Epson ColorWorks label printers bring speed to ISE entry

By AV Magazine in Industry events October 16, 2024 0

In a new Epson video case study, Alex Freginals, who handles technology projects at Fira de Barcelona, says a trade show badge is like a medal and something that can be fun in the future.

Do you remember the great ISE badge controversy of 2022?

That was when Covid drove ISE to abandon paper badges in favour of digital ID, only for some exhibitors to complained about not being able to identify visitors as easily as before.

Then there was the great ISE badge chaos scare of 2024. This was when there were fears visitors would be forced to print badges before arrival, adding to pressure on queues which had already lengthened notably in 2023, as the show rebounded to a huge size post Covid.

These fears proved unfounded in 2024, as ISE opened up extra entrances and clarified that its policy was to encourage rather than require badge printing, as numbers attending the show soared.

Now a new story has been told about ISE badge printing, with a starring role for the Epson ColorWorks printer.

In a new Epson video case study about ISE, Alex Freginals, who is responsible for technology projects at Fira de Barcelona, says: "In a trade exhibition like ISE, our biggest challenge is to be able to get people access as quickly as possible.

"Our dream was to achieve it without stopping the visitors – so they would arrive, we could scan something to know who that person was and directly print a badge, and they would enter with the badge already hanged."

Fregianals says the Epson ColorWorks was chosen as it offers a wider range of colours and because of its printing speed. "We needed a very high printing speed, as each second, and each millisecond, is key in entrance management. The third reason was reliability. These printers are delivering thousands of prints per day, so we needed something that didn't fail."

In the video, Freginals makes a fine case for the importance of badges.

"The badge is almost like a medal, making you feel proud to show that you are attending the exhibition because it is like getting a status," he says.

"In the future, the badge can be something fun and something that differentiates you from the rest. A badge that you can customise with your logo, your company – one that determines who you are as person."