FESPA Mexico 2016, which took place from 18-20 August, affirmed the event's position as the leading speciality event in Mexico and Central America.

9,507 unique visitors attended the 2016 exhibition in Mexico City, an increase of 5% from FESPA Mexico 2015. 56% of visitors devoted more than a day to their visit, demonstrating the increased range of applications and opportunities to be experienced at the show. Visitors were predominantly from Mexico State, although the show attracted 8% more visitors from further afield than in 2015. FESPA's Mexican member association, Canagraf, attracted a delegation of over 200 business representatives from six regional inward missions from all over Mexico, including Tabasco State.

FESPA Mexico 2016 was the largest edition to date in terms of floorspace, covering 12,250sqm and accommodating 157 exhibitors. Exhibitors acknowledged the high quality of visitors, of which over half were owners, directors or managers and 89% were directly involved in the decision making process. This was reflected in sales on the show floor as Soluciones Para Impresores recorded approximately 2-3 million dollars in sales, while Mutoh, Roland and HP also recorded excellent sales figures. 62% of visitors stated that they plan to purchase within 12 months of the show, signalling positive buying intent.

Through FESPA's onsite educational seminars it was clear that there is still a strong appetite for knowledge and guidance among Mexican PSPs with 83% more delegates attending the show seminars compared with FESPA Mexico 2015. The most popular sessions included: The new future of textile print; New application techniques for fabric print; and Market trends in textile screen and digital print 2016 - 17, reflecting the global trend towards textile printing.

The Wrap Masters Mexico sped back into action for this year's event, with Israel Ramirez from NCA Wrap, taking first place. With 13 years' experience in vinyl wrapping, Israel has been competing at the Wrap Masters Mexico since 2012, and has now secured the pole position. Second and third places went to Giovanni Rosas Linares from Adverta and José Antonio Ramírez Medina from Stick Fast respectively.

Michael Ryan, Group Exhibition Manager, comments: "FESPA Mexico 2016 was a tremendous success and we're delighted to have grown the attendance from FESPA Mexico 2015. The continued interest in FESPA Mexico highlights the strong demand for a show in this region. It was also fantastic to see increased interest in the seminars, underlining the appetite for knowledge and reflecting, in particular, the global trend for textile printing. This was also apparent on the show floor, with more textile printing solutions than ever around the halls."

Visitors enthusiasm for the event is reflected in their comments to the organisation team:
Oscar Manuel Ramírez Velasco, Laboratorios Fotográficos Cortés: "Simply astounding!"

Andrea Sañudo Chapou, Angraphy: "Attending FESPA Mexico 2016 has encouraged me to grow my business from the new providers and technologies I encountered at the event."

Estanislao Jorge Alonso Fabela, Excelencia y Liderazgo en Informatica, SA de CV: "It amazes me that every year this show gets better and better."

Juan Palao García, Juan Palao García Ilustración: "Visiting this exhibition provides you with indispensable information and an up-to-date overview of the industry and by doing so, ideas for exploring our potential as designers."

This positivity was mirrored by exhibitors: "We were thrilled with the traffic and the feedback we received at the show." Chantal Purcelle, Gildan Activewear.

"FESPA Mexico 2016 has been a very good show. It is an excellent meeting place to present new products and technologies to the regional market." Manuel Vega, Nazdar SourceOne Mexico.

FESPA Mexico 2017 will mark its 10th anniversary with a special edition of the event, taking place from 21 - 23 September 2017. For more information visit: www.fespamexico.com