FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 2006

FESPA Stages First Truly Global General Assembly

FESPA staged its first truly global General Assembly in Bratislava, Slovakia, this month, welcoming representatives from 24 of its 27 national associations to the three-day event. They were joined by delegates from FESPA’s associate members in Australia, China, India and Thailand, whose relationship with FESPA was ratified at last year’s meeting in Slovenia.

The Assembly, hosted this year by the Slovakian screen printing association Siet’otlacovy zväz SR, will lead to further intensification of FESPA’s influence in the central and eastern European graphic arts community, with the addition of the Ukrainian national screen printing association to the FESPA fold.

The overall focus of the 2006 FESPA General Assembly was the future development of FESPA. Delegates participated in a series of brainstorming sessions, based around FESPA’s objectives as a not-for-profit umbrella organisation; namely to educate, share knowledge and information, promote best-practice and generally foster more rewarding relationships between the 7000 companies which are members of its national associations.

Delegates were also updated on all four forthcoming FESPA exhibitions ­ the main, global FESPA event (Berlin, 5-9 June 2007); FESPA World Expo India (New Delhi, 7-9 December 2007); FESPA Digital 2008 (Geneva, 1-3 April 2008); and FESPA Asia Pacific (Bangkok, 27-30 November 2008).

Based on the success of this growing exhibitions portfolio, FESPA has now been able to allocate further funding to FESPA projects for implementation via the national associations in 2007. Since FESPA’s Projects Committee began its work in 2004, 66 projects have been submitted for consideration, 47 of which have been completed or instigated.

Through these projects, FESPA has already invested in excess of EUR 250,000 in the development of the European screen and digital printing industries. Some examples of FESPA Projects include seminars in Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland and UK, the launch of a FESPA e-learning course for screen printers, and the introduction of the FESPA online technical Q&A service via www.fespa.com. FESPA has also provided financial support for individual associations to develop their own web sites.

General Secretary of FESPA Nigel Steffens comments: “The success of FESPA Projects underlines the tremendous value that an international organisation like FESPA can bring to its member associations, and the enthusiasm that prevails in the screen and digital printing communities when it comes to opportunities to improve communication and share knowledge.

“It’s clear that our members are determined to combine their own enthusiasm for their craft with all the technology, tools and resources at their disposal, to ensure that screen and digital printing remain at the very heart of the marketing and merchandising supply chains for a very long time to come.”

FESPA
7a West Street, Reigate
Surrey, UK RH2 9BL
Phone: + 44 1737 240788
E-Mail: info@fespa.com
Website URL: www.fespa.com