Why to visit?
The CTCO recipe has been refined for 2012…
In the space of only a few years, the CTCO exhibition has become the key professional event in the domains of promotional products and all types of personalization techniques. Based on original ingredients and proven know-how, the “recipe” has proven itself: it provides strong, appealing content, and enjoys unique dual specialization in Europe, all taking place within an atmosphere that is both friendly and professional. While the next event – taking place from 7 to 9 February 2012 – is being prepared, Guillaume Abou, Director of 656 Editions and organiser of CTCO, shares some of his “cooking secrets”…
In your opinion, what is the CTCO’s recipe for success?
Guillaume Abou: Our original motivation when we first launched “Communiquez Textile!” in 2008 was to hold an exhibition that’s different and innovative – to meet new market needs, and this is the spirit that still drives us four years on.
Today, organisers of trade events can no longer simply open the doors on the first day and let visitors stroll around! We’re adamant that a trade exhibition must provide the clearest and richest information possible.
That’s why content is one of the key points behind our concept. By “content” I’m referring to workshops to gain a better understanding of constantly evolving personalization techniques, conferences and round tables to discuss current challenges of the trade with experts, live application demos to engage and offer new ideas…That’s what constitutes the added value of our exhibition and encourages visitors to extend their visit over several days.
Another original aspect of our approach is dual specialization. Unique in Europe, the CTCO model is innovative in that it targets, on the one hand, professionals in the promotional garments and gifts field and on the other, players in the personalization domain (textile screen printing, embroidery, transfer, engraving, pad printing, sublimation). Of course, amongst our competitors some exhibitions focusing on promotional gifts are starting to host some decorators’ stands, but this is still happening very much at a secondary level… At CTCO, no fewer than 90 exhibitors in the personalization domain join in with those in the promotional garment and gift domains. We’ve decided to bring them together under the same roof as the link between these two sectors is becoming progressively stronger, mainly due to the recent development of new technologies such as direct digital printing, transfer, sublimation…Today, this original dual positioning is acclaimed by the entire market.
Both your exhibitors as well as your visitors seem to particularly appreciate the CTCO “atmosphere”…
We are actually very careful about fostering both a professional and a friendly ambiance. In our opinion, this is achieved through a modern design and areas designed for relaxation and discussions: a business lounge open to all; a new products area to discover in one’s own time; the most interesting current products; demo areas that create excitement and showcase techniques directly, in front of visitors’ eyes.
How are you going to take this recipe to the next level in 2012? What will the new “ingredients” be?
We’re not going to change everything, but we have some great surprises in store for our visitors! CTCO therefore remains CTCO, keeping its usual segmentation, but it’s going to take place over a far greater exhibition area, expanding from 16,500 m2 to approximately 20,000 m2, totalling 20% additional space. This is going to enable us to host new exhibitors and offer larger spaces to those with whom we already have a trustworthy business relationship.
Also, we’re going to step up the content even more. Closely in-tune with market needs, we’ve done a thorough analysis of the 2011 event and the expectations of our visitors. What has clearly surfaced is the fact that a trade exhibition is the ideal place to offer demos of machines, to show solutions and their applications. We’ve enhanced the content in this area by implementing, in the centre of the exhibition, an area dedicated to all personalization techniques.
Following the 2011 event, you mentioned new directions CTCO could take in 2012. What’s the current status of this?
I was in fact talking about visual communication in general, an industry currently undergoing rapid change. With the markets becoming increasingly merged with one another, this may well be a point of development for our exhibition.
In 2010, and again in 2011, we hosted new exhibitors from the large format printing sector. To meet the needs of other exhibitors as well as our visitors’ expectations, we’re going to take it even further in 2012, by offering these players a more exposed and better demarcated area. A project called “NOVA” is in the pipeline with the GPSF (French Professional Screen Printing Group). Details will be revealed very soon in our magazine and on our Internet website… You’re going to need to be a bit more patient!
A longstanding partnership with FESPA
“FESPA has been by our side since the launch of CTCO, and we also collaborate with them on their own events – on two occasions they’ve asked us to write and produce FESPA World supplements. We’re going to continue to work together, hand in hand, intensifying the expertise exchanged between our two organisations”.
New in 2012: The CTCO Live Creative Workshop!
A survey conducted amongst visitors to the 2011 CTCO revealed that 49.66% of retailers/distributors and 58.55% of personalization professionals are interested in investing in a personalization solution. It’s not surprising, then, that CTCO’s various workshops, including its techniques workshops, are met with great success each year: there’s nothing like having a live demo to get to grips with a certain technique!
For the next exhibition, the organisation has decided to innovate in its presentation of technique-related content by recreating, across an area of 300 m2 at the centre of the exhibition, the real conditions of a personalization workshop. For each technique presented, innovative channels of communication will be used by an exhibitor-partner – “live” – accompanied by a range of creatives.
With this new area called the “The CTCO Live Creative Workshop”, the organisers are introducing a different approach to “demonstrations”, clearly aiming to involve visitors in creating a personalised piece of creative. The interactive aspect is reinforced as visitors will be able to have their own artwork printed (sent in prior to the exhibition), to choose their format, technique and finally see the result being produced before their very eyes.
Retailers and personalization professionals will also be holding all the cards, where some will choose to acquire personalization equipment and others to develop their line of business with a new technique.