Safety Speed Manufacturing officially kicks off its 2016 events season Thursday, February 18 at the Graphics of Americas show in Miami Beach, FL.
The 2016 Safety Speed tour will include at least a half dozen other sign making or woodworking related trade show and convention engagements, including a pair of events in Mexico and participation at the International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta (IWF) this August.
Safety Speed personnel will demonstrate products, talk shop and listen attentively to obtain valuable feedback from visitors to their booths at this year’s most important events for its two core customer groups: sign makers and cabinet makers . “Trade shows are a valuable sales and marketing tool for us,” said Tom Houska, director of marketing for the Ham Lake, MN-based company. “They help us generate business through collecting qualified leads, building brand awareness and strengthening relationships. They provide important opportunities to connect with customers, dealers and prospective customers in one location.”
“We really feel that people who are willing to sacrifice time from their business and absorb the costs of attending a trade show are serious about doing business,” Houska said. He hastened to add, “Being absent from a key industry event instantly makes you a non-player in the field and puts your competitors on top of the minds of potential customers.”
Vertical Saws Cut Across Industries
Safety Speed’s signature vertical panel saws and vertical saw/router combos will be highlighted at virtually all of the events the company displays at this year from the Graphic Arts of America and ISA Sign Expo in Orlando this spring through IWF and SGIA Expo in Las Vegas in late summer.
Some woodworkers might be surprised to learn just how widely Safety Speed’s vertical saws are used in the sign and graphics industry.
“Safety Speed saws have earned their reputation as the industry standard in sign making,” Houska said. “For over 55 years our panel saws have allowed sign makers and graphic production shops to cut a large variety of sign materials safely, easily and accurately. ”
“The recently introduced SSC 165 and SSC 210 are revolutionary vertical cutters offering a high degree of performance and accuracy at a much lower cost than similar models used in the sign industry,” Houska continued. “These truly affordable finishing solutions are designed to cut cleanly and accurately without dust and noise.”
In addition to vertical saws, Safety Speed will display its lineup of desktop cutters, including four new models introduced last year at several major graphics shows. “With 14 options to choose from, sign makers and graphic production shops will have the opportunity to order the cutting system that matches their application requirement,” Houska said.
At IWF 2016, in addition to the vertical panel sizing systems, show goers can expect to see Safety Speed’s American-made edgebanders, screw pocket equipment and widebelt sanders in action.
Mark Your Calendars
Here’s a quick look at Safety Speed’s 2016 events schedule.
February 18-20
Graphics of the Americas
Miami Beach Convention Center
Miami Beach, FL
www.goaexpo.com
Graphics of the Americas is the largest event in North America for graphic communications. The show features approximately 400 exhibitors and is attended by more than 7,500 graphic communications pros, including commercial and digital printers, sign printers and screen printers.
March 3-4
Alliance Franchise Brands (Image 360)
Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront
Jacksonville, FL
www.alliancefranchisebrands.com
Representatives of Image 360 graphics communications and sign franchises will attend this conference, which also features vendor displays. Alliance Franchise Brands boasts more than 600 locations throughout North America and the United Kingdom.
April 12-15
Woodworking Industry Conference
Casamagna Marriott Resort Hotel
Cancun, Mexico
http://wmma.org/nlimages/wic2016
The Woodworking Industry Conference (WIC) is the annual joint convention of the Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America (WMMA) and the Woodworking Machinery Industry Association (WMIA). Safety Speed, a long-time member of the WMMA, is a sponsor of the WIC. One of the highlights of the convention is the opportunity to meet with regional woodworking machinery dealers and distributors.
April 20-23
ISA Sign Expo
Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, FL
www.signexpo.org
Sign Expo is organized by the International Sign Association. The event attracts more than 18,000 attendees to inspect the wares of nearly 500 exhibiting companies. Safety Speed’s vertical panel saws and desktop cutters will be surrounded by displays for wide format printing, digital signage, vehicle wrapping, LEDs and more.
August 18-20
FESPA Mexico
Centro Banamex
Mexico City, Mexico
www.fespa.com/calendar/fespa-events/fespa-mexico-2016-test.html
FESPA Mexico is the largest dedicated exhibition for the wide format digital print, screen print, garment decoration and signage markets Mexico and Central America.
August 24-27
International Woodworking Fair
Georgia World Congress Center
Atlanta, GA
www.iwfatlanta.com
The International Woodworking Fair is the largest industrial woodworking event in the Western Hemisphere. Owned and organized by the Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America (WMMA) and the Woodworking Machinery Industry Association (WMIA), IWF 2014 brought together more than 23,000 buyers and sellers of woodworking machinery, supplies and services.
September 14-16
SGIA Expo
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas, NV
https://www.sgia.org/expo/2016/exhibitors
The 2016 SGIA Expo is produced by the Specialty Graphic Industry Association. It brings together a wide array of attendees to experience technology, markets and opportunities.
Article written by Rich Christianson.
Rich Christianson is the principal of Richson Media, a Chicago-based communications firm focused on the industrial woodworking sector. Rich is the former long-time editorial director and associate publisher of Woodworking Network. During his 30-year career Rich toured more than 200 woodworking plants throughout North America, Europe and Asia and written extensively on woodworking technology, design and supply trends.