Broadest and largest global research initiative ever (12-month data gathering project) to map wide-format print community

FESPA will launch the broadest ever census of wide-format print at FESPA Digital in Munich (20-23 May 2014). The aim of the FESPA Print Census is to gather the most comprehensive data ever compiled about the global wide-format printing community, its size, business performance, growth prospects and key areas of development and investment.

The FESPA Census consists of some 30 questions, devised by FESPA expanding on the framework used for the FESPA World Wide Survey, which has been undertaken periodically by FESPA since 2007.

Printers can complete the FESPA Print Census questionnaire online, or face-to-face at any of FESPA’s global exhibitions and events between now and the end of 2014. These include FESPA exhibitions in Johannesburg, Mexico City, Istanbul, Guangzhou and Sao Paulo and the Digital Textile Conference taking place in Milan in October.

The FESPA Census can be found online at www.fespa.com/census.

The FESPA Census data will be analysed on behalf of FESPA by independent industry research organisation InfoTrends. Interim data will be issued in a summary format each quarter, with the full Census report to be published to coincide with FESPA 2015 in Cologne, Germany.

FESPA General Secretary Sean Holt, who is driving the FESPA Print Census project in tandem with FESPA’s national associations comments: “As the leading global organisation representing the wide-format printing community, it’s vital that FESPA has robust information about that community and insights into the economic, structural, technological and social forces that are shaping it for the future. The FESPA World Wide Survey went part of the way to achieving this, but with the FESPA Print Census, we aim to significantly expand the base of respondents to give us the truest possible global picture. We are targeting a minimum of 2500 respondents which will allow us to provide statistically robust information on national, regional and global level.” 

“FESPA’s mission is to guide our community, through education, knowledge-sharing, best practice and networking. Every guide’s most valuable tool is an up-to-date map of their territory, and that’s what the Census is designed to do – provide FESPA with information which maps the contours of our industry, shows us global patterns, and gives us valuable pointers to share with our stakeholders.”

The FESPA Census project is funded through FESPA’s Profit for Purpose initiative, which deploys revenues from FESPA’s successful global event portfolio for the benefit of its community.

“The data derived from the FESPA Print Census will be invaluable intelligence for our members. It will help them to benchmark their own businesses with others, to gauge their performance against industry norms, and to see to what extent trends in their organisations are reflected elsewhere. This depth of market intelligence is scarce in our sector, and where it is available, it can be expensive or difficult to access. It’s part of our commitment to members of FESPA’s national associations that we will share this data with them free of charge. This approach means that anyone can benefit from this data for the modest price of an annual subscription to their national FESPA Association, along with all the other benefits that confers.” 

Printers completing the FESPA Print Census will be entered into a draw to win an all-expenses paid trip to the next FESPA flagship event for screen + digital + textile in Cologne Germany in 2015. In addition, visitors to FESPA Digital 2014 completing the Census will be entered into a daily prize draw to win a bottle of fine champagne. The draw will take place daily on the FESPA stand (A2-438) at 16.30 hrs.