With more than 80 signed purchase orders, the Polygraphinter trade show, which took place from October 4 to 8, 2011 in Moscow, proved to be a great success for Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg). Under the "HEI Performance - HEI Value" banner, the 1,000 square meter booth run by Heidelberg CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) demonstrated how print shops can achieve cost-effective and eco-friendly print production using state-of-the-art technologies and services. The most important trade show of the year in Russia attracted a total of over 15,000 visitors who showed great interest in the Heidelberg CIS booth and the launch of the Speedmaster CX 102 on the Russian market. This industrial offset printing press has been designed for production speeds of 16,500 sheets per hour and was unveiled by Heidelberg for the first time at IPEX 2010. With the Speedmaster CX 102, the 70 x 100 cm (27.56 x 39.37 in) format portfolio has been completed and gives commercial and packaging printers the opportunity to choose the Speedmaster SM, CD, CX, and XL models that match their specific requirements. Approximately 200 Speedmaster CX 102 presses have so far been sold worldwide.

Digital printing collaboration agreed between Heidelberg CIS and Ricoh RUS
Another highlight at Polygraphinter was the announcement of the intended digital print collaboration between Heidelberg CIS and Ricoh RUS in Russia. Heidelberg CIS plans to start supplying digital printing systems in Russia at the end of 2011, thereby enabling it to offer customers an even broader portfolio. "The trend towards short-runs and increased flexibility in print production is also taking hold in Russia. That is why we are complementing our range of tried-and-tested, cost-effective, and high-quality offset printing solutions with digital printing, thereby giving printshops the opportunity to implement variable data printing and produce in very short-run sizes," said Bernhard Schreier, CEO of Heidelberg. From the end of this year, customers will be able to order the Ricoh Pro C 901 and the new Ricoh digital printing systems Pro C651ex/C751ex and Pro C751.

Heidelberg launched its digital printing collaboration with Ricoh in Germany and the UK in spring this year. The sales agreement has already been rolled out successfully in a number of countries and is to be in place worldwide by the time of the drupa trade show in May 2012.

Solutions from Heidelberg improve competitiveness
Customers in Russia appreciate the comprehensive solution strategy that Heidelberg has adopted in its product portfolio. As a result, sales of prepress equipment and presses were accompanied by an above-average volume of postpress sales. There was also huge demand for consumables and service contracts from Heidelberg. "Heidelberg CIS had a very successful trade show and we are extremely pleased with the results that were achieved over the five days of the exhibition. This shows that customers worldwide still have confidence in the print media industry and that we have been able to extend our market leadership in Russia," said Katie Rocaries, head of Heidelberg CIS.

Visitors to the Heidelberg CIS booth were shown how they can incorporate important market trends such as efficient packaging production, differentiation through creative print applications, and ecological printing into their own businesses. Comprehensive workflow integration with Prinect, the benefits offered by the Saphira range of consumables from Heidelberg, and a wide variety of training and consultancy services rounded off the portfolio. Of particular interest was Heidelberg Systemservice, which used the trade show to showcase how print shops can further improve their availability and performance using original service parts, Remote Service, process analysis, environmental certification, and employee training.

The workshops that Heidelberg CIS staged on ecological printing and financing options were also well attended. Sustainable printing is a global trend and will also attract ever greater levels of demand in Russia. Fascinated audiences also attended presentations about Saphira, chemical-free plates, waste reduction, and energy savings in printing presses.

15-year history of Heidelberg CIS ensures market leadership
Heidelberg CIS celebrated its 15th anniversary during the trade show. Founded in 1996, the company now has 14 branches in major regional hubs across Russia and the CIS states. A total of 250 employees, including 60 service engineers, cater to varied customer requirements. Heidelberg CIS currently has a 40 percent share of the market for sheetfed offset presses and is also the market leader for prepress equipment, with a market share of over 30 percent. Print production volumes in Russia are growing. For example, in 2010, advertising volumes grew by 2.4 percent and packaging volumes by 3.5 percent - outstripping global averages.

Specialist training is a key area where the Print Media Academy (PMA) in Moscow has been doing exemplary work since its establishment in 2000. Besides training printshop personnel, the PMA also supports educational institutes by offering special seminars for students.