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Aussies Gather in Shanghai for ASGA SIGN CHINA Event

It was an enthusiastic bunch of Aussies who gathered yesterday in Shanghai at the ASGA SIGN CHINA Aussie Get-Together.

The  event, which was hosted by ASGA President Mick Harrold, attracted a sizeable group of Australian visitors to the show, which is becoming an increasingly popular destination for sign and graphics professionals from around the world.

The group met in the VIP Lounge at the Shanghai International Expo Centre, embracing the opportunity to connect with fellow Aussies and share show highlights, information and insights to enhance the experience for all.

Mick, who was visiting SIGN CHINA for the first time, said the scale of the show, which was held in the financial hub of Shanghai, was ‘just massive’.

Harrold, ASGA President, hosted the event on what was his first visit to SIGN CHINA.

“I had the blisters on my feet to prove it!” he says, “and I am told there is another held in the manufacturing Hub of Shenzhen which is even bigger. This exhibition was held over three large internal halls and one external hall, and there was plenty of new equipment and innovations, representing the ‘cutting edge’ of what is happening in China.

“Like it or loathe it, when it comes to sign manufacturing, China is really right at the forefront in some areas and, while I would always urge people to invest in equipment through local suppliers, there are some things which are simply not available at the moment in Australia, or which are very expensive for us to source. So it was interesting to see some of those.

“Most digital screens are manufactured in China as are LED lighting modules. When it comes to channel letter benders, laser welders, fibre and CO2 laser cutters and so on, many of the best ones are fabricated in China, and they have been slow to filter through to the local ANZ markets.

“On the other hand, there are a great many of our members that have expensive ‘paper weights’ they have sourced from China, which simply aren’t fit for purpose; there is definitely a skill to getting what you need, and if anything breaks or needs servicing, the service level from China is often slow, leading to long downtime on machines.

“Like me, I didn’t talk to anyone who thought that buying a print machine direct from China was a good idea, and in that area, the price differential is not enough to make it worthwhile in any case…but if you want an opportunity to go and look at all the options and advances which are happening in new machines, then SIGN CHINA is definitely worth a visit.”

While the show was reportedly smaller than previous, pre-COVID iterations, Mick says it was great for Aussie visitors to be able to meet and chat about what they had already seen, what they were planning to see, and be able to discuss the innovations and products we’ve seen with other like-minded professionals.

“Without a doubt, the advances we are seeing here will filter through into the Australian signage market soon, so it’s great from both a personal business perspective, and from an ASGA point of view, to be here on the ground in Shanghai to see the very latest trends and gain an understanding of how these will impact our own market in the coming months and years.”

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