Sign & Digital UK announces the schedule and speaker line up for the 2019 show, headlined by Coffee Republic co-founder, Sahar Hashemi. The country’s leading trade exhibition for the sign making, display and digital printing industry returns to the NEC Birmingham from 2 to 4 April 2019.

To kick things off and celebrate the show’s opening, visitors will get the chance to hear from Sahar Hashemi OBE, renowned entrepreneur and inspirational speaker, who will be presenting on the mainstage and then answering questions from the audience in a Q&A session. Taking place on Tuesday 2 April at 11am, Sahar is set to inspire visitors with her talk ‘Anyone can do it- Awaken the entrepreneur within.’ After her main stage appearance, Sahar will also be touring the show to interact with industry suppliers and to discuss the latest developments and innovations in the market.

The theatre’s extensive programme of free-to-attend sessions runs across the three show days, covering a diverse range of topics: retail, interior décor, textile print and materials, sustainability and the environment, print for personalisation, and colour management & workflow. Expert speakers will be discussing market trends, the latest industry innovations, practical applications and the profound influence of digital signage on the customer experience.

For the second year in a row, the show will host a series of industry panel debates to discuss current and future industry topics.

The not to be missed debate on Tuesday 2 April, Signage for Buildings and Interiors, will see experts from Espon, Antalis and William Smith Group discuss the impacts of digital printing in interior decorating and the options available to architects and designers to create their dream vision.

On Wednesday 3 April, leading industry consultant Colin Gilman will be chairing the debate, Focus on Personalisation. Senior experts from Hybrid Services, Livewire Consultancy and YPP Group will form the panel to discuss the rise of the small format flatbed printer and the impact this has had on the personalisation market. The speakers will be bringing the latest updates on this fast growing technology, and will be showcasing the broad range of opportunities for building a vibrant and profitable business in personalisation.

On Thursday 4 April, the show’s final day, a two-part session will be taking place across the afternoon. Under the umbrella title The Print Workflow, part 1 will focus on colour management and RIPs, and will see industry heads from CADlink Technology, Afga, Revolution Digital and GMG take to stage to shed light on the challenges involved with getting colour right for sign-makers and graphics printers.

Part two of The Print Workflow, titled Managing your Business, will look at the software products out there to help businesses achieve their best whilst simultaneously keeping down costs. With experts from Clarity and VISM sharing advice on stage, the seminar will provide insights into how businesses can ensure colour accuracy, reduce ink usage or minimise day-to-day operation costs while increasing efficiency in order to help the bottom line.

Portfolio director of Sign & Digital UK, Rudi Blackett, said: “Our 2019 show has a wider range of learning and advice opportunities than ever before, and we’re offering this to our visitors alongside an exciting line-up of experts to deliver the education programme in the Main Stage Theatre.

“In line with our theme The Face of Innovation, we’re excited for our engaging programme to highlight the growing innovations for our core sign, print and display markets, and provide those all-important opportunities to make lasting business connections face to face.”

For the full Main Stage theatre timetable, see here: https://www.signuk.com/main-stage-timetable.