MENA region can be seen as an attractive strategic growth target for international print equipment and consumable suppliers.

Stephen Hill, Smithers Pira EMEA operations director, says, ‘the drop off in demand for high volume print products – like books and newspapers – in core European and North America markets, means the print industry needs to find new markets. And from a number of perspectives, MENA is very attractive for this. We are seeing global print firms opening new offices and reporting sales to the region, and local print service providers diversifying their product offering as they rapidly adopt new technologies.

‘Of course, selling effectively into MENA has some unique challenges but our research shows the demand is and will be there; and there are specific opportunities now, like the opening up of the post-sanctions Iranian market, and transition economies moving towards food sold in supermarkets in locally printed packaging.’

Smithers Pira’s report notes that the MENA region is not divorced from wider print technology trends, with digital – inkjet and toner – output set to rise at the fastest rate. Overall, MENA output will rise from 2.61 trillion A4 sheet equivalents in 2017 to 2.76 trillion in 2022. This is a more modest 2.8 percent annual growth, but emphasizes the value-adding potential and higher per unit print service providers will be able to realize with a new generation of print, pre-press and finishing equipment.

Visitors to Gulf Print & Pack 2017 will be able to pick up a free copy of the new Smithers Pira white paper, Print in the Middle East: 5 Opportunities for Growth, and purchase The Future of Printing in the Middle East and North Africa to 2022, with an exclusive 20 percent discount.

Michael Hodge, Gulf Print & Pack sales director, describes trade shows as, ‘a great barometer for business confidence.

‘We are extremely pleased to announce yet more industry leaders will be returning to exhibit this March,’ says Hodge. ‘The economic outlook for the Middle East’s print industry is very positive with data from Smithers Pira forecasting the market’s value to reach 24 billion USD this year. With a bigger show floor and wealth of new product launches due to be unveiled, we expect print buyers to again have access to the best print technology in the country and for exhibitors’ order books to be full with quality leads.’

Gulf Print & Pack is targeted at printers, brand owners and designers. Entry to the four-day trade fair is free and visitors can pre-register by visiting www.gulfprintpack.com.