Physical expos & events lead to recovery of signage industry in India

No physical exhibitions and events were held in any part of the world when the pandemic paralysed everything around us for more than two years. Today, we see the apprehension is almost over! All seems to be alright now as the exhibition industry is bouncing back with many expo organisers and event management groups across the world are fully gearing up to bring back the physical editions of the industry’s popular trade exhibitions and events. The scenario is also quite improved and positive in the India.

In India, following the announcement from the Ministry of Home Affairs about the country to end all the COVID restrictions, things readily start to get on the right track. With such improvement and lifting of restrictions on mass gatherings in public places finally bring back the physical exhibitions in action. When these physical exhibitions are back, opportunities galore for every one of us in the industry. It’s quite a fact that virtual expos or webinars cannot substitute the value of face-to-face meetings or business deals we normally do during the physical expos.

On other hand, physical exhibitions require large-format prints for fascia graphics, stall fabrications, outdoor promotional campaigns, directional signs, and so on. That’s why it’s not just our exhibitors and trade visitors who are happy and regain the lost momentum of business when physical exhibitions are back in action after a long pandemic break. There are print service providers (PSPs) as well as other printing companies who involve in event graphics and related tasks. They are also the ones who recover business in a big way when physical expos are back in the exhibition industry.

A market study shows that the global economic impact on the exhibition industry due to pandemic was $300 bn. In this, the Indian exhibition industry is pegged at Rs 24,000 cr, out of which the direct segment is just Rs 3,200 cr with the rest from the connector segment like transport, travel and local hospitality. The study further mentions that India will see faster recovery in the exhibition industry, when compared to its global counterparts.

Our regular ‘Region Exclusive’ column in this issue features the City of Joy—it means Kolkata. We just interacted with a host of signage players in the eastern Indian city. They are a mix bag of old and new players in the market. However, a common thing among them is their passion for new and innovative technologies which they wish to adopt when the market is totally normal.

Our regular ‘Region Exclusive’ column in this issue features the City of Joy—it means Kolkata. We just interacted with a host of signage players in the eastern Indian city. They are a mix bag of old and new players in the market. However, a common thing among them is their passion for new and innovative technologies which they wish to adopt when the market is totally normal.

Sonal Khurana
sonal@smediagroup.in