INDUSTRY / NEWS 6 email: editor@signlink.co.uk Issue 259 - June / July 2025 The Federation of European Screen Printers Associations (FESPA) has announced that Barcelona will host FESPA Global Print Expo 2026, which is the first time it has been hosted in the city since 2012. The location for 2026 was announced during the 2025 edition of the specialist print trade show, which took place at Messe Berlin, Germany. The 2026 event will take place between May 19th and 22nd at Fira de Barcelona, one of the largest exhibition centres in the world with 240,000sq m of floor space. The co-located European Sign Expo and Personalisation Experience are both set to return alongside the main show. Sports Wear Pro has also been teased for 2026, with details of the event set to be released in due course. Speaking at a press conference announcing the 2026 event, Michael Ryan, head of FESPA Global Print Expo, said: “After an absence since 2012, we’re returning to Southern Europe. We're looking forward to inviting you all once again to sunny Spain. “We couldn’t do Madrid in 2020 because of Covid, and it’s the perfect time now to take this opportunity. It’s a venue which we know well, and we’re looking forward to collaborating closely with the FESPA association in the area.” FESPA also used the conference to announce that Daniel Sunderland, current vice president of Canagraf, will be the new FESPA president, taking on the role for the next three years. Sunderland joined as a member of the board of directors for FESPA in 2019. The location news comes amidst a number of recent developments in the Spanish wide-format print and signage industries. This includes a recent expansion by Moss, which boosted its European presence with the opening of a new office in Barcelona. The live event graphics and branded installations producer chose offices nearby to Fira de Barcelona, in order to capitalise on the potential business that the event space could provide (read more on page 9). FESPA 2026 will take place from May 19th to 22nd, 2026, at Fira de Barcelona By Jonathan Pert Location and dates announced for FESPA 2026 The protection of neon signage has been debated in the UK House of Commons, with politicians calling on the craft to be legally protected. The House of Commons debate was the culmination of an advocacy campaign by Catherine and Tony Spink, neon craftspeople and founders of Neon Creations. The campaign was launched by Catherine Spink in 2023 to put an end to what they say is the false advertising of LED signs listed as ‘neon’. Last month (May 6th), MP Yasmin Qureshi addressed the House of Commons on the issue of protecting the heritage craft of neon sign-making in the UK. Qureshi called upon the government to protect the definition of neon, in order to prevent the heritage craft from being overtaken by cheaper, mass-produced alternatives. During the debate, Sir Chris Bryant, minister of state for Culture, Media, and Sport, agreed that greater clarity is needed about what defines something as neon, insisting that the government would help to protect the craft. Major update to the legal definition of neon Sir Chris Bryant, minister of state for Culture, Media, and Sport, said that “clearer definitions and protections” could be given to the craft of neon The team at FASTSIGNS St Albans along with the business’s UK head office is backing Rosie Lees, a visual communications specialist at St Albans, who is joining four others from a local business networking group to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in order to raise money for a mental health charity. Lees and her group are tackling the challenge following previous challenges such as a three-day walking challenge in the Lake District, completing a 10km race, running a half marathon, and hiking and training in the gym up to six days a week. Funds are being raised for The OLLIE Foundation, an initiative that launched in 2016 by three parents in order to prevent suicide and support mental health amongst young people. After facing her own mental health challenges, the charity is close to Lee's heart. The aim of Lees and her group is to raise £12,500 in build up to the challenge which will be documented on Instagram and Lee’s Just Giving page. Rosie Lees (second from left) undertaking a three-day walking challenge ahead of her Kilimanjaro fund raiser By David Osgar FASTSIGNS St Albans employee takes on Kilimanjaro challenge By Jonathan Pert Michael Ryan discussing plans for next year’s FESPA Global Print Expo SignLink SignLinkMagazine printmonthly_signlink
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