Asia Print Expo 2019, which took place from 21 to 23 February in Bangkok, Thailand, has been hailed a success by both visitors and exhibitors, cementing the event's position as a leading meeting point for Asian screen, digital and textile printers and signage.

4,501 individual visitors travelled to Asia Print Expo 2019 from 54 countries. Taking into account visitors attending the event across multiple days, the show attracted a total of 4,681 visitors, an increase of 8% compared with FESPA Asia 2018.

Visitors from the host country, Thailand, made up 80% of the audience. The other top ten countries were China, Korea, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines and Sri Lanka, underlining the event's reach in the ASEAN region and beyond.

Exhibitors commented positively on the seniority and purchasing intent of visitors, reinforced by FESPA's own visitor data, which shows that 68% of delegates were business owners or hold senior business positions and 83% of attendees were decision-makers or involved in the decision-making process.

Asia Print Expo's conference sessions were well attended, with 540 visitors joining the 21 seminar sessions across the three days, highlighting the demand for specialist knowledge in the region. This was emphasised by that fact that 43% of visitors stated that their top reason for attending the exhibition was to update their industry knowledge, followed by 21% who said they wanted to discover new products.

A total of 77 companies from 17 countries exhibited at Asia Print Expo with many sharing positive impressions of their participation. Marco De Rossi, Managing Director, Siser commented: "People should attend Asia Print Expo because there are quality visitors and exhibitors that can get together, have serious discussions and have the opportunity to get their messages across."

Surasak Samniangngam, Account Manager at Epson comments: "There was a high level of footfall at Asia Print Expo and a lot more in comparison to last year's event. The visitors that came to our booth are new customers and not just small businesses, but significant retail businesses. Visitors who are new to the industry and interested in investing attend Asia Print Expo."

Thamon Wongsart from NOP4630 Supplies Co., Ltd stated: "All entrepreneurs should definitely visit Asia Print Expo to see the latest trends and the newest machine models. By attending the event, newcomers to the industry can develop their expertise, improve quality and standards of craftsmanship, and make the best investments for a very profitable future."

Wrap Masters Asia
The Wrap Masters Asia event took place at Asia Print Expo, with 33 contestants battling it out to be regional champion. After three action-packed days where competitors were tasked with wrapping cars and helmets using Hexis vinyl products, Rendra Angga Agung Azka from Azka Wrap, Indonesia, took the Wrap Masters Asia title. He will now go on to compete in the World Wrap Masters Series Final, which takes place at FESPA Global Print Expo 2019 from 14 to 17 May in Munich, Germany.

Rendra commented on this win: "I truly believe that this competition can really help Asia's vehicle wrappers. My colleagues and I learned a lot from the competition and gained a lot of valuable experience. The World Wrap Masters competition pushes us and motivates us to be and do better."

Second and third place went to Eakkalak Tadnumtong from AkeSticker Shop and Kittisak Siriwarangkun from VR Wrap Shop respectively, both from Thailand. The competition gave the wrappers the opportunity to show off their skills, connect with fellow installers and learn new techniques.

Roz Guarnori, Exhibitions Director at FESPA, comments: "We're delighted once again with the success of our pan-Asian exhibition in 2019. This was the first edition of the exhibition under the Asian Print Expo brand, which clearly defines the event and communicates FESPA's sector focus. From our perspective the re-brand has contributed to an increase in total individual visitors and visitors from Thailand. Feedback from both exhibitors and visitors highlighted the importance they attach to this event, and reinforces our confidence in our proposition, both for the supplier community and for Asian printers and sign-makers."