Over 7,500 attendees from around the world attended the fortieth annual Graphics of the Americas Expo & Conference (GOA), a successful showcase from some of the most prominent industry leaders. Held February 26-28, 2015 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, the special anniversary show was a hotbed for sales, activity, and widespread education.
GOA President George Ryan says, “A heartfelt thank you to all of our valued exhibitors
and attendees for celebrating fort years with us at GOA 2015. The excitement on the show floor was contagious, where a large volume of sales and signed dealer agreements were reported.
“GOA is truly the ‘Gateway to Latin America.’ We are thrilled to see so much activity and enthusiasm within the industry. With all of the positive feedback we have received,
we are already busily preparing for next year’s event!”
What the Exhibitors are Saying
Exhibitors reported success at the 40th anniversary show, saying:
“OKI Data Americas looks forward to participating in Graphics of the Americas each year. The show provides a forum for us to engage with thousands of attendees, as we have always enjoyed a steady stream of foot traffic within the exhibit hall, and the OKI Data booth, in particular.
“At GOA 2015, OKI Data signed 3 new dealers at the show, sold several complete systems and obtained over 150 qualified Leads. We expect to recoup our show investment in forty-five days!”
—Rich Egert, Vice President, Global New Business Development, and General Manager of the Strategic Technology Provider Business Group, OKI Data Americas
“This was our first time exhibiting at GOA, and we have been impressed by the quality and quantity of the inquiries we received. We exhibit all over the world and, this time, we have a lot of new contacts which allows us to expand in the South and Latin American market.”
—Leon Lagrand, Mekes Graphic Machinery, BVt.
“We are proud of our 25+ years of exhibiting at the Graphics of the Americas event. With each show, we meet printers from both the Southeast region as well as Latin America. Year after year, GOA proves to be a successful event for Rollem International.”
—Susan Corwin, Marketing Manager, Rollem
“This is our tenth year exhibiting at GOA. GOA is the gateway that connects Central and South American printers to manufacturers in the USA.”
—Daniel J. Rizika, President, PrintGuard, Inc.
“GOA 2015 was an excellent show! The amount of requests for textile garment application products was substantial. It clearly shows how this is becoming a market niche, itself, and how GOA is important in this space in Central America and the Caribbean.”
—David Pachón, President, PrintLAT
More exhibitor highlights may be found on YouTube, at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChlGXIGxZAV4cAB9VfoYTvA
Wrap Cup Americas 2015 Winners
At the show, GOA hosted the official Wrap Cup Americas 2015 event, a vehicle wrap competition where the “wrap stars” of the Americas were pitted against each other to wrap a line of sports cars. Over twenty contestants came to compete from the US, Canada, Germany, and Central America to win the title.
The overall Wrap Cup Americas winner was James Preston Jordan, StatusPro (GA); and second and third place winners are John Duever, Vinyl Images (MO); and Jim Miller, Miller Decals, LLC (GA), respectively. The competition showcased keen skill, creativity and high quality, and recognized the best of the best in the global vehicle wrapping community.
Also on the show floor, crowds gathered at the show’s popular Wide Format Print Shop Live! exhibit, Flexo/Label Zone, 3D Printing Zone, and more.
GOA Education
An array of educational session tracks presented by the best in the industry offered GOA attendees the latest information in Prepress and Production; Photoshop; Design and Creative; Management; InDesign and Photoshop; Sales and Marketing; and Wide Format.
Ryan says, “Our sessions presented in Spanish were just about sold out, which says a lot about the interest and value that attendees put in our educational program. Many attendees have reported that they come to the show primarily for the education they receive on the latest industry trends and future-oriented sessions.
“This feedback is invaluable, and we will continue to work to bring in the experts and highlight important industry topics to meet these demands.”
Graphics of the Americas 2016
Next year’s show is scheduled to take place February 18-20, 2016, at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Stay updated with the latest news and information by visiting www.goaexpo.com.
