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Main // News // RESULTS FROM FIRST-EVER FESPA WORLD WIDE SURVEY NOW AVAILABLE
RESULTS FROM FIRST-EVER FESPA WORLD WIDE SURVEY NOW AVAILABLE
Global research reveals industry optimism despite challenging economic climate
FESPA has completed its first World Wide Survey, a research initiative among the global digital wide format print community. The web-based research was conducted in partnership with InfoTrends, a leading graphic arts industry research and consulting firm, and gathered data from over 340 respondents in more than 50 countries. This survey significantly increases the scope and territorial reach of the research compared to FESPA's previous Wide Survey, conducted in 2007 and provides insight on market changes.
Designed to compile vital industry intelligence on issues from operations and investment plans to marketing and sustainability, FESPA's World Wide Survey gives print service providers invaluable data to help them better understand the business outlook for the wide-format graphics market. The findings provide printers with important facts and figures on industry best practice, applications, consumables, new equipment expenditure, digital penetration, environmental initiatives and regulations. FESPA expects the Survey to help printers benchmark their own businesses against global trends in digital and screen production.
Some highlights of the World Wide Survey include the following:
- The worldwide market for printed graphics is worth more than Euros 58 billion.
- Optimism remains high, with printers scoring an average 7.5 out of a possible 10 on their optimism for the future of their business. This is in line with the previous Survey's findings, indicating that printers are planning proactively for long-term recovery.
- Quality still dominates the list of customer demands at 49%, followed by price (24%), turnaround (12%) and new ideas (10%).
- Digital output represents an average 39% of revenue now, with expectations for that figure to reach 50% within 2 years.
- 50% of respondents plan to invest in new wide format digital printing hardware in the next 12 months, with newer or better functionality the biggest driver for investment (50%). 40% of expected hardware investments will be in UV-curable inkjet.
- 84% of respondents cite output quality as the dominant factor in their choice of printer, followed by reliability (58%), running cost (58%), speed (46%), and substrate range (33%).
- 40% of respondents report a negative impact on their business from live media and LCD advertising systems, but this figure is lower than FESPA's previous Wide Survey. 43% of respondents are developing plans to participate in this market opportunity.
- 73% of respondents are primarily reliant on FESPA exhibitions to hear about new industry developments.
Marcus Timson, Corporate Communications Director, FESPA comments: "FESPA is committed to conducting ongoing industry research to help us better understand the wide-format marketplace and feed significant information back to the FESPA community. The World Wide Survey findings highlight key trends in customer requirements and identify the leading applications that are driving the digital market and fuelling growth in the sector. Despite the challenging economic climate, the findings indicate that print service providers recognize the need to invest in digital equipment to gain operational advantages. They are optimistic about their businesses and are expecting and planning for the market to bounce back."
For printers interested in discussing the key findings from the World Wide Survey, FESPA’s Marcus Timson will present these findings in a Question & Answer session at FESPA Digital 2009 (12th-14th May 2009, Amsterdam RAI). The session is at 12.30 on Thursday 14th May in the Digital Revolution Theatre.
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