Formara Print to sponsor Southend’s first ever Business Show Formara Print & Marketing has announced its backing of the upcoming Southend Business Show, the first event of its kind for Formara’s hometown of Southendon-Sea. The event, which will take place from 9:30am to 3pm on September 17th at the Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre, brings together businesses, residents, and partners for a day focused on connection, collaboration, and future growth. Launched by Southend-on-Sea Council, it will include a programme of workshops and exhibitions, including a session led by Lisa Ansell, owner and director of Sales Geek Essex, and networking sessions hosted by Networking Essex. Formara, which is an official sponsor of the event, says that supporting Southend Business Show “felt like an opportunity to back something bigger than a single event.” In a blog post on the company’s website, Andy Pond, managing director of Formara, says: “It is a chance to support local ambition and help create a platform where businesses across Southend can thrive together. Events like this matter because they create something that digital channels alone cannot replicate – real conversations, local relationships, and moments that turn introductions into opportunities.” Pond believes that the launch of the Southend Business Show demonstrates the region’s commitment to investment and entrepreneurship, as well as its ability to grow through local collaboration. By Jonathan Pert 15 www.printmonthly.co.uk July | August 2026 - Issue 361 EVENTS | NEWS FESPA announces 2027 location and 2026 statistics The Federation of European Screen Printers Associations (FESPA) has reported that this year’s FESPA 2026 exhibition in Barcelona was its largest-ever co-located event, with a total visitor attendance of 24,798. FESPA 2026, comprising of FESPA Global Print Expo, European Sign Expo, Personalisation Experience, WrapFest, Corrugated, and Textile, saw a reported 15,495 unique visitors at the show, a 10% year-on-year increase on the 2025 event in Berlin. The event was the first flagship FESPA exhibition in Southern Europe since 2012 and, with six co-located events and three conference programmes under one roof, it was also its most varied to date. FESPA 2026 welcomed visitors from 126 countries with the largest audiences coming from Spain, Italy, the UK, Germany, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, and Switzerland (in descending order). According to data gathered by FESPA, 85% of visitors were senior decision makers, with 77% directors, chief executive officers, owners, or managers. The collective median visitor budget was calculated to be €3.5bn (£3.03bn), a 20.68% increase on 2025. Michael Ryan, head of FESPA Global Print Expo, says: “This highlights the exceptional value of a comprehensive global event with multiple exhibition and content strands; it gives decision-makers access to a vast spectrum of specialist expertise to validate their current direction while also investigating new growth opportunities – all in one place.” FESPA has also revealed that FESPA 2027 will take place in Munich, Germany, from April 6th to 9th. Other than the 2026 Barcelona edition, the exhibition has recently alternated between Berlin, Munich, and Amsterdam. Its last Munich edition was in 2023. FESPA Global Print Expo, European Sign Expo, Personalisation Experience, WrapFest, and Textile will all see a return for 2027 at the Messe Munich next year. Southend Business Show 2026 will include a range of tailored networking and workshop sessions Route 1 Print showcases £24m kit upgrades Rotheram-based commercial printer, Route 1 Print, recently hosted an open day at its production facility, giving its expanding network the chance to see its latest print solutions up close and personal. Route 1 has been running monthly open days at its Rotheram facility for the past two years, in which time they have welcomed around 700 attendees through its doors. Speaking about the core aims of the open day events, Jack Parks, head of Route 1 Print, says: “The aim is to stay closely connected to the ever-evolving landscape of print buying and understand the challenges our customers are facing daily.” The event served as a showcase of Route 1’s latest arsenal of print solutions, which cover a diverse range of applications and outputs. The company has made significant investments into the business over the last few years, spending approximately £24m on new equipment, with more than half of that invested in the last 12 months alone. By Jonathan Pert FESPA 2027 will take place in Munich, Germany Route 1’s open days have welcomed around 700 attendees so far By Jonathan Pert
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