FESPA will host the third of its successful Digital Textile Conference events on 25th February, 2011, alongside FESPA Americas.
Created as a forum in which wide-format and textile printers can learn and garner innovative, strategic ideas from industry experts, FESPA will hold Digital Textile Conferences at each of its key exhibitions in 2011, including FESPA Digital (Hamburg, 24-27 May 2011) and FESPA Asia (Singapore, 26 –28 October 2011).
Following on from the success of the first two FESPA Digital Textile Conferences, the events will once again be chaired by John Scrimshaw, textile expert and editor of Digital Textile and International Dyer. As in previous years, each conference will feature a mix of speakers including leading print specialists, digital textile printing authorities, textile printers and end-users of digitally-printed textiles, covering commercial and technical topics, and examining trends and opportunities in the sector.
At the FESPA Americas Digital Textile Conference, in February 2011, these include Dr John Provost, Technical Editor of Digital Textile magazine and a global consultant with expertise in textile ink formulation; Dr Mike Fralix, President and CEO of TC2; Kevin Kelly, Blue Heron Industries Inc; and Tim Greene of InfoTrends, who will discuss new market research findings.
John Scrimshaw comments, “The wide-format market is evolving rapidly and the use of textile as a substrate, as opposed to vinyl, is increasingly common in the flexible, soft-signage sector. Additionally, there has been a move towards direct digital printing in the garment decoration market. With so many changes occurring, and at such speed, the FESPA Digital Textile Conferences are the perfect opportunity for printers to confront these changes and discuss the questions they raise for their industry.”
FESPA’s commitment to an international series of Digital Textile Conferences in 2011 reflects market demand. FESPA’s 2010 World Wide Survey revealed that, for 47% of companies, the demand for wide-format textile printing within their business is growing, along with banner and domestic interior applications, which will provide significant opportunities for innovation in the wide format printing community.
“The FESPA Digital Textile Conferences are an excellent opportunity for printers to voice their opinions on their industry, and the interest we are receiving for our Americas event suggests that the conference will be extremely well attended,” says Frazer Chesterman, Managing Director, FESPA.
“At FESPA Americas, visitors will find the Digital Textile Conference to be the ideal place in which to gain the skills, and learn about the technologies which can make a difference to their business. Whether they want to explore the opportunities of printing onto textile substrates, or already do so, the conference will equip them with the knowledge to make them a success in textile print, be that for commercial and domestic interiors, flags and banners or soft signage,” Frazer concludes.
Since the first FESPA Digital Textile Conference held at FESPA Digital in Geneva, Switzerland in 2008, FESPA has continued to demonstrate its dedication to the textile and garment printing sector, launching the first FESPA Fabric “show within a show”, at FESPA 2010. Following the success of that event which attracted 10,772 visitors, FESPA Fabric (24-26 May 2011) will run again, alongside the Digital Textile Conference, at FESPA Digital 2011 in Hamburg, Germany.
The FESPA Digital Americas Textile Conference delegate rate of $645 for non-members ($495 for members) includes access to all conference sessions, refreshments, lunch and an evening networking drinks reception, as well as a full set of conference presentations. Further programme and booking details are available on the FESPA Americas website at www.fespa.com/DTC
