31 www.printmonthly.co.uk September | October 2026 - Issue 362 THE PRINT SHOW AT TEN: LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD As The Print Show prepares to celebrate its tenth anniversary edition, event director Chris Davies looks back at a decade of change and talks about what visitors can expect at this year’s show The Print Show celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. Looking back over the past decade, how much has the print industry – and the show itself – changed? The industry has changed enormously over the past ten years. When we launched The Print Show in 2015, the conversation was very much around the transition to digital and the opportunities that created. Today, we’re talking about automation, artificial intelligence (AI), sustainability, personalisation, and how businesses can work more efficiently. The show has had to evolve with all that. However, the underlying purpose remains the same – bringing the industry together and giving people a place to discover what might be coming next. What are you seeing in terms of the technologies and trends attracting the most interest from printers today? There is a real focus on productivity and efficiency. Printing companies want to know how technology can help them produce more, reduce waste, and make better use of their existing resources. Automation is obviously a big part of that, while AI is becoming a much more practical conversation. We are also seeing continued interest in digital print, wide-format print, and the opportunities to diversify into new applications and revenue streams. All of this is reflected in our exhibitor line-up this year. What can visitors expect to see and experience at this show, and are there any highlights you are especially looking forward to? The key thing is variety. We want visitors to be able to come to the show with a particular challenge in mind and find something that can help them address it. There will be plenty of technology to see from the market’s leading manufacturers and suppliers, but also live demonstrations, educational content, and opportunities to speak directly with people working in the industry. For us, it is about creating an environment where visitors can spend time exploring rather than simply walking past machines With so much information now available online, why does the industry still need face-to-face events like The Print Show? The internet is fantastic for researching a product or service, but it can only go so far; it cannot replicate seeing a machine running or having a proper conversation with someone who understands your business. Some of the best conversations at The Print Show happen when a visitor comes across something they weren’t actually looking for. You can read about technology online, but there is still huge value in seeing it, discussing it, and understanding what it could actually mean for your business. How important is the show’s educational and content programme in helping printers navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead? It is absolutely central to what we’re trying to achieve. Not every visitor is necessarily looking to buy a machine, and even those who are need to understand how a particular investment fits into their wider business. Our speaker area, The Knowledge Zone, and the all-new Print Mastermind Live coaching zone give people the opportunity to hear different perspectives, learn from others in the industry, and take away ideas they can apply when they get ‘back to the office’. After ten years, what are you most proud of about The Print Show, and where do you see the event – and the wider industry – going over the next decade? I am most proud that we have built an event that the UK industry sees as its own. We have reached the ten-year milestone because exhibitors and visitors have continued to support us and believe there is value in bringing the sector together. Looking forward, I think the industry will continue to become more automated, connected, and diverse. The Print Show needs to reflect that. If we are still helping printers discover new opportunities in another ten years, we will have done our job! ►Chris Davies has led The Print Show as event director since its launch in 2015 | NEWS
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