Twenty-first exhibition of printing, packaging and related machinery with presence of more than 450 domestic and foreign companies from Iran and China, Taiwan, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Canada, South Korea, India, Japan, Sweden, Austria, Germany, France and ... was held while it was finished last day. Visitors of the exhibition say that the twenty-first exhibition was one of the most varied courses. 330 domestic companies and more than 120 foreign companies attended this course of exhibition which led to 80% growth of foreign companies and 120% of domestic ones. The exhibition was held in 11 main halls in the space of over 38 thousand square meters.

35% of this year exhibition space was in the printing machinery sector, 30 percent for the packaging machinery, and 35 percent was in the hands of other related sectors. Although the twenty-first Printing and Packaging Exhibition like similar international exhibitions did not met the conspicuous presence of devices and machinery printing industry but compared to other periods the exhibition saw an increase in the presence of devices and printing machinery especially in the packaging sector.

The volume of printing and packaging exhibition visitors was in such a way that both exhibitors and fair trade activists who visited it consider it promising and satisfying. The most important reason for this claim is increasing in the volume of visitors than last year's special exhibition. Perhaps one of the reasons for this was the action of enforcement agency of the exhibition to create tours in different parts of Tehran city for transferring the printing union activists to the exhibition and visiting it.

Zokayi: the 21^st exhibition; a step forward

Jalal Zokayi, the former General Director of the Ministry Islamic Guidance office printing believes that the 21^st exhibition was good, comparing to the previous courses and the situation was more promising. But there were still some problems that is needed for the holders to try to resolve the problems.

“The amount of visitors shows that in fact good things are formed. It should also be kept in mind that the holders must set up similar exhibitions with specialized subjects in printing area beside this exhibition. This causes the exhibition boom and also the visitors will not be confused any more” he adds.

Famous and prestigious brands of international vacancies

The significant presence of foreign companies in the course of the exhibition especially from China, Turkey, Germany, Canada and Austria was the other positive point of this exhibition which has caused the Printing and Packaging Exhibition in Iran takes a step towards standardization and internationalization. Zokayi believes that we can obviously feel the vacancy of famous and great brands of printing industry.

Coinciding with the New Year's holiday is damage for the exhibition

He says that the main reason for the lack of international companies with famous names is paving exhibition with the New Year’s holiday time in Europe. “European companies have little presence in the exhibition the major companies are either from China or Turkey while European companies are the owners of the printing industry brands. If the exhibition was held a month earlier or later than the current date we could also make their presence. One of the serious problems that caused the Printing and Packaging Exhibition of Iran has a long way to international standards was that the time of exhibition was nor proper” he says.

“All companies producing offset equipment and digital printing sheet that are important in the world did not present in the exhibition. Brands such as Xerox blank, Heidelberg, Comoros and etc. do not attend in Iran’s exhibition while an exhibition is being held in Dubai in 6 months and all these companies will participate” he adds.

We should find the cause of great commercial companies’ absence honestly

“I do not accept this argument that there was not the proper time, because integration and assembling these devices can take up to an hour and its transfer to the exhibition takes 2 hours. So we have to review honestly why brands in the printing industry do not desire to attend in our exhibitions. We should resolve the problems if there are any and take a step to improve the exhibition level” he continues.

Expectations from holding an event or exhibition and while we use international word beside its name becomes more when we face a large number of courses. Printing and Packaging Fair is also not an exception. It is normal for a holding period of twenty-one exhibition authorities, the audience and the actors publishing industry expect to face a highly professional, standard and well-known exhibition in the world. While comments show that it is not the case.

Rezayi: there are no statistics and analysis regarding the exhibition available

Reza Rezayi who is one of the printing industry veterans and the former chairman of the competition jury of specialized printing industry is of those who knows the 21^st exhibition much more better than the previous courses.

“Now it is the time to organize the exhibition, initially we should see what the aim of the exhibition holding is, if the goals are specified and we have reached them there is nothing to say, but if we have not reached them, another issue raises. When we're talking about specialized exhibition First of all we need to know what the statistical situation is. What the number of visitors are and where do they come from. Do we have visitors from the neighbor countries? And if not, what are the reasons of it” says Rezayi.

“However, we have held more than 120 of the printing exhibitions but we do not have exact statistics of its details. Also when we hold Machinery exhibition it is expected that the exhibition will have the latest technology in the world for those who are in print, those who are in the manufacturing sector” he continues.

He pointed out that trading volume that is done in the exhibition should also be measured. “If we know the amount of exhibition visiting with details we can facilitate more for their attention. Attending in Printing and packaging exhibition in Iran is more affordable than the expensive European exhibitions for many neighboring countries. On the other hand, their presence in Iran is very profitable for us.

Iran printing industry deserve to become regional hub for Printing and Packaging Exhibition

Rezayi knows Iran printing industry deserve to become regional hub for Printing and Packaging Exhibition while Emirates is now allocated to this position.

“Fair appearance at this time was much better than last year” he continues.

Rezayi is agrees with Zokayi about the vacancy of international brands. “We must make situations to attract brands in the exhibition because their presence is therefore to create attractions in the exhibition” says Rezayi.

38 exhibition halls which was the main hall witnessed the massive presence of Chinese companies booths which were located side by side and are were decorated with Chinese symbols, the thing that attracted attention was the empty booths. Booths were mostly empty of any replica or printing devices. Only images of machines produced by Chinese companies with Chinese comments were posted on the walls of the booth.

The Chinese presence just in the stand

When we asked about the reason of this and the cause of such presence he said that this is the Chinese practice they attend to the markets around the world that are mostly unknown to them just with a stand. Contrariwise they participate in exhibition which they have reviewed them before with equipment and machinery and give their representation.

“Because Chinese companies have not recognized Iran’s market well, appeared like this. One of the organizer’s tasks of the exhibition is to hold meetings before the registration and introduce the market to them to invest in Iran. This is while in other exhibitions you can see many Chinese companies that install machines and deices in fairground and even they contract during the exhibition” he continues.

Exhibitions have always been considered as an opportunity to be seen fair is a place to offer products and thinking about the things we do not have. So always beside different exhibitions seminars and meetings on various topics in order to remove the obstacles and navigating to the desired state are being held. Printing and Packaging Fair was also not an exception. In addition to Printing and Packaging workshops were held in the mornings and afternoons at the exhibition. Meetings with Chinese companies and a group of printing activists of Afghanistan had been provided.

Also two meetings, one with the MPs and the Ministry of Culture and the other with executives of large presses of Tehran was held during the exhibition that if tracking issues rose in these meetings we can create a new route in the printing industry.

Now that the exhibition steps towards a better situation it is better to not lost the opportunities and from tomorrow look for removing the disadvantages and obstacles of it.