JITF2023：Overall report

2023-11-15
イベント参加報告

JITF2023 (Japan Inkjet Technology Fair) was held over two days on 30-31 October. Modeled after overseas inkjet industry events (IMI, TheIJC, IPI, etc.), the event consists of a table-top exhibition, lectures and networking get-togethers. While such events exist in other countries, where people and companies in the industrial inkjet community can meet and interact with each other, for some reason they do not exist in Japan. So, I decided to set up my own.

The number of visitors this time was 260 participants in the networking reception (exhibitor quota, OIJC member quota, invited quota, staff quota, press and general participation quota) and 600 business cards collected by general visitors (exhibitor employees and general visitors) (600 people) … the simple total is 850 people, but there were also people who came on both days and If we count those who visited the exhibition with a pass that was given to them, the total number of visitors over the two days easily exceeded 1,000. Although we do not have an exact count, we feel that this is an increase of 20-30% compared to last year.

Last year, despite being the first edition, we received a very positive response and this year’s edition has been brushed up to reflect as much as possible the various feedback we received at that time. We are aware that there are still many areas for improvement, but we hope that first of all you will appreciate the fact that we have launched an event ‘from nothing’, which will lead to further improvements and development. Below is a brief section-by-section summary.

[Table-top Exhibition]

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We also received a lot of positive feedback, such as “★ I was able to meet many people and have useful discussions”, “★ I was able to obtain new information”, “★ I was able to introduce my products to the foreign journalist, such as Nessan Cleary”, “★ It was useful to connect within the industry and explore business opportunities”…

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★ New perspectives were gained in thinking about application development.
★ Increased horizontal connections.
★ There were many visitors, which was good.
★ I could obtain new information (PFAS, SDGS, etc.).
★ I could talk about various things at other companies’ booths, which I couldn’t visit at other exhibitions because I thought it would interfere with their sales.
★ I feel that it was good to be able to have technical discussions with people on the ground and people with specialist knowledge who are not easy to meet, and to hear about problems and requests in various industries.
I also feel that it is valuable to have the opportunity to appeal to everyone with my own voice as a developer.
★ I think it is also good to have the opportunity to talk to people I have met at the networking meetings and legends from each industry.
★ I was able to learn about trends in inkjet-related companies.
★ I was able to tell a lot of people what the company wants to communicate. ★ I was able to meet the CEO of a company I was interested in and discuss new business opportunities.
★ Many people were interested in our company and our products.
★ It was a meaningful exhibition as a place to exchange information rather than to expand sales.
★ Since it was a gathering of the same industry, we were able to make efficient contact with the people we were approaching because they were exhibiting. The purpose of the exhibition is clear, so it is good that the visitors also match the target audience.
★ I was able to receive feedback from a variety of companies.
★ Because the exhibition was focused only on IJ, we were able to talk to qualified people.
★ There was also Corona, so I was able to connect with many more new parties than I had expected.
★ We received many business cards.
★ (Not an exhibitor) I could understand the fields that each company is focusing on and maintain connections with the inkjet industry.
★ (Staff comments) It was good to be able to contribute directly to the industry and indirectly to society.
★ This was the first time for us to participate as an exhibitor at an exhibition, but we felt that it was good in that we could talk about our technology, we could get a sense of what kind of technology people were interested in, and the scale of the exhibition was just right and we were close to the visitors.
★ Being able to learn about examples of inkjet technology development in the ultra-large drop and ultra-GAP areas.
★ I was able to make connections with people in the industry.
★ The frequency and content of dialogue between companies were both enhanced due to the small size of the exhibition.
★ It was an opportunity to interact with people from other industries.
★ Being able to exchange information and discuss specific issues with manufacturers and customers that we normally cannot meet in person.
★ I think it is very good that all the people concerned can get together and exchange opinions.
★ That there were visitors from outside the IJ industry.
∙ I was able to obtain information on prospective customers.
∙ I was able to meet old acquaintances I wouldn’t normally meet in one place.
The reception was exciting and fun.
Many young people attended.
New companies that did not attend last year joined the event.
It led to new projects. I was able to collect information.
★ For us, it is very helpful to grasp the movement of the industry in Japan and to develop our business in Japan.
★ I appreciate the opportunity to meet so many people face to face in a short period of time.
★ I participated as a member of the management staff and had the opportunity to talk to many people through networking.

[lectures]

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There were three lecture rooms, each with a capacity of 118, 52 and 46 persons, but the seats were generally filled and in some cases there was standing room only. The number of panels x capacity is 17×118 + 12×54 + 12×46 = 3,206 … If all the panels were filled to capacity, this means that “a total of 3,206 people attended the lectures”. And since each session lasts 40 minutes, 40×3,206/60 = 2,137 hours/person.

This number of people, the amount of time they spent listening to presentations by other companies that they would not normally be able to listen to, and gaining new information… I think this is quite a significant achievement.

[Networking Reception]

The networking reception is one of my most important ones – when 260 people come together, there is always some sort of chemical reaction! There will be encounters that may lead to new business, and there have also been many reunions with old friends who haven’t seen each other for many years.

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[Special Thanks to “drupa”]

We would like to thank “drupa” and Messe Düsseldorf for supporting JITF 2023 as special partners. Despite her busy schedule, our Director Sabine Geldermann was able to attend and provide us with the latest information on drupa and a networking reception. Now it is our turn. Just as we cannot imagine Paris without the Arc de Triomphe, Berlin without the Brandenburg Gate or London without Big Ben, we cannot imagine Dusseldorf without drupa. On behalf of the Japanese inkjet industry, I will do my utmost to support the success of drupa 2024.

[See you next year, again !]

We plan to organise JITF 2024 next year. I’m planning to go to drupa again in 2024, so I’m going to make arrangements before that. If you would like to exhibit, please prepare yourselves, as we will put out an open call as soon as possible.