GRAPH EXPO, held September 11-14 in Chicago, had a notable increase in attendance from 2010 to this year. Among the total 20,451 participants, which included exhibitors and attendees, 13,426 actual verified attendee/buyers came to the show—an increase of 7 percent from 2010. There was also an uptick in participation of high-level decision-makers from among 8,026 unique buyer companies—up 12 percent compared to the 2010 event.
The show floor itself was packed with 491 exhibiting companies filling 300,604 square feet of space. The companies showed off the latest technologies and applications, and 72 were first-time exhibitors.
“Our booth traffic was phenomenal and the results were much greater than we anticipated,” said Tim Zula, director of Marketing Communication for EskoArtwork, which exhibited at the show. “Adding to our success, the people we registered at the booth were good quality leads. We conducted many intense, high-level demonstrations, and there were many times when our demo pods were all booked up—for both hardware and software.”
In addition to a comprehensive exhibit floor, GRAPH EXPO also featured 34 co-located conferences, meetings, user groups, and activities that offered attendees new and expanded networking and education opportunities.
Next year, GRAPH EXPO 2012, themed “Print Integrated,” will take place from October 7-10 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. The show will debut the new Photo Imaging pavilion for photo imagers and retailers. Ten special-interest pavilions are planned for the show, as well as new and returning co-located events.
