Oh, what a month October was! My guess is that all the cynicism about the economy is dissipating and a new sense of optimism is emerging. A string of high profile trade exhibitions including Saudi Print, Sim, Gitex and Paper Arabia, which took place during October boosted the morale of the printing fraternity to a certain extent. As the media partner of all the leading trade events in the region, ME Printer played an active role in promoting and covering these trade events. Saudi Print exhibition once again proved that the Saudi Graphic arts industry is as lucrative as ever. The forces that drive the local market in Saudi are strong enough to galvanize the country against external threats such as the current global recession. More than 27,000 high quality visitors attended the show. The visitors were highly focused and professional and suppliers sealed multi-million dollar deals during the four day event.

The countdown for Ipex 2010 has already started. In this issue Rob Haak, veteran print professional and expert, answers some burning questions about Ipex and why this exhibition is indispensable even in the midst of the economic downturn. Our cover story offers an insight into the finishing and converting sector and the trends that will shape the future of this industry. For printers who look for innovative solutions in print finishing, this article will provide some useful tips and observations by our technical editor Rod Hayes. Also, in this issue Frank Romano, Professor Emeritus of Rochester Institute of Technology and one of our regular contributors, writes about the brave new world of book publishing and its future trends. According to the study by Romano, publishers will embrace new forms of book publishing in order to reduce the cost and inefficiencies of unsold books. Meanwhile, e-books will become a threat to traditional books. A round up on latest local news and events including the investments in equipment is also highlighted in this issue. Things have started to look brighter in October for the regional printing industry.