Trade Show | GOA 2011 Highlights

To view the GOA 2011 Show Daily click here. To view Issue Two, click here.

To view pictures from GOA 2011 click here.

Graphics of the Americas co-located with FESPA Americas, Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS) and the cre8 conference. The 36th annual show took place in Orlando, FL at the Orange County Convention Center on February 24-26, 2011.

Over 9,800 people attended from 90 countries, with a majority of attendees coming from the U.S. and Latin America. This is a 16% increase year over year in attendees. 75% of the attendees represented senior-level management, with 60% of the attendees coming from companies employing 1-19 people.

Top areas of interest at the show included: Digital Print/Imaging Equipment; Art/Graphic Design; Consumable Supplies; Pressroom Equipment; Wide Format Printers/Equipment; Prepress Software; Material & Fulfillment Equipment; Computer Software; Package Printing; and Bindery Equipment.

GOA receive overwhelmingly positive feedback from exhibitors and attendees, both of whom are reporting much success from a purchasing and selling standpoint.

FESPA Americas educated and inspired visitors through a range of innovative exhibits and show features, that included: Wide Format Print Shop Live!, Screen Master's Workshop, FESPA Wrap Cup Masters Series and the Global Business Forum.

Over 2,000 people participated in the 78 GOA educational programs, which is a 12% increase over the prior year. And, for the third consecutive year, sessions in Spanish were highly attended throughout the show.

The world-famous cre8 Conference, hosted by American Graphics Institute (AGI) presented more than 40 valuable seminars. Led by creative technology experts, these seminars provided attendees with valuable training that covered how to efficiently move designs and content between print, Web, and interactive mediums.

Senior level executives from leading industry companies led invaluable presentations directly on the show floor in the Expo Theater.

The keynote address, "Inspiring Digital Innovation," was presented by John Bracken, Director of Digital Media at the Knight Foundation. Bracken identified major trends in publishing and journalism, including the presence of smartphones and differing views of social media. He also reported on the innovative projects that have been funded by the Knight News Challenge, and offered his own insights into what the future holds for media and society.

Attendees and exhibitors alike had plenty of opportunities to interact, not only on the show floor but also at the Graphic Arts Leaders of the Americas (GALA) Awards, held at the exclusive Peabody Hotel in Orlando.