![](https://www.sprinter.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/20120625082248_pp-ipex-2014.jpg?w=700)
Duplo, which had booked a 630sqm stand, said it had been concerned by the number of high-profile withdrawals that had occurred in the past 10 months.
Group commercial director Tony Lock also said the decision to shorten Ipex to a six-day show made it difficult to guarantee a sufficient return on investment.
"There’s a lot of goodwill from our side and I have a lot of respect for [event director] Trevor [Crawford] and his team and we had a great Ipex 2010, it made my career and I can’t believe that after just three years it has come to this," he said.
"But for us, right now, Ipex 2014 looks a little risky as it’s now a completely new show compared to the one we signed up to – although the door is definitely not firmly closed, we will review it.
"We want to let things settle down and monitor the situation and then in a few months we’ll talk to our customers and if a lot of them are going then we may look at coming back in."
[Related: Ipex coming to Australia]
Duplo is understood to have withdrawn now because it was due to make the next 30% of its exhibitor payment, after already paying the initial 10%.
It is unclear why Impika, which had booked a 462 sqm stand, withdrew from Ipex. However, it may be because Xerox, which acquired Impika last month, had already pulled out of Ipex.
The withdrawals of Duplo and Impika follow last week's pull-out by Mimaki, which said it was "redirecting its trade show focus to Fespa" so it could "target companies operating in the sign, large format and textile sectors".
Other big names that have decided to skip Ipex include HP, Heidelberg, Landa, Kodak, Roland DG and Canon.
Meanwhile, Ipex organiser Informa Exhibitions has responded to public criticism by Printers Superstore by stressing that the show was committed to both litho and digital.
"Ipex will be the only event in 2014 that brings together the whole international print supply chain to learn, network and do business," said the open letter.
"We said we'd focus the show on digital: some have interpreted that to mean Ipex will no longer serve litho printers. Nothing could be further from the truth.
"We expect 80% of our visitors to be commercial printers, whether they print litho, digital or with a mix of complementary processes. Most successful printers don't define themselves by the type of press they operate."
[Related: More news about Ipex]
This article was based on this article and this article from printweek.com
Comment below to have your say on this story.
If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.
Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter