PrintEx - launched a couple of decades ago as the low-cost Sydney sibling of Australia's PacPrint trade show - was ebullient enough when it opened its doors to visitors at the Sydney Showgrounds on Tuesday.

But those who expected much of a connection with the newsmedia segment would have been disappointed. Among the 120 exhibitors are Ferag offshoot WRH Global and roller maker Böttcher, which bought local competitor Brissett Rollers last October.

And of course, a host of digital print systems vendors, the larger of which - think Kodak, HP, Screen and Fuji Xerox - have pitched to Australia's newspaper publishers at one time or another.

We're hoping WRH, which is a sister company of mailroom systems developer Ferag - might have a major order from News Corp Australia to talk about (see GXpress EXCLUSIVE: Property sale fires starting gun on Melbourne press project), as it did at the show four years back when News replaced systems at several of its metro print sites.

But this is fundamentally a trade show for digital print in its many forms. Visual Impact and the Label & Packaging Expo co-locate with PrintEx, whose organisers include (with Visual Connections) Printing Industries Association of Australia, which on Thursday will meet to discuss changing its name to the Print and Visual Communications Association. That's the PVC, perhaps appropriately reflective of one of the dominant substrates of the day. The meeting, incidentally is at Hub One, Sydney Showground at 1 pm on Thursday (August 15).

The show was opened by NSW cabinet secretary Alister Henskens, and includes a programme of forums, 'Business@Breakfast' sessions - at which former industry leaders Bob Lockley and Phil Taylor (pictured with Kellie Northwood) were among speakers - Women in Print events and the gala National Print Awards dinner.

It continues until Friday.

Pictures PrintEx Australia