Ipex World [www.ipex.org], the easy-to-use online networking and resource portal dedicated to print professionals worldwide, has attracted a growing number of international suppliers since its global launch at the end of October 2010.
Canon, Direct Smile, D&K Europe, DPM, Durst, Enfocus, Friedheim International, GMG Color, Goss, HP, KBA, Kodak, Konica Minolta, manroland, Muller Martini, OKI, Optimus, Rollem, Sakurai, Screen, Tharstern, Xeikon and Xeretec are just some of the companies that have recently signed up to Ipex World.
Actively using the site to extend their global reach and brand awareness, suppliers are providing visitors with content via the website as well as valuable market information, special offers, videos, case studies and data sheets. Users also have access to the very latest product news, feature articles, industry presentations, white papers supplied by respected educational partners as well as a global events calendar, video content and a wide range of images.
“Ipex has ongoing partnerships with the industry’s supplier base and a proven capability to connect a unique community of printers, buyers, publishers and associations from all across the world,” comments Nick Craig Waller, Ipex World Marketing Director. “As such, Ipex World is fast becoming a vibrant information hub that connects the global print community and provides an invaluable database of up-to-date market intelligence. We’re also delighted with the number of unique visitors so far – more than 45,000 industry people from all continents have used the portal since its launch in October 2010.”
Mark Lawn, European Marketing Manager, Canon Europe, comments: “Canon had a very successful Ipex 2010, so we were keen to support any initiative that would help to maintain the positive industry momentum that was generated at the show. Ipex World appears to do exactly that by looking to extend ‘the Ipex effect’ from one show to the next and to recreate the Ipex momentum between the shows. Providing industry news, research, business advice and product information, Ipex World is a comprehensive online resource of relevant information for printers everywhere and is also a great networking platform, enabling printers all over the world to share and benefit from each others’ experiences.”
Paul Randall, HP EMEA Market Manager: ‘Ipex as a tradeshow has a great reputation and always brings good numbers of visitors. Now with Ipex World there is an excellent opportunity for HP to be engaging with the market and sharing information about our portfolio all year round. I fully expect that with the industry knowledge and expertise of the Ipex team behind the Ipex World website it will soon become a focal point of knowledge, expertise and opinion for our industry.’
Commenting on the value of Ipex World, Deimante Buivyte, marketing, manroland GB, says: “Ipex World is an outstanding on-line platform that supports our marketing strategy by helping manroland to constantly engage with Ipex visitors and potential customers well beyond the usual four-year show cycle. As a dynamic online medium, it provides a good mix of tools to enable us to further build our brand awareness, introduce new products and services and help generate new sales leads. We are very confident that over time, Ipex World will grow into one of the leading online social and information resource networks for the global graphic arts industry and we are proud to be part of it.”
Apart from offering a wealth of information, suppliers are also able to source global agents and distributors suitable to their business requirements via Ipex Connect. Printers using the website can create their own profile to connect with other print professionals around the globe via the ’Printer2Printer’ peer networking facility. This will enable them to discuss ideas and questions, share experiences, best practices and gain important industry knowledge and feedback.
For all agents and distributors there is an online matchmaking service called Ipex Connect that pairs them with suitable suppliers.
“The resources that IIR made available to Ipex 2010 exhibitors resulted in comprehensive coverage in the global graphic arts press,” says Stuart Murphy, Managing Director of bespoke finishing manufacturer Rollem. “We did not want that route to potential customers to disappear until 2014 and the exposure offered by Ipex World, using the Internet as a pro-active marketing tool, provides an ideal method of getting our messages to the industry. Full marks to IIR for creating such a flexible and easy-to-use resource, and in particular in providing an effective way of viewing videos – the most important medium for Rollem in showing the benefits of our machines.”
