Prashant Vats: PrintPack will optimise business opportunities for exhibitors

Ramu Ramanathan (RR): PrintPack India 2015 is in ten weeks from now. What kind of PR drive and visitor outreach is the IPAMA team doing?
Prashant Vats (PV): Yes, it is less than 75 days for the curtain to rise. IPAMA has launched a massive promotional campaign by organising road shows, press conferences, TV advertisements in various news channels, advertisements in trade magazines, car and bus branding, e-mails, SMSes, etc. We have already crossed the previous benchmark of space booking. Now, it’s the time to do visitor promotion. We will leave no stones unturned as far as the visitor promotion area is concerned. Not just in India, we are also promoting the exhibition in different countries who have print interest. We have already promoted the exhibition in China, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Malaysia, Korea, the UK, the US. The neighbouring countries, such as Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar are also in pipeline.

RR: Are you excited about PrintPack? What is the big surprise?
PV: I am very excited. It is a matter of pride for me to be a part of one of the biggest exhibitions in the world and second largest in Asia. As far as the big surprise is concerned, if I reveal it, it wouldn’t remain a surprise.

RR: As a professional who worked at the India Expo Centre in Greater Noida, what is the inside information you can share with the printing industry?
PV: I would like to give a message to the exhibitors as an ex-technical director of India Expo Centre that the centre has the latest technical equipments to organise any kind of exhibition. It is one of the best exhibition grounds in north India and I sincerely hope the exhibitors will be greatly benefited, as large number of Indian and foreign B2B business visitors would attend the show. The location of the centre eliminates unwanted crowd, unlike other venues.

RR: You have attended other print shows in India. What makes PrintPack special?
PV: The number of visitors, size of exhibition, its history, tradition, governance, and other factors makes it special. This has not been attained in a year or two. This is the result of hard-work by the active members of IPAMA.

RR: Please highlight the road shows which the IPAMA team will conduct in the next 60 days before PrintPack?
PV: In November, we organised road shows in Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Kolkata and Vadodra. In the coming months, we are planning to organise road shows in Kochi, Coimbatore, Ahmedabad, Surat, Agra, and various other cities. We are also planning to organise press conferences and road shows in Nepal and Bangladesh, either in late December or first week of January, 2015. At least 15-20 more road shows will be organised before the commencement of the exhibition.

RR: Which technologies, according to you, will visitors look at during PrintPack 2015?
PV: There is no shortage of technology advances. May be visitors will hunt for 3D printing.

RR: How has business confidence been since the election?
PV: After the new government was formed, the business confidence of the manufacturing industry is continuously gaining momentum. As I am from the machinery manufacturers association, the most attractive campaign which has been launched by the new government remains ‘Make in India’. It looks very positive and highly encouraging for the Indian manufacturing industry.

RR: The one thing about PrintPack 2015 you know that none of us do?
PV: That the complete execution of PrintPack India is being organised by IPAMA.

RR: One tip to an exhibitor on how they can help improve their business at PrintPack?
PV: I would like to advise the exhibitors to display maximum number of machines. The buyers are attracted by the appearance of the product displayed by an exhibitor. Jo dhikta hai woh bikta hai.