March 9, 2005 -- How seriously do commercial printers and other graphic communications businesses take the rapidly expanding market for large format printing? PRINT 05 & CONVERTINGSM 05 will deliver a vivid answer this September with a special Wide Format Pavilion that’s roughly 15 times larger than it was in its first edition just three years ago. From a 2002 launch with 1,500 square feet of exhibits, the Pavilion in 2005 will exceed 20,000 net square feet -- larger than many specialized trade shows. PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05 will take place on September 9-15, 2005 at the McCormick Place Complex in Chicago. Some 80,000 people from all over the world are expected to participate, viewing nearly 800 exhibitstotaling more than 750,000 net square feet of booth space. The special wide format display area will present all the technology, equipment and supplies a company needs to produce trade show graphics, posters, point-of-sale displays, vehicle wraps, package prototypes, large banners, fine art reproductions, photo enlargements, and a multitude of other products. Moreover, while the original Pavilion three years ago consisted of a few wide format printer manufacturers in a common area, this year’s showcase already boasts 17 displays of 400 square feet or larger including six that top 1,000 square feet and is still growing. The five largest exhibitors as of March 1 are Sericol, Inc., Scitex Vision America, Gandinnovations, VUTEk and Zund America. These larger exhibit spaces reflect the fact that wide format printer manufacturers are bringing their major equipment to the show and planning live demonstrations for the PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05 audience. First time exhibitors have also recognized the value of the Pavilion, including such industry leaders as Mimaki, Mutoh America, and Roland DGA. In fact, the Pavilion’s largest display, 3,000 square feet, is being staged by a first-time exhibitor, Sericol, Inc. In addition to the exhibits, special free educational presentations will be offered throughout the show, in the Wide Format Theater within the Pavilion. The PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05 seminar program will also offer sessions focusing on technology and business opportunities in wide format output, including Frank Romano of RIT offering “Digital and Wide Format Printing – Things Your Mother Never Told You”; David King, President of Castle Graphics “Everything About Large Format Digital Graphics”, and Jack Duganne, renowned digital fine art producer, offering a 2-part series on “Getting Started in Digital Printmaking.” For commercial printers, wide format production offers an attractive combination of high-value finished products, significant growth potential, and a modest initial investment, particularly if the printer already has wide format inkjet printers in the shop, being used for proofing or other functions. “The potential market is huge,” says David King, vice president/sales and marketing at Castle Graphics, Concord, MA. “If you’re a manufacturer and you need to promote your products to the world in any form, at some point you will come across a large format output device.” “Our goal in promoting the Wide Format Pavilion has been both to help our attendees seize one of the most promising growth opportunities in the marketplace and to help them anticipate and respond to new competition,” said Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC) President Regis J. Delmontagne. A major part of seizing opportunities, and entering new markets, King adds, is sound preparation. “By no stretch of the imagination is it easy,” he comments. Among the critical steps for a company exploring wide format options is intensive self-education, relying on such tools as trade show seminars, and the opportunity to ask questions of the most knowledgeable vendor reps. Another high-visibility feature of the Pavilion is the Innovation Gallery, a display of creative and exciting products generated by wide format tools. Items displayed in the Gallery illustrate a wide array of business opportunities for show attendees, and highlight cutting-edge applications using digital inkjet machines. In past years, the Gallery has included: •Fine art printmaking and photography •Special package design and prototyping solutions •Garments and textiles •Home decorating items such as flooring and wall covering •Proofs and commercial point-of-sales material created on the same printer without setup changes. •Wide format printing on such diverse substrates as aluminum and polycarbonate resin. Complete information about exhibits, seminars, special events and other features of PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05 is available at www.PRINT05.com. Online hotel reservations are also available now, and visitors are urged to make these arrangements early, since hotel space is expected to be very scarce as the show approaches.