The NEC, Birmingham was brimming with inspiration from Sunday 19 to Tuesday 21 January as thousands of printwear professionals descended upon Halls 17 & 18 to find out how to take their businesses to the next level at Printwear & Promotion LIVE!
Over 6,000 visitors
Event director Tony Gardner commented on the success of this year’s event: “Following on from our record-breaking anniversary event, I’m delighted that for the second year running we welcomed over 6,000 visitors to the show.”
The 6,069 attendees at Printwear & Promotion LIVE! were spoilt for choice no matter the purpose of their visit, with over 140 exhibitors from all corners of the garment decoration market. In addition to being a showcase of machinery, supplies and garments from market leading exhibitors, the exhibition also served as a launch pad for the latest equipment. Adelco’s Cyclone range of automatic printing presses, Tajima’s TMEZ-SC1501 and the Oki Pro9541WT five-colour digital toner transfer media printer were among the products launched at the show, alongside a number of UK first-showings with HP Stitch S300 model and Lotus Holland’s Evo compact reclaiming system.
Seminar program & daily fashion shows
As well as being able to source new products from the show’s exhibitors, visitors also had the opportunity to pick up invaluable knowledge, advice and experiences in a number of feature areas. The show’s two expertly-curated seminar programmes were hosted in The Decoration Advice Suite and The Knowledge Centre were highly attended, while many were keen to get hands on with the live demonstrations taking place in The Screen Print Workshop. During the daily Fashion Shows visitors enjoyed the lively demonstrations of the latest garments.
Martin and Richard King, founders of Super Evil Company, attended Printwear & Promotion LIVE! for the fifth consecutive year in 2020. Commenting on the reasons behind this, they said: “If you’re in the trade, then it’s the place to be. It makes a big difference to meet your suppliers face to face, along with everyone else in the industry.”
This sentiment was echoed by many of the show’s attendees, including Art Hustle director Dip Chandarana who noted: “I have visited Printwear & Promotion LIVE! every year for the last four years. For anyone who decorates garments, it is the most appropriate exhibition to attend. I mainly come to say hi to my suppliers and to see what’s new and what’s out there. I will most definitely come back next year!”
The show has also proven to be valuable to those looking to dip their toes into the market, providing all of the essential elements to ensure any garment decorating venture is a success. Sean Martin, owner of Strong Hat Game, visited the show in 2019 to find the tools to set up his new business and returned to find out what his next steps should be. Sean commented: “I think it is handy for anyone, no matter how long you have been in the industry – there are so many new products that people might not know about because they have got comfortable using what they have got.”
Following the success of the 2020 event, Tony Gardner commented: “There was a real buzz at the show and the feedback that we’ve been getting from both visitors and exhibitors has been incredibly positive. I can’t think of a better way to start the new decade and I’m already looking forward to planning next year’s event!”
