Remax World Expo

The RemaxWorld Expo is an annual trade show for the desktop, home and office print industry. It includes the latest printing devices and a range of original, compatible and remanufactured supplies. It is usually held in Zhuhai, China each October. The event began in 2007 as a result of a joint venture between the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Recycling Times Media Corporation (RT Media). Centered in Zhuhai (Guangdong, China), widely recognized as being the print consumables capital of the world,[1] the exhibition currently takes place in the Zhuhai International Convention & Exhibition Center. RemaxWorld Expo is the largest trade show for the print consumables and printer industry,[2][3]being a key exhibition of the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China. In 2019, the show accommodated 476 exhibitors and 14,938 visitors from 104 countries.[4][5][6]

RemaxWorld Expo
StatusActive
GenreToner Cartridge
Ink Cartridges
Printer Ribbons
Printer Components and parts
Copiers
Printers
VenueZhuhai International Convention & Exhibition Center
Location(s)Zhuhai, Guangdong
CountryChina
Founded2007
FoundersTony Lee
Sabrina Lo
Attendance14938(2019)
Organized byCCPIT Zhuhai and Recycling Times Media Corporation
WebsiteiRecyclingTimes.com

History

RemaxWorld Expo

RemaxWorld Expo is the flagship event founded by Tony Lee and Sabrina Lo, the directors of Recycling Times Media Corporation (commonly known as RT Media) which was established in 2006. After enlisting the services of industry veteran, David Gibbons from Australia, the company ran a small, three-day annual exhibition called RemaxAsia Expo which was held at the Zhuhai International Hotel in 2007. The event grew to more than 5,000 attendees in 2008 and 8,626 in 2010 after moving to the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition Center at Jinwan Airport.

The Logo of Recycling Times Media

Three years after its formation, RT Media became independent from its UK-based partner and the event was renamed CIFEX. By 2011, the show became the largest print consumables trade show in the world, and the first annual exhibition to be held at the Airshow Center in Zhuhai, famous for hosting the biannual China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition, the largest airshow in mainland China. Once again, attendance records were broken with 9,893 visitors searching for printers and supplies. Since 2013, RT Media has held the annual expo at the Zhuhai International Convention & Exhibition Center with up to 15,000 attendees year on year.[7] In 2015, RT Media acquired the USA based Recharger Magazine along with its World Expo which was run in Las Vegas for almost 30 years. Subsequently, the event changed its name again and combined the former Remax brand with the newly acquired World Expo brand. The exhibition was renamed RemaxWorld Expo to reflect its global audience. In 2019, RemaxWorld Expo attracted 461 exhibitors and more than 15,243 visitors from 109 countries. Hundreds of small to medium size companies joined the expo alongside industry giants including Ninestar, Epson, Sinopec, Apex Microelectronics, Static Control, UniNet, Mito, Dinglong, SGT, Zhono, Jadi and Cartridge Web. With 30,000 square meters of exhibition space, the expo showcased diversified products including printers and consumables, copiers and consumables, finished products and spare parts, imaging services and solutions and intelligent office solutions.

RemaxWorld visitors are fascinated with the development of 3D printed products on display

Recycling Times Media

Following the launch of its first event in 2007, Recycling Times Media commenced the publication of a monthly print consumables magazine in Chinese called Zai Sheng Shi Dai (再生时代). A monthly English edition, Recycling Times was launched in 2009 with a Spanish language edition in 2014. In 2018, a partnership with the Moscow-based information agency, Business Inform, resulted in a Russian language quarterly edition. In 2019 a quarterly Arabic edition was begun in partnership with Cairo-based Arab Print Media. In 2018, the name of the magazine was changed to RT ImagingWorld to better reflect the changing nature of the consumables and supplies industry and the inclusion of a wider range of specialty printing devices. A partnership in 2019 with the Buenos Aires-based Spanish magazine Guia del Reciclador (The Recycler’s Guide) brought the two brands together to better service the industry in Latin America.

InTouch TV News broadcasts began in 2011 as the industry’s first news service to focus on the global printing consumables industry estimated to be US$80 billion. A series of two-day regional RT Imaging Expos were run in Barcelona (Spain) in 2015 and 2016, in Las Vegas (USA) in 2014 and 2015, in Cairo (Egypt) in 2017 and 2018, in Cancun (Mexico) in 2016, 2017 and 2018, and in Accra (Ghana) in 2019. Commencing in 2019, strategic partnerships were commenced with industry leaders in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Western Europe to hold intense, one-day expos for targeted buyers and suppliers. These were successfully trialled in Cairo (Egypt) Mexico City (Mexico), Bogota (Colombia) and Lahore (Pakistan). Nine events scheduled in 2020 for Manchester (UK), Paris (France), Amsterdam (the Netherlands), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Lima (Peru), Lagos (Nigeria), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Tunis (Tunisia) were postponed to 2021, due to the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Comexposium Recycling Times Media

In December 2019, RemaxWorld Expo along with its related regional events and publications, was strategically acquired by Comexposium, one of the world’s leading event organizers, headquartered in Paris, France. Comexposium welcomes more than 3.5 million visitors and 48,000 exhibitors every year at more than 135 events in various sectors in more than 30 countries. The newly named company, Comexposium Recycling Times Exhibition Services, continues to encourage discussion and engagement among and between the third-party supplies (aftermarket) and the OEM imaging sectors.[8]

Participating industries

Aftermarket printer cartridges

The third-party supplies industry includes printer cartridge remanufacturing which is the process of refilling a used printer cartridge with new toner and replacing worn out component parts. The modern term also implies the refurbishment of a used or empty cartridge, with damaged parts having been replaced.[9] Since 2010, due to the shortage, costs and logistical access to empty cartridges, the compatible new-build industry became prominent and commercially competitive with the remanufactured or refurbished product. Initially all compatible new-build cartridges were manufactured in China, with some other countries including Russia and India also manufacturing new-builds to a far lesser extent after 2019. The emergence of higher quality aftermarket cartridges has spurred a reaction from the OEMs in two regards: legal and technical. Legally speaking, the protection of intellectual property rights has become an utmost priority, with lawsuits being filed by the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) for patent infringements in many countries. The development of more complex components, especially microchip, toner and OPC (drum) technologies have required the aftermarket to invest more in order to provide a consistent, quality and non-infringing alternative. The OEMs are constantly seeking to exceed the aftermarket to ensure consumers perceive the favorable, and more expensive products, are their own. There are also some risks associated with both remanufactured and compatible new-build products. Poor quality, in terms of construction as well as replaced components in both toner and ink cartridges may result in leaks, malfunctions, low page yield or poor-quality printed pages. Furthermore, many OEMs allege the aftermarket infringes their intellectual property rights. Various lawsuits, predominantly in the USA and Europe, illustrate the contentious battle between these two sectors. On May 30, 2017, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of the aftermarket in a landmark decision over intellectual property rights. The Court held that after the sale of a patented item, the patent holder cannot sue for patent infringement relating to further use of that item, even when in violation of a contract with a customer or imported from outside the United States.

Founder Tony Lee (left) and Party Secretary of Zhuhai, Yangqiang Guo

Original Printer Manufacturers

The first dot-matrix printers were invented in Japan. In 1968, Japanese manufacturer Epson released the EP-101, the world's first dot-matrix printer. Dot-matrix printers became very popular during the 1970s and 1980s and despite being replaced by laser printers (that use toner) and inkjet printers (that use ink) in the late 1980s, are still used in various industries including point-of-sale in many retail outlets and stores. For this reason, many visitors to RemaxWorld Expo come looking for suppliers of ribbons as well as printing devices.

Laser Printers

The laser printer, based on a modified xerographic copier, was invented at Xerox in 1969 by researcher Gary Starkweather. The first laser printer intended for a mass market was the HP LaserJet 8ppm, released in 1984, using a Canon engine controlled by HP software. Printer cartridges containing toners, OPC drums and chips continue to dominate the home, office and desktop market in terms of volume and value of sales.

Inkjet printers

Inkjet printing is a type of computer printing that recreates a digital image by propelling droplets of ink onto paper, plastic, or other substances.[10] They are the most commonly used type of printer[11] in terms of shipments but not in the consumption of printer cartridges. They vary in terms of quality, size, and price. Inkjet printing originated in the late 1950s but was not marketed and sold until the 1980s. The four OEMs that account for the lion’s share of inkjet printer sales are Canon, Hewlett-Packard (HP) Epson and Brother.[12] HP led the way, releasing the first HP Deskjet inkjet printer, priced at $1000 in 1988.[13]


Printer Cartridge Components

Component parts, such as inks, toners, wiper blades and tools, dominated the exhibits in the early years of the expo. The visitors were mainly remanufacturers looking for technical work around solutions, components and parts to use in the remanufacturing process. There were also many companies displaying their remanufactured, compatible supplies for sale to dealers, distributors, wholesalers and stationery stores. Since 2010, some companies in China started to make compatible new-built cartridges using injection molding technology to replicate the appearance and functions of the OEM products. Initially known as “clone” cartridges because they were exact copies of the OEM original cartridges, the compatible new-built cartridge sector expanded in China became sought after by international and domestic visitors. These “finished-goods” could often be manufactured more cheaply than it would cost to collect and remanufacture or refurbish a used, empty OEM cartridge. Patent litigation between OEMs and Aftermarket manufacturers has led to many aftermarket cartridge manufacturers to develop their own technologies and work around solutions to avoid costly lawsuits and loss of market share. In recent years, there has been a shift towards the exhibition of finished goods, whether remanufactured or new-built at RemaxWorld Expo. Many components and tools continue to be on show, including inks, toners, chips, Optical Photo Conductor (OPC) drums, magnetic rollers, and doctor blades; production and testing equipment; inkjet papers, copy papers, thermal transfer papers & other specialty papers; and printer & copier parts. Finished aftermarket goods are becoming more and more abundant at the show including ribbons, ink and toner cartridges. An additional development is the increasing volume of service providers in technology, information services, software, IT systems, training, media and document solutions related to the printer consumables industry who attend the show.


3D printing

3D printing or additive manufacturing first became visible in the late 1980s, at which time they were called Rapid Prototyping (RP) technologies. The original commercial 3D system was introduced in 1987,[14] and ever since, the market has been booming with 3D technologies, becoming one of the most lucrative printing industries. The 3D sector of the exhibition is one of the newest and fastest growing sections of the show. The iPrint Expo is an exhibition that was previously run by Recycling Times Media, Asia-Pacific 3D Printing Application Propelling Alliance, and CCPIT Zhuhai. It was, initially, a wholly dedicated event that showcased 3D printing applications and was one of the first 3D printing expos in China.[15] It is now run concurrently with RemaxWorld Expo and incorporates many other emerging print technologies. The 3D sector of the exhibition focuses upon industrial 3D printers, desktop 3D printers; 3D printer accessories; 3D scanning & software including scanners, laser engraving machines, and motion capture systems; materials & technology such as photosensitive resins, plastic power materials and metallic powder materials; and 3D printing services.[16]

Other Printing Devices

While desktop and office printing that use inks and toners has slowed in the biggest markets of North America and Western Europe, it continues to grow in other places including Latin America, India, Central Europe, Russia, Africa and China. At the same time, there have been emerging print technologies develop in China and these printers form part of the iPrint Expo held in the same venue at the same time as RemaxWorld Expo each October. Newly emerging printer technologies on show include handheld, label, dot matrix, thermal, blueprint, braille, fingernail and digital printers.


Zhuhai

World flagpoint for print consumables

In 2010, the China Computer Industry Association (CCIA) awarded the city of Zhuhai as the “Print Consumables Capital of the World”.[17]

Tony Lee, (right) Print-Rite Founder, Arnald Ho, (left) and Vice Mayor of Zhuhai, Qingli Wang

Statistics reveal that 78.6% of ribbons in the world are manufactured in Zhuhai. Additionally, Zhuhai produces 68.4% of the aftermarket inkjet cartridges, and 40.1% of the aftermarket toner cartridges. Within 50 kilometers of the center of Zhuhai, there are 680 print consumable manufacturers, and related marketing enterprises, which export products valued at over $7 billion annually to more than 100 countries across the world and employ more than 50,000 employees, accounting for one third of the employees within the global print consumables industry. The main companies in the Zhuhai printing consumables industry include Ninestar Corporation and its subsidiaries Apex Microelectronics, G&G and Pantum. Others include Top Print Technology, Mito (part of the Hubei Dinglong Group) and Print-Rite (known as the “father of remanufactured print consumables in China.”.[18] The 55-kilometre (34 mile) Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge which came into operation in 2018 is helping to bolster Zhuhai’s status as a manufacturing hub through enhancing integration with Hong Kong, Macao and greater Guangdong.

gollark: I do care slightly. PotatOS uses require and not os.loadAPI, as do my libraries.
gollark: ***mwahahaha***
gollark: *edits potatOS*
gollark: Wait, so I can just remove all the .close calls?
gollark: I was considering porting ARC to fancy 3D stuff, but getting all the positions to line up would be bad.

References
  1. "Meet in China". Zillion Business Review (44): 65. 2012.
  2. "RemaxAsia Expo 2011 Attracts Thousands". 6
  3. "OnlineBusinessBureau.com Protecting Consumers".
  4. "RemaxWorld Expo Overview".
  5. "The Recyclers' Network - Win Free Hotel Nights When Visiting RemaxWorld Expo".
  6. "The 11th RemaxWorld Expo Set to Open in China's Greater Bay Area".
  7. "RemaxAsia Expo: Largest trade event grows larger". October 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-01-07. Retrieved 2014-01-07.
  8. "History of the Inkjet Printer".
  9. "Brother HL-L2300 Series TN630/660 Toner Cartridge Remanufacturing Instructions" (PDF).
  10. "Scientific Examination of Questioned Documents".
  11. "Types of Printers and Scanners". Archived from the original on 2016-07-15. Retrieved 2019-09-28.
  12. "History of the Inkjet Printer".
  13. "History of Computer Printers".
  14. "3D Printing for Beginners".
  15. "iPrint 3D Expo".
  16. "iPrint 3D Expo: Exhibits Focus". Archived from the original on 2016-10-15. Retrieved 2019-09-28.
  17. "Zhuhai: Print Consumables Capital of the World".
  18. "Zhuhai: Print Consumables Capital of the World".

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