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By Editor Morten B. Reitoft 

This week LabelExpo Brussels was supposed to take place, and with very late cancellation and even worse reasons for canceling the event, many vendors decided to take action themselves. It Maybe a fatal decision for TARSUS Group, which now has to face upset exhibitors, potential legal fights over payments, and possibly shows in the US, Mexico, and elsewhere in jeopardy. Speculations, but why not?

But the world is changing, so the week is now busy with events like the Xeikon Café, DURST Expo Label, Canon event in Poing, Online Print Symposium (not related to LabelExpo), so supply issues and the Ukrainian war wasn't "enough" to cancel events. However, as I have stated in several articles, people want to meet and see equipment at work, but they are not necessarily ready to return to old formats. Neither are many vendors and why should they be dependent on shows that, for no reasonable reason, shut down shortly before taking place?

INKISH covers both Xeikon Café and Durst Expo these days, and people do come to these events, whereas DURST, located in Brixen, is not as easy to get to as, i.e., Brussels. Are the events visitor magnets? Probably no, but you can ask yourself about the quality. At the last tradeshows I attended, hordes of students were visiting the exhibition. In some of the last emails sent out to attendees, I even noticed messages like "bring your colleagues and friends to our event..." Though I believe, with the best intentions, it proves that the industrial measures of numbers of attendees continue to play a HUGE role.

Today I saw a photo from Roland's booth at C!Print in Madrid - and though the message was "nice to see people in person," there were no people. The frustration from organizers must be on the edge of panic.

Has anybody asked the PSPs whether virtual events are good enough for making purchase decisions? I don't know, but I am convinced that almost every vendor is on a pre-corona level now, despite supply shortage, inflation, covid, and war in Ukraine - and all I talk to are optimistic about the future sales and innovations.

I once more would like to stress that I am NOT against tradeshows, and though I continue to believe that innovation is the only thing that can save these once-important events - it's not my job to innovate on their behalf. I know from INKISH that we spend a lot of time being innovative. How we film, cover events, bring messages to market, and when I see Xeikon, Durst, Canon, and all the other vendors doing now events on their own - they are not planning on waiting for the events to innovate.

Today is today, and tomorrow you can't change - but business will always have to develop according to where customers are. Of course, demand for products and solutions will continue to drive the communication about the products, the learning, and all the fantastic opportunities this industry offers!

Right now, I am sitting in Munich airport on my way to Frankfurt, where MBO is introducing an event about the future. However, they will not say anything about products, solutions, or future views. They have invited customers to engage in discussions about the future. Think about this for a moment - how new and innovative is that? And after the event, we will develop a manifesto that will be made publicly available. This is how I see Digital Transformation when it comes to understanding the future of your business. Well done, Thomas Heininger and team!

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Author: Morten B. Reitoft
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