As of October 1 (and exactly three weeks before it opens), the Specialty Graphics & Imaging Assn.’s (SGIA) 2013 Expo is 99% sold out, with 514 exhibitors. More than 50 of those will be rookie exhibitors. This year’s event is notable for a few reasons. This year, the show will co-locate with the Industrial Fabrics Assn. Intl. (IFAI) Specialty Fabrics Expo. Your SGIA badge allows you access to the IFAI show.
Continuing with a recent approach, SGIA divides the exhibit hall into zones. Highlights will include the Strategic Sustainable Solutions Zone, which will facilitate exploration and information sharing about sustainable media applications offered in the marketplace. Other zones of specific interest to signmakers will be the Professional Decal Application Assn. (PDAA), Color Management & Workflow Solutions, and Digital Signage Innovation Zones.
Many of the zones will offer free educational opportunities. Otherwise, SGIA has scheduled 40 educational sessions for October 23-24. These are separated into four tracks. Of most interest to signmakers will be the Graphics & Sign track; others include Garment Decoration, Industrial Application and Business Management. While most of the sessions are applicable in more than one track, the Graphics & Sign track lists 15 sessions. You can use the online 2013 Expo Planner when you register to map out your strategy for the show.
Also of interest, the Golden Image Gallery will showcase winners from the annual competition, and all entries will be displayed in the gallery on the expo floor. A Product of the Year competition will salute innovations from show exhibitors. Additionally, the Academy of Screen & Digital Printing Technologies (ASDPT) Tom Frecska Student Competition will honor the work of high-school and college students. The contest is named in honor of Tom Frecska, the late editor of Screen Printing magazine (ST’s sister magazine) who died in 2009.
For all of the information about the show, go to www.sgia.org/events/current_expo/sgia13/.