PRINTING United Expo Day One Kicks Off in Las Vegas

By Gabby Houck

After months of preparation and anticipation, the PRINTING United Expo—the print industry's premier event, kicked off on Tuesday morning at the Las Vegas Convention Center. With more than 800 exhibitors spanning over one million square feet of exhibition space, this year's expo is an immersive and transformative event that offers attendees a glimpse into the future of the printing industry.

As attendees excitedly hit the show floor, upbeat music drummed through the halls and an Elvis impersonator was strutting around with showgirls— viva Las Vegas!

Multiple vehicle wrap demonstrations took place on the show floor

Day one of the expo was jam-packed with equipment releases, live demos, educational sessions, and a keynote presentation titled "Harnessing Business Investment to Drive Profitability and Competitive Advantage," led by Lisa Cross, principal analyst for NAPCO Research, and Nathan Safran, vice president of research, NAPCO Media. The keynote also featured a video presentation from Andy Paparozzi, Chief Economist for PRINTING United Alliance.

Convergence, AI, and More

The expo's first keynote covered current trends shaping the printing industry

During the keynote, Cross, Safran, and Paparozzi used economic and market research data to describe current trends shaping the printing industry and recommend the best business investments for achieving success. Throughout the keynote, the concept of convergence remained, with data revealing that 68% of State of The Industry survey participants report having diversified beyond their original printing segment, many with the goal of maintaining better relationships with clients and to limit the number of vendors their clients need. Also, based on their research, it's evident that more and more people in the industry are investing in AI, business intelligence systems, finishing equipment, and other systems to help their businesses thrive.

Equipment Releases

Exhibitors including Epson, Mimaki, and Kongsberg PCS all made headlines on day one. Epson's SureColor S9170 Solvent Printer made its worldwide debut on the show floor; Kongsberg PCS launched its MultiCam Apex3R Evo and gave an American debut to its Kongsberg Ultimate digital cutting system; Mimaki introduced its JFX200-1213 EX medium format UV-LED flatbed printer.

Whispers From The Show Floor

Attendees and exhibitors alike shared their excitement for day one of the Expo.

Micah Causey, vice president of FloorSignage LLC of Sunbury, Ohio, says he's been exhibiting at PRINTING United for years and is always eager to come back.

"I can tell you as a fact is that we only do PRINTING United in North America because it's the best show from attendance, from the way it's put on, everything about it," Causey says. "There's always new people in the industry and it's always great to get in front of them, and an event like this is just the place to do that."

Even Kittelsen, marketing specialist, Americas for Arlon Graphics, agrees that the expo is a great opportunity to meet potential clients that aren't in their network yet, but he also enjoys the opportunity it presents for Arlon's newer sales representatives.

"We have a lot of new sales reps on our team, so this is a really great opportunity to really get them trained on what the industry needs and what the industry wants. We're talking to the exact right people here at the show, and that helps get us the proper knowledge for us to better sell our products to the exact customers that need them," Kittelsen says.

Alex Lund, co-founder and visionary of Bismarck Sign Co. in Bismarck, North Dakota, says one of her favorite aspects of the expo is that it allows her to come up with new ideas for her business.

"I think that a lot of us get boxed into our ways of doing things, and we don't really get out of that box and find other ways. And, so by coming to the show and seeing examples of other ways of doing things, and other ways of printing, cutting, laminating, just the materials, you name it, that's super fun," Lund says.

Cody Oliver an installer for Graphics Installation Team based in Dallas, Texas, agrees. Saying that while this is his first PRINTING United, he believes it's a great opportunity to see what is out there, and he's even already been inspired.

"I've already seen some things I wouldn't normally think of, and thanks to that I got an idea to add to my business as far as doing different graphics on cars, and other things like that," Oliver says.

The day concluded with the Opening Night Shindig, where attendees could enjoyed food and beverages, networking, and music. Terry Bean, Par Avion, and Leonard Lowdown Brown served up the tunes, compliments of PRINTING United Alliance, Ink Kitchen, and the Expo's sponsors.