Going beyond borders

As happens every October, almost 600 guests came to see the latest machines in action at this year's Datafest, hosted by Dataform in Grossebersdorf near Vienna. Swiss technology and Austrian charm are a perfect mix, although Swiss charm should not be underestimated – and neither should Austrian technology! The result is an unbeatable combination for output centres in Austria itself as well as Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).

In an age when the public prefers to focus on finances rather than business, it is all the more important to have functioning business networks. But this is only possible if people can meet up in person from time to time, without having to think ahead to the next appointment or the next item on the agenda. And that calls for special places where the players in a sector can meet up in a relaxed ambience to swap know-how and new developments at the highest level.

The Datafest staged by the Dataform company in Grossebersdorf is just such a place for the printing and inserting sector – the only such venue in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region, in fact. This event features cutting-edge Swiss production technology from Hunkeler and Kern in association with the world's major digital print producers, so attendees can learn what the future will bring and what their colleagues are doing, as well as seeking advice from experienced experts.

In terms of technology, the Datafest offers numerous examples of the latest tried-and-tested solutions based on actual practice. This is not a collection of utopian visions gleaming under the spotlights, but rather a chance to see customised practical solutions in full-scale operation – and to engage in down-to-earth discussions about the practical experience of these solutions with people who have actually used them.

The Datafest is a meeting place for Austrian, German and Swiss experts from Doxnet, the sector's professional association, who are always looking for the best practical ideas. Production and service managers from the entire CEE region also come together here to find answers to questions that they bring with them from their dynamic markets. And, of course, they can also meet with partners and customers at this event, because their colleagues from Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania are on hand as well.

Various trends are emerging:

Machines in the digital printing peripherals and inserting sector offer increasing comfort and flexibility, and conversion to different formats and enclosures is becoming easier and faster.
Print and digital media are cooperating ever more closely; the individual advertising medium for each single customer is created wherever IT and marketing departments can make up their minds to work together.
Digital printing has attained a high level of maturity, although colour applications only pay off if there is a very specific requirement. Inkjet technology is still in great need of development as regards substrates and environmental aspects.

One thing has not changed: success depends on identifying new niches at an early stage and filling them with customised solutions based on optimum tried-and-tested technologies. Ways to achieve this − and the experience needed to do so − can be found here, at the Datafest.

Klaus Entrup (Dataform) and Uli Kern