Printing Expo Online has opened Zone 1 of its interactive 3D virtual exhibition, showcasing HP, Muller Martini and Global Graphics among others.

To be open 365 days a year, the Printing Expo virtual exhibition is intended to work in the same way that a live one does, but allowing visits at any time from anywhere. The hall and stands are rendered in 3D based on what would be real physical dimensions, and visitors can navigate through the zones and visit virtual representations of stands, complete with 3D rendered products. PDF and videos can be downloaded or viewed and promotional items can be collected or samples ordered.

The virtual venue also includes a fully interactive auditorium, designed to show both live and pre-recorded seminars and conferences. Organiser Resolve Business Management says it is working with exhibitors, conference organisers, industry associations, governing bodies and even live event organisers from around the world to produce a programme that will run throughout the coming year.

Wayne Beckett, event director of Printing Expo and joint managing director of Resolve, commented, ‘With Printing Expo we have tried very hard to make it feel and look like you are visiting a real event. We have been lucky enough to work with some really forward-thinking companies when putting together Zone 1 which has made this possible.

‘Printing Expo is not designed to replace live events, but to complement them. Our exhibition is made up from what we class as digital assets that can be used in the exhibitor’s own digital marketing away from the show. The Müller Martini Showroom and the HP Indigo Digital Pouch Factory, for example, are fantastic environments for visitors to explore and contain lots of information, but these assets will be used by the companies’ own sales teams around the world as online demo centres.’

In addition to HP and Müller Martini’s virtual stands, Global Graphics and sister companies Meteor Inkjet and Xitron are present. Global Graphics is showing its range of Rip and related software technologies, while Meteor is focusing on printhead driver electronics and supporting development tools; Xitron is presenting workflow solutions for all types of print, plus DFEs for desktop inkjet and short-to-mid run digital.