Expo organisers claim crossover success

VIIE co-located with GASAA's PrintWorks exhibition and the Marketing at Retail Expo (Point of Purchase Advertising International) and Retail Expo at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre (SCEC) on 20-22 September.

Visual Industries Suppliers Association general manager Peter Harper (pictured) said the shows attracted 4,633 visitors over the three days, while there were 1,348 crossover visitors from the POPAI and Retail Expo shows.

"For us that means the co-location worked," Harper told ProPrint.

"We got a good crowd. We got the crowd we normally get, and then we got another 1,350 that came from the POPAI and Retail shows."

Harper added that this week's VIIE show received 1,200 more visitors than last year's show, which co-located only with the POPAI event.

"We were concerned about the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday thing. We did have a core group of people that didn't turn up because it was their busy time of year," he said.

"But most exhibitors said they had a good show. Some said that some periods were not so good, while they kicked arse in others. But no one told me they had a bad show."

Harper said this augured well for next year's PrintEx11, which will co-locate with VIIE at the SCEC in May, adding that 81% of floor space had now been sold for the event.

Harper admitted that problems were experienced last weekend when 150 exhibitor trucks turned up to the SCEC looking to 'bump in'.

"The security and people on the docks said that was bigger than shows they had a month ago which took up all six halls, " he said.

"But the exhibitors were very patient."

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