Kodak pulls out of Ipex to focus on customer events

Kodak has become the latest vendor to withdraw from Ipex after a global customer review.

Kodak's vice-president of commercial marketing, Chris Payne, said the move was not a cost-cutting exercise but the result of strategic discussions internally and with its customers.

"It's not about saving costs, we'll still be spending the money on customer engagement, we'll just be spending our dollars in a different way - we're still focused on how best to connect to our customers and you're seeing the same broad statements from a lot of vendors," he said.

Kodak had booked 1,600sqm for the the 2014 show, but has now joined Xerox and HP in deciding not to exhibit.

Payne said the company was looking to "significantly reduce its participation in conventional trade shows" across the board, although he stressed Drupa was "a little bit different" and that Kodak saw it as an important technology showcase at which it would continue to participate.

He added that the company would also look at shows in vertical and emerging markets on a case-by-case basis.

[Related: Ipex to visit Australia]

Payne said Kodak would focus on developing and building on its Graphic Users Associations customer events in the US, China and Europe as well as its own demonstration facilities.

The company will also enhance functions such as Kodak-hosted peer-to-peer "thought leadership" roundtables, its "Kodak's Partner Place" online community and personalised customer publications in print and online.

"Meeting with customers remains very important, but what's really important for our customers is not so much looking and testing equipment at trade shows anymore, what they want is a two way dialogue about where their business is going, how they are going to get there and how we as vendors can help them," he said.

Payne added that while Kodak would not exhibit at next year's Ipex, it was likely that the company would still be involved in other ways and have its equipment displayed on partners' booths.

That suggestion was welcomed by event director Trevor Crawford. "Kodak may have chosen not to participate in the usual way, but we continue to discuss the ideal engagement for them with Ipex in 2014. More will be clear next week with further announcements," he said.

[Related: More Ipex news]