This is a strange to-do: It’s Ipex, but not as you know it.

The UK printing trade show which opened at London’s ExCel Centre this morning bears little resemblance to those of the same name held in Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre in living memory… and of course, none at all to earlier London shows.

Many industry majors who realised a while back that they could save a few dollars by not bringing any machinery to the show, have opted to give the event a miss altogether. Indeed the cost of the London venue is cited by many as its biggest downside, despite its ready access to the attractions of the capital…. but that so many of those who dropped out more than a year ago were never lured back is the show’s greatest failure.

Conspicuous by their absence – and unfavourable remarked upon in several conversations I heard – are sheetfed giant Heidelberg, and their arch rivals KBA and manroland (even though the latter’s sheetfed business is now UK-owned).

On the inkjet front, Japanese imaging conglomerate Fujifilm is here with a strong inkjet web presentation, but Kodak and Agfa are not. Among those who relented and have been rewarded with the gift of extra space is Dainippon Screen, which is backing its investment with the presence of Australian sales managers James Haisman and Keith Atherton in London.

Notable is the number of Chinese companies which have come to show: Of the 369 listed exhibitors, a couple of dozen are (from their names) obviously Chinese and others – like Goss International, of course – less obviously so. But despite a strong contingent, there appear relatively few visitors from southeast Asia.

Largely gone are the big setpiece displays, with most of the remainder the shell-scheme stands of peripheral, instrument and ancillary equipment suppliers. Good to see technotrans here, however.

Around the floor, the biggest stands are generally those filled with print finishing equipment, and that’s where you will find the products of companies such as Müller Martini. Agent Bindery Machinery UK has a Pantera perfect binder, for example.

Inkjet web magazine production can be seen on the Fujifilm stand, where a JetPress 540W is printing a variety of work including a show daily, the latter then being sheeted and collated using Lasermax and Horizon equipment.

And software vendors. Organisers have worked to fill a void by emphasising digital opportunities for print-related businesses with the co-located Cross Media Production show and grandly-named World Print Summit, presented as a content alternative to what the trade show had previously been.

It’s event director Trevor Crawford who has been challenged with the task of transforming Ipex, and he is confident of having come up with “the right formula for an event that will benefit exhibitors and visitors alike”. He promises “new and innovative technology, knowledge and inspiration at every turn, and the invaluable opportunity to network and engage with the print community”. The event promises more than 170 speakers across World Print Summit, Masterclasses and Cross Media Production seminars.

With as much experience of business transformation as any, newspaper chiefs Ellis Watson (DC Thomson) made interesting listening, with Rupert Howell (Trinity Mirror transformation director) and Lawson Muncaster, who launched free financial daily City AM Jens Torpe in 2005 others to look out for.

The WPS event also provides a platform for the likes of digital print patriarch Benny Landa, HP’s inkjet chief Aurelio Maruggi, EFI’s Guy Gecht and Kodak regional managing director Philip Cullimore, of which only EFI took stand space. Gecht and Landa join industry veteran and academic Frank Romano to discuss whether print is “doomed or on the verge of a new digital renaissance”, and you can bet they haven’t been shipped in (literally in the case of Romano, who doesn’t fly) to spread the gloom.

If there’s one area which appears to be blossoming, it’s the high volume heatset area, and the WPS programme reflects that if the show floor doesn’t.

The exhibitor exception is Goss, which has had a good year with three presses for Polestar and another for York Mailing. Speakers from this segment include Patrick Martell, chief executive of the St. Ives Group, and Polestar chief executive Barry Hibbert (pictured) who is moderating Ellis Watson’s session.

The topic of new technology was raised during questions at Hibbert’s session, an audience member asking why he had reduced 28 sites to six and had closed 22 in Europe. “The only way to remain viable is to reduce your workforce and boost output through investing in new technology,” he responded.

Goss is also at Ipex (another with second thoughts) to present its new packaging and label printing capabilities… and the flexible new Magnum Compact newspaper press, of which GXpress had exclusive coverage last week. Indian newspaper specialists The Printers House and Ronald Web Offset are also at the show.

Some lateral thinking of use in both newspaper and high volume print can be expected from Stephen Shaw, opportunities director of Blippar, the augmented reality developer represented locally by Franklin Web. And Joan Grace – who has moved from New Zealand to organise Printing Industries of Australia’s new training initiative – is set to contribute to a session on creating new revenue streams and exploiting new markets.

Perhaps indeed, we have to come to terms with the transformation not only of the printing industry, but of its trade show segment; and that the money’s on the role of conferences these days. However at Ipex 2014, the relative popularity of the seminar programme seems just another thorn in the side of exhibitors.

Maggie Coleman