Every September, thousands of people walk past the Knowledge Zone stage at The Print Show without ever knowing who's running the sound and vision behind it. This is that story: how I ended up there, and why, eight years on, I'm still there every year.
A drive to Bristol that changed everything
Eight years ago (it might be nine, COVID has a way of blurring a year) I was running my own event management company, LD Events, when an email landed asking if I'd take a look at some AV equipment. The sender was a print-industry publication getting ready for the second year of a new trade show. They'd borrowed gear for year one, then gone out and bought their own kit, except it wasn't really man enough for what they wanted to do with it.
I drove down to Bristol, sat down with them, looked over what they had, and told them straight what they actually needed. They asked if I'd like to do the show for them. I said yes.
That year I turned up at the NEC on the Monday, set up the PA for what's now called the Knowledge Zone, the main stage where industry experts deliver talks throughout the show, and stayed on site all week. They put me up, fed me, and it was a genuinely good week. Six months later they came back and asked me to be their AV partner going forward. I've been there every year since.
A show that keeps growing, and room to help shape it
The Print Show is owned and run by Link Publishing, and one of the best things about working with them is that the show changes every year. It grows, and there's always more to do, mostly on their side, but it gives me room to put in some input from years of working exhibitions, conferences and live events.
There was a gap along the way. LD Events, the event management company I ran before Soundcheck, was going strong before COVID, and COVID hit it hard, to the point it didn't survive in its original form. After a short hiatus, I brought the AV side of the business back under the Soundcheck name, and the Print Show relationship carried on with me.
Every year since, I've provided the PA and microphones for the Knowledge Zone and run every presentation on that stage for the whole week. I also record a podcast through the desk for one of the speakers, something I've done every year since we started.
School of Wrap: an honest experiment
Not everything works first time, and I think that's worth saying plainly. Last year's show had a new area called School of Wrap: a company digitally wrapping cars, demonstrating live across all three days. I rigged speakers on truss and set up 75-inch screens on stands to play their videos. On the other side of the same area, another team wrapped furniture, old pieces sanded back and re-covered in printed material, and we lit that too. I was also involved in coordinating between the truss company building the structure and the company doing the wrapping.
Technically, it all worked well. As an exhibit, though, I don't think it added much to the show. So this year it's not coming back, and that's fine. Live events are like that.
Friends, a leaving do, and a podcast
Eight years in, it's been more than just a job. I've made real friends along the way, and it shows. I've been invited to company events, including the leaving do in Weston-Super-Mare when the show's previous owner retired and sold the business. That's not something that happens if you're just a supplier turning up and packing down.
After last year's show, Jonathan Pert, Commissioning Editor at Link Publishing, asked if I'd take part in a short podcast: the idea being that people see me every year standing next to the stage, but probably have no idea who I actually am. We talked about how I got into AV, the resources I put together for people running live events, and what's new for 2026.
What's new for Print Show 2026
This year we're going back to the original Knowledge Zone format, but making more of it. Instead of a screen standing separately next to the stage, we're embedding a large TV directly into the back of the printed backdrop, neater, and it'll look fantastic. I'll be providing the usual four-speaker PA and mics, and running every presentation across the week, same as always.
One possible change: rather than just recording a podcast for one speaker, they'd like the whole week recorded. Some presenters want video of their own talks. I've proposed it and I'm waiting on feedback. If it goes ahead, I've got someone lined up to join me for the week and handle the recording and video side, while I focus on the sound and on looking after the speakers, keeping them happy, and handling the last-minute changes to presentations that always, always happen. It made sense to bring in someone who knows that side of things better than I do.
The Print Show and Link Publishing have recently been sold to new owners, though it'll still be run in-house by the same team. New owners bring new ideas, and I'm genuinely looking forward to working with them to keep building on eight years of growth, hopefully for eight more.
Thinking about booking us for your own show? Read the full case study here →
Running a conference, exhibition or corporate event?
If you need an AV partner who's spent years getting live events right, from a single speaker stage to a full three-day show, I'd love to talk.
Get in Touch