GOA Way to Orlando

Who could imagine a Graph Expo without Heidelberg? Well, that’s what’s in store for 2010 with both Heidelberg and Komori taking a pass this year. Who could imaging Graphics of the Americas being held anywhere but Miami? Well, that’s what’s in store for 2011 as the show moves upstate to Orlando. Significant changes? Of course. Earth-shattering? Not really. First, Heidelberg spent a ton of money on Print 09, bringing in huge iron despite the company’s fiscal problems, so it isn’t much of a surprise that they are reallocating resources. They’ll do IPEX this year and Graph Expo next year. Meanwhile, HP jumped at the chance to grab Heidelberg’s prime show real estate and will be front and center in 2010. No, offset isn’t dead, but digital is going to continue to claim more and more of the spotlight as the printing industry evolves. As far as GOA is concerned, the move from Miami to Orlando is an attempt to attract more North American attendees while still holding onto the South American contingent. Will Mouseland’s vacation opportunities be enough to offset Miami’s appeal to South American printers? We’ll see soon enough. GOA had obviously lost a lot of its North American appeal over the past couple of years. If you could only go to one major printing show, would you pick Orlando over Chicago rather than Miami over Chicago? I’d still pick Chicago simply because I like that city better than either Miami or Orlando. Oh, and then there is the fact that, even with the offset defections, Graph Expo is simply a better all-round show.