North Print & Pack 2013, which this year included packaging for the first time, has been hailed a success by exhibitors. Visitor numbers to the Harrogate International Centre saw an 8% increase to the 2011 figures, with 2,421*over three days. The quality of delegates produced a resounding endorsement from exhibitors who confirmed that North Print & Pack continues to play a key role in the UK print and packaging calendar. 

Mary Buck, Sales Manager for North Print & Pack comments: "It was clear at North Print & Pack that the show was a key event for print service providers, label printers and packaging converters to attend in 2013 despite the print and packaging industry facing many challenges and changes. We are satisfied with the number of key decision makers it attracted - the hardware and software sales at the show are testimony to this. The rich educational programme has also proved very popular with delegates from the print and packaging industries, proving the importance of strong educational content to compliment the technologies on show."

MGI Technology Director, David Evans, agrees: "Our industry is facing serious challenges at the moment, but Informa Exhibitions has done a brilliant job to ensure the right people visited North Print & Pack, proving that this is still a worthwhile show to attend."

MIS provider, Accura, anticipates a great return on investments from the show. Alan McKillop, Regional Sales Manager, comments: "North Print & Pack 2013 has been a really good show for us to attend, with a steady flow of high quality visitors to our stand over the course of the three days. I expect that we will see an excellent ROI when we followup on our leads over the next few weeks."

"For YPS, North Print and Pack was a significant investment, but one that paid off handsomely," adds Hazel Watt, commercial director at Your Print Specialists (YPS). "The prime objective was to raise awareness of our service-led wide-format proposition amongst commercial and packaging printers in the north of England, and the show delivered just that. We left with more than 100 strong leads and were delighted with the cross-section of decision-making attendees, in particular the diversity of businesses interested in our Mimaki range of wide-format technologies."

The extensive VIP programme and compelling educational sessions in The Knowledge Centre attracted nearly triple the amount of VIPs in 2011, which contributed to the high quality of visitors observed by exhibitors. This was reflected in the number of sales on exhibitor stands throughout the show.

Konica Minolta UK sold seven production systems in just three key contracts that were secured on day two of the show. Malcolm Glynn, Head of Marketing for Konica Minolta UK, says: "This success is a perfect example of how our consultative approach is enabling companies to grow their businesses through investing in our technology. North Print & Pack 2013 has been a great show for us. We've been seeing decision-makers and had huge amounts of interest in our KM-1 and B2 sheet-fed UV inkjet press, and other Konica Minolta's solutions. The fact that they have been spending money with us is very positive news for our industry."

Visitors to the Morgana stand were able to view a wide range of finishing products, including its 2000S Booklet making system that was launched at the show. Raymond Hillhouse, UK Sales Manager at Morgana Systems Ltd, comments: "North Print & Pack 2013 was the ideal show for us to launch our new 2000S Booklet making systems with the ACF510 feeder. It gave us the opportunity to meet with new prospects and existing customers, with some key decision makers amongst them. We've taken a few orders on the stand and have some solid prospects to follow up on after the show."

On the Ricoh stand, sales of digital presses and software solutions from Ricoh, Pentax and on-stand partners were strong across the three days. Gareth Parker, Strategic Marketing Manager, Production Print, Ricoh UK comments: "With an event like North Print & Pack, the focus for Ricoh is always on the quality rather than quantity of visitors. It gives us a chance to get closer to customers, encourage them to learn more about how digital print can add greater value to their businesses and understand more about how we can support them and their aspirations. Those who visited the Ricoh stand this year were high-level decision makers, there to understand our offering in much greater depth and see our range of hardware and software solutions and added-value solutions such as the Business Driver Programme and Ricoh's IT Services division in the more relaxed environment a smaller, focused show offers. There was considerable interest in our new Pro C901 GA+ and C5110S digital presses as well as our ever-expanding TotalFlow range of workflow solutions. Overall, it was a great show and we're looking forward to continuing our conversations with visitors on how Ricoh can assist them to transform their business in the coming months."

"Exhibiting at North Print& Pack again has been very worthwhile for Autobond", says John Gilmore, Managing Director, Autobond. "Our stand was beside the entrance, so we met lots of new and existing customers from all over the UK and Ireland. It was the first time we've exhibited our B2 digital inkjet spot UV machine in the UK since it was launched at drupa 2012, and it definitely impressed the visitors to our stand - we should sell many more in the coming months. We also sold two of our new B2 entry-level Micro 52 laminators during the show."

North Print & Pack 2013 also attracted a number of brand owners, which resonated well with many exhibitors. Paul Briggs, Regional Sales Manager, Labels & Packaging, Xeikon UK, comments: "We are pleasantly surprised with the quality of attendees and the number of brand owners we spoke to over the course of the three days. This isn't usually a group of people we get to see, so we're pleased that North Print & Pack 2013 attracted these visitors. In addition, we also had meaningful discussions with new and existing customers from around the country."

"We met with a wide cross section of the industry interested in seeing the power of personalised promotional and gift cartons printed by RCS on a Screen B2 Truepress and digitally embossed with Scodix, adds Bui Burke, VP Sales, Screen Europe."Our booth attracted manufacturers, brand owners, retailers, printers and the press - all interested in seeing the potential of a new application. What we showed at North Print & Pack has definitely sparked industry interest."

Steffen Haaga, Director of Sales, EPS EMEA, EFI, comments: "North Print & Pack is a good show for us to meet with new and existing customers in the North - we can spend time with each of them to have meaningful discussions and to show our complete workflow and how it fits in with other exhibitor solutions."

David Lee, Managing Director of Focus Label Machinery Ltd, adds: "North Print & Pack was a busy and positive show for us - we met with very positive customers and potential customers and have a number of leads to follow-up on in the next few weeks."

Jamie Boggis, Sales Manager - Print, technotrans, says: "North Print & Pack offered technotrans the opportunity to announce its move into digital printing. It also raised the profile of our UV ancillaries to the packaging market and to meet up with OEM partners. Harrogate is a great venue; everyone loves to visit."

K2 International this year shared its stand for the first time with Roland DG UK. "It is important for us to provide our customers with the best solutions for their needs, and the Roland device perfectly complements our flexo solutions," explains RusselOddy, Managing Director, K2 International. "North Print & Pack 2013 is the ideal show for us to do business - we've had excellent leads which we will follow up on in the coming weeks."

North Print & Pack also celebrated print's young talent by playing host to the eighth annual PrintIT! Awards ceremony. Around 200 students, parents, teachers and awards sponsors congregated on the final day to see the winners in the eight categories, as well as the overall winner, receiving their individual rewards as well as prizes for their schools.

"We're delighted to be hearing this feedback from exhibitors who committed to North Print & Pack 2013. It's gratifying to know that we delivered a high calibre audience, which will in turn produce the ROI they're looking for from attending," concludes Mary Buck. "North Print & Pack mixed all facets of our industry; print and packaging, analogue and digital, young and old. At a time when we are constantly debating the challenges this sector faces, it was a pleasure to see the community come together at an event with such a rich heritage."