A record 35 Chinese manufacturers will exhibit at Ipex in Birmingham, UK next year (May 18-25), accounting for more than 1600 m2 of floor space. Organisers say the biggest footprint goes to joint venture companies Shanghai Electric (Group) Corporation (SEC) and Goss International Corporation, which will use their 1000 m2 of stand space to promote the merged business. Shanghai Electric Printing and Packaging Equipment Manufacturing Group's chairman Chen Da Xiong says SPPM, a business unit of Shanghai Electric Group, SPPM (which also owns Akiyama) has become a leading supplier to the sheetfed, web offset and packaging printing sectors. “We’ve attended several Ipex shows in previous years, and next year’s show is the ideal platform for us to showcase our strong capabilities and demonstrate our growing product portfolio and differentiating technologies to the international graphic arts community.” Ipex organisers say they are working in close partnership with the Printing and Printing Equipment Industries Association of China – which organises China Print and Print China –to help exhibitors maximise their participation. PEIAC vice chairman Wang Demao says the group is lendiong its support because of the contribution made by Ipex to the development of global printing industries over the years. “We estimate that the total Chinese exhibition area will reach 2000 square metres,” he says. Other leading Chinese companies exhibiting include postpress manufacturer JMD Machinery (170 m2) and Chengdu Xingraphics. Trevor Crawford, Ipex 2010 events director says Ipex 2010 will be the second or third show for many Chinese exhibitors. “Equally, a number of Chinese suppliers less well known internationally will use Ipex as a global launch pad,” he says. “We’ve already exceeded the number of exhibitors from China that participated in 2006, and with demand remaining high, we expect the overall numbers of exhibitors from this region to rocket in 2010.”