The ultimate seminar guide of European Sign Expo 2017

With this year’s edition of European Sign Expo now in full swing, Rob Fletcher takes a look at its conference sessions to see how the signage industry is taking shape.

While these presentations will look at various areas of the market, one of the key sectors that organisers are keen to focus on this year is retail, with a number of sessions dedicated to this sector.

Point-of-sale and point-of-purchase work plays a major role in the overall retail market and visitors to the shows will be able to learn more about applications in this area.

Part one of this special feature series looked at some of the exhibitors that will be in attendance to show off their latest offerings in the POS and POP market.

Here, we pick out some of the informative sessions that may be of interest to visitors keen to move ahead of competition in the retail market.

When it comes to branding, colour is everything, and Vicky Barrett, design and merchandising manager at the Clarins Fragrance Group will look to address this issue at a session at 2pm on May 11. Entitled ‘There’s no excuse for inaccurate colour in retail applications’, the seminar will focus on how the accuracy and true saturation of colour can make or break a brand’s identity.

Barrett will consider how designers and print service providers are responsible for making sure that true fidelity is maintained across all materials, as well as how, when armed with the right tools, guesswork and chance are eradicated, from colour matching and management, and print companies in this sector can achieve true quality.

Elsewhere, freelance electrical engineer Fausto Martin will look at the industry standards side of retail work during a session called ‘CE marking for retail shop furniture and related items’.

Here, Martin will speak with attendees about how to comply with European Directives in terms of safety, as well as the mandatory documents that must be prepared before work takes place. The seminar will run at 12:30 on May 9 and again at 11:30 on May 10.

Another session that may be of interest will be headed up by Mal MacGowan, Owner of McGowans Print. Entitled ‘How to create a great retail experience’, MacGowan will consider what brands and retailers should do to ensure that their retail investments do not go to waste, and ensure that they deliver a great retail experience.

The retail market offers a whole host of opportunities to print companies and sign-makers alike, but, as with many sectors in both industries, quality is of paramount importance and it is critical to achieve exactly what brands ask of you – especially in terms of colour.

FESPA 2017 and the European Sign Expo will allow visitors to not only learn about some of the latest technologies on offer that will help them hit quality targets, but also speak with specialists from all corners of the market about how they can further boost output.

To find out more about FESPA 2017, the European Sign Expo and the various seminars taking place during the shows, visit www.fespa2017.com.

Delegates can save 70€ entry fee to the exhibition by registering via the website and quoting reference code: FESG702. Discover how a visit to FESPA 2017 can benefit your business and register today.  

Vicky Barrett, design and merchandising manager for Clarins Fragrance Group, visited FESPA Digital 2016 and talked to FESPA TV about his impressions of the show and the role of print in advertising and branding.