September 16, 2002 -- Reston, VA Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC), producer of GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO 2002, held this year October 6-9 at McCormick Place South, Chicago, IL, announced today that the number of companies sending representatives to the exhibition this year, approximately 4838, is over 14% higher than company registration levels at this same time relative to the show dates in the year 2000. Seminar attendance figures for 2002 are running significantly ahead of those at the 2000 event, and pre-registration counts for seminars are ahead of levels for the PRINT01 event, a record for GASC Seminar programs at this point in advance of the show dates. We feel these are very positive statistics, reflecting the commitment and fortitude of graphic communications companies in our industry. It indicates that the show is still very high on corporate priority lists and is deeply integrated into printers purchasing and business plans this year, noted Regis J. Delmontagne, president of GASC. The 2000 event was statistically a very strong one for the annual gathering of graphic communications professionals, manufacturers, suppliers, consultants, designers, dealers and technical developers. The show was held late September at McCormick Place North in Chicago, and drew about 46,000 people to view 575 company exhibits, covering 480,000 net square feet of exhibit space. The 2002 event is reflective of the current economic and cultural conditions, including tightened budgets, travel restrictions, business consolidations and a less than robust stock market. These factors may contribute to the slightly reduced overall attendance, compared to GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO 2000, but the company representation statistics indicate that the buying power will certainly be there for exhibitors. This years event will consist of one large exhibit hall covering 380,000 square feet, hosting nearly 550 exhibitors, and expecting approximately 40,000 attendees. In weeks immediately preceding the show, a number of exhibitors have requested additional booth space to accommodate anticipated demand. Sales opportunities for exhibitors should be strong, as the show acts as a release for pent up demand evident after 18 months of economic downturn and stock market turmoil. All of a sudden around the end of last year, we began to see demand from our own customers, printers, who were feeling demand from their customers, said Carol Anderson, CEO of Prism USA. Still the largest gathering for the industry, the event will feature several new items this year, including the Wide Format Opportunities Pavilion, the Winners Circle Packaging Excellence display, and product introductions from the worlds top industry manufacturers. Additionally, there are several related industry events scheduled surrounding the show this year, including the R&E Council Trends Breakfast, PIA Premier Print Awards, NAPLs Soderstrom Society Dinner, GATF Teachers Conference, Gold Ink Awards Banquet, IDIA Conference, Indigo Users Meeting, Xeikon Digital Printing Association Users Conference, HDIA Annual Meeting and others. All indications point to a strong show this year, including the company representation total, strong pre-registration activity, high levels of activity on the shows web site, www.graphexpo.com, record levels of seminar participation, and strong exhibitor participation. Web site visitors can also obtain information about other GASC-managed events, including EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK, PRINT, the GUTENBERG FESTIVAL, GRAPHIC ARTS THE CHARLOTTE SHOW and the VUE/POINT Conference. GASC is owned by the National Association for Printing Leadership, NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies (NPES), and the Printing Industries of America (PIA). GASC is located at 1899 Preston White Drive, Reston, VA 20191-4367 USA, telephone: 703/264-7200, fax: 703/620-9187, e-mail: [email protected]. For additional Information Conatact David Poulos, 703/264-7200