These days, trade expos have become more strategic than ever when it comes to building networks among industry people who wish to share ideas, sell products and carry business forward. Unlike the olden days, when there were just limited editions of signage expos in the industry, we are now blessed with an array of well-organised exhibitions keep executing in appropriate intervals across India and neighbouring countries, updating us with the latest arrivals or upgraded machines, materials and technologies. FESPA, Media Expo, Sign India, APPPEXPO are some of the purposeful trade expos that bring the industry to new levels of growth and standard. We must articulate our gratitude to those event organisers for such constant development.

Expos are meant more than showing to visitors only! Exhibitors in a trade expo get motivated seeing one another’s products and technologies on display, which at times decisively inspire them to conceive innovative ideas and products. The same is for the visitors, on the other side. Trade expos are best venues for visitors to meet their peers, interact fruitfully in connection to new offerings and identifying the right solutions for their ever seeking needs and requirements. Brand managers as well as senior technical staff of leading signage firms are often found common among the horde of trade visitors. Technical experts visiting the expos usually identify the latest solutions relevant to upgrade their infrastructure or machine portfolio.

Motivation and inspiration float high during trade expos. Industry people (visitors) moving in hordes on the isles of exhibition floor enjoy freedom of choices as per their paying capacity/budget or requirements. In fact, trade expos these days are designed in such a format that visitors are amused with best technological extravaganzas offering them their much-needed information, knowledge and product at the end of the day’s visit. And we look forward to witnessing constructive trade expos in the similar fashion around small towns and cities in near future. India being a vast and diverse country is in need for more exhibition venues to cover the whole length and breadth of the country. As of now, due to the lack of quality fairgrounds, organisers are compelled to confine their expos only in metros and big cities.

In this issue, Patna is covered as select region in the Region Exclusive column. As capital cities all around the country have their own markets of unique characteristics, this capital city of Bihar is no exception in the context. Most of the signage players whom we interacted during our week-long visit to the city have deeply rooted manual sign-making inheritance, which they have now enhanced by amalgamating into modern milieu using advanced printing machines and technologies. We foresee big expansion in and around the signage market of Patna.

– Sonal Khurana
sonal@smediagroup.in