Orlando, Florida, USA
The ISA Sign Expo which took place in Orlando, Florida, USA on the 22-24 of March, 2018 had amazing display of opportunities and innovations. One of our cornerstones for delivering quality lead generation and brand awareness is through outdoor digital billboards throughout Orlando. This was a great way to see some of the newest tech on the horizon and learn some new methods of displaying our client’s brands in unique and fresh ways.
The ISA Sign Expo is targeted towards business owners. There are businesses from all walks of life showcasing themselves at this event. Massive portions of the convention center are dedicated to large format printing, LED lighting for signage uses, steel and metal structure manufacturers, machine cutters, high powered laser equipment, business software solutions, apparel industry professionals, outdoor advertising solutions, and many more. I spent a few hours walking around the trade floor speaking with various different companies from a wide range of backgrounds just trying to soak up as much as I could.
A popular category on display is apparel. From heat presses, to different forms of vinyl or inks, to plotters or printers, there is a huge variety of companies that fall within this spectrum on display at the expo. I made it a point to try and speak with some of these innovative companies that are offering really interesting ways of changing the apparel printing industry.
A German company, FOREVER, showcased a very interesting digital transfer product which allows various colored printing methods utilizing printing methods from a regular laser printer. They pitch their product as the ultimate vinyl alternative. It is a really interesting product that I may look into further to test out its viability. Usual vinyl industry provides such as Siser and Chemica US were also present with their traditional setups with 4-5 employees ready to offer information regarding their set up samples or about distributors in your local area.
Large format printers are another industry that have a resounding presence at this event. Industry titans like Mimaki and Roland of course had massive setups showcasing a myriad of different printers. The sheer size of some of these pieces of equipment is absolutely staggering.
The NOVUS Imaging Ultra 3200 (pictured below) was one of these gigantic pieces of tech I decided to take a look at closer. The sheer printing capabilities of all the machines on display was truly amazing. It’s understandable how some of these giant pieces of machinery are accompanied with an over $100,000 price tag!
NOVUS Imaging Ultra 3200
The expo also showcased one of the most interesting competitions I’ve ever witnessed. The ‘Ultimate Wrap Stars’ competition saw 32 competitors pitted head to head applying various vehicle wraps throughout the weekend. It was fascinating watching these men work at such an amazing pace and yet still able to maintain top notch quality. Witnessing the application of a vehicle wrap first hand adds an appreciation for the work and the technical skill involved when working with this type of medium. It was an awesome change of pace from viewing all of the different vendors and exhibitors on display.
Overall, the 2018 ISA Sign Expo was a really fun and interesting event. ISA alternates the expo location each year between Las Vegas and Orlando, so we’ll have to wait until 2020 before it makes its return to the City Beautiful. But, once they announce the date I will be one of the first ones heading online to register and get my ticket!