Graphic, paper and converting machinery revenue increases through exports - New technology and the web can spur growth

There’s no denying that the print industry suffered many casualties following the downturn in the global economy. In Italy print service providers are still working very hard to weather what remains a very challenging economic climate.

There is good news to report, however. At the end of 2012 the graphic, paper and converting machinery industry saw revenue rise to in excess €2 billion. Exports were the main catalyst for this growth, with more than 80% of revenue generated from outside Italy.

It’s also heartening to see strong attendance at the Grafitalia and Converflex trade shows. Of the 411 exhibitors that took part, 37% were from outside Italy. In total, 22 countries were represented, with visitors arriving from as far afield as Algeria, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Iran, Mexico, Turkey and the USA. The international success of the shows can in part be attributed to a successful partnership between the Ministry of Economic Development and ICE (the Italian Trade Commission).

Looking toward growth markets

To overcome the financial crisis, Italian companies are increasingly exploring commercial opportunities in countries such as China, Russia and Brazil, and in Africa in general. And when it comes to finished print products, Italian exporters are targeting East European markets.

The exhibitions also provided the stage for a debate on the potential synergy between the internet and paper. The discussion made it clear that there’s certainly scope to develop opportunities in this area, but there is a prerequisite for such synergy to happen – technological evolution.

Vincenzo Boccia, president of Grafitalia and chairman of Piccola Industria di Confindustria, had this to say: “We have to turn limits into opportunities. Today the traditional factors influencing production also include expertise, which comprises knowledge and information. For companies operating in the printing industry, it is imperative to pay great attention to innovation. As a result, trade exhibitions remain the only place where professionals can gain knowledge and information and breathe in the wind of innovation.”

Meanwhile Converflex president Simona Michelotti underlines some issues in the converting industry: “What we are faced with today is an extremely competitive scenario, particularly in the food sector, where best practices are required to ensure companies operate according to stringent quality, safety and ethical standards. The contribution of technology can create crucial opportunities for companies.”

The new communication frontier

Also present at the show was Alberto Cairo (www.thefunctionalart.com), one of the world’s leading infographics experts and professor at the University of Miami School of Communication. He discussed his latest book, Functional Art, which is all about infographics and how best to visualize information.

In his presentation Alberto focused on infographics in connection to the use of the technology on display at Grafitalia and Converflex, and on cross media and interactive digital display. He identified five key ideas that define and characterize infographics:

1. The information display is not dependent on software, but on mental elaboration from the planning stage.

2. Infographics is not only art, but a form of communication that should follow strict quality and accuracy standards.

3. Infographics are ‘tools of understanding’ that can reveal hidden truths.

4. Infographics are connected primarily with structure and the message to be conveyed.

5. There’s a whole world of opportunities to explore.

It was great to see so many exhibitors involved in the shows, with all their new technologies on display. It was also heartening to hear that exhibitors were impressed with the many highly qualified visitors and buyers stopping by their stands.

An impressive 18,000 visitors attended Grafitalia and Converflex. International attendees included delegations of industry players from 9 different countries.

So here’s to the future success of the shows – and to the growth of the Italian print market.

Check out the pictures below of some duomedia clients at the show. 

Barbara Bernardi

The official figures say over 20000 visitors attended  Graphispag Digital but you could already see for yourself that Graphispag Digital 2013 met the expectations in terms of visitor numbers. The exhibition halls were swarmed every day and you could hear exhibitors approving the booth traffic and contacts made.

And that was the ultimate goal. To create a single and central meeting point for the Spanish market to exchange views, launch news, gain experiences, enlarge market vision and make sales happen. This objective was met with a sigh of relief by the whole industry, because - let’s be frank - expectations were not that high with the general crisis still pounding on the market.

The market unease was also reflected in a disparity amongst exhibitors. Some companies opted for a stand without machinery and the accompanying logistic costs. Others came with a great display of equipment to exude confidence in the market. And although participation itself is most important, the general opinion agrees that machinery still needs to be on display at the show. Visitors do not only want to talk the talk, they also need to see for themselves which applications can be realized, how the solutions work, what consumables are required, size, strength, and so on.

Digital printing was the hot topic and the variety of substrates it can be executed on even more so. Not only paper, but also other media were on display: textile, ceramics, wood, … All aimed at impressing visitors from other markets, such as decorators, architects, advertising agencies and marketing members.

Plus we could see all kinds of customized items such as photobooks, mugs, canvases, posters, wallpapers, furniture, textile, etc., but also other products like labels and packaging, again markets where digital printing is becoming increasingly applied. It was clear Graphispag Digital was not just a print show for the paper printers, but was aimed towards a broader marketing audience.

The collaboration with Sonimagfoto & Multimedia was received positively by exhibitors like Canon, Fujifilm or Kodak as it enabled them to reach two different markets from one single stand. The organization has therefore decided that future editions will continue to be combined.

Attendance at the conference Image & Print World Congress and the Image & Print Corner was highly variable. Depending on interest, some speakers could count on very crowded sessions. Some sessions were less successful. Word to the wise organizers that this approach was not as successful as anticipated and should be revised for future calls.

Another similar event in Spain will not happen until 2015. Hopefully the market will have improved by then and the next Graphispag Digital will be the forecast again of good times. A study conducted by Pira International and FESPA, expects digital textile printing to grow more than 870% through 2014. HP expects the business of customizing to generate more of 780 million euros in Europe. I feel those are nice numbers to build on towards Graphispag in 2015. So adios for now and hasta la proxima!

Rosa Arza

In my previous blog I put forward my objectives, expectations and first impressions during the first 3 weeks of my internship at duomedia. Now it’s time to draw some conclusions. Indeed, Friday the 29th of March was, after 9 weeks of internship, my last day. Time to say goodbye to duomedia and its team that has helped me to improve my  English linguistics and professional skills.

So allow me to share it the way I did with my best friends. First and foremost, explaining the everyday activity of a B2B PR agency requires quite some patience and attention. It was probably the most difficult task of the internship. In fact, I think most of my interlocutors only retained “Communication”, “Printing, Packaging, Publishing” and “customers”. That’s not too bad as  a start. But the most important thing was understanding what I as a trainee could contribute to such agency.

duomedia allowed me to help out on the database. It’s impressive how important and time consuming this task is within an agency. A good database is the core and backbone of any communication strategy. An excellent task for me, as I got to know a lot of new magazine titles and markets. The second main task was research for a client. Get in touch with editors and magazines, asking for background information, editorial calendars and media packs. Interesting to know how this is the basis of defining a media strategy for a client. The third main task was to prepare several client reporting files, comparing online clippings with websites referenced in monitoring lists. Just to make sure we did not miss a clipping we worked hard for to get published.

But most importantly, I got to work in an international environment and work on my English skills. Day after day, I assimilated a lot of new vocabulary and felt more and more comfortable with the language.

I can honestly say there was never a dull moment at duomedia and my days were kept very busy. Just the way I like it. Tasks were clear and diverse; I could work independently and share my results at the end of the day. The three main tasks I briefly described above are but a summary of what I did during these 2 months of internship. It a true experience and I can only recommend duomedia as an internship company for any student. See you again soon?

Florent Lahy

Labelling the future is a challenge for the label industry, in the face of the exceptional change that is happening on many fronts. A developing palette of label technologies and alternative options; the ‘cloud’ business environment; the urgent need for succession change in SMEs;  making the decision to stay local, serve a specialty market segment, or go international;   maturing geographical markets versus the emerging economies… 

Technology innovation

Technology innovation is changing the face of the entire print industry;  and as commercial print dwindles in the face of downloadable reading matter, packaging print is growing exponentially. It is the key area where the consumer relies on a product’s physical brand image to confirm its quality, reliability, and desirability. Today’s modular presses make it possible to use multiple ‘traditional’ print processes – UV flexo, screen, foil blocking – in the one machine pass – as well as digital print for personalisation, barcoding, etc. What is more, the new-generation digital label presses deliver high-quality print results too; and today’s sophisticated digital pre-press solutions make design, proofing, and even product prototyping fast and easy – even if the client is thousands of miles away. Short-run work and multi-versioning of generic brand labels are now firmly part of a label converter’s remit. There have never been so many options.

Lean and green

At a time when brand owners are concerned to keep costs as low as possible, optimise profits, and still present a ‘green’ image to the consumer, lean manufacturing and sustainable practices must also be central to the label converter’s activities.  

E-commerce has long been a key to the effective running of the relationship between labelstock supplier and label converter, and today’s ‘back office’ at the label converter can be seamlessly integrated with the front end. Using today’s most up-to-date systems, which match those of the customers, is key.

Where next?

Specialisation is one route: there are successful label printing companies serving specialist industries. Alternatively, companies can look to extend their reach from being a ‘local’ supply base, to cross-border trading and, then, an international presence - achieved either independently or as a result of establishing partnerships and alliances with like-minded companies in other countries. Finally, of course, there are mergers and acquisitions – today an area where we are seeing very strong activity.  

Label – the future?

Whatever is to come, the future will still need a label. The intrinsic function of a label is to identify the contents of a package. We have come a long way from the handwritten ‘label’ on a brown paper bag (probably the first example of direct print – a labelling method that still has currency today!) There are wet-glue labels, self-adhesive labels, shrink and stretch sleeves, in-mould labels… and now we can learn about a product through scanning QR code on its packaging.   But we still have to be able to pick the right product from the retail shelf – and only a physical label of some kind can enable us to do that.

Lut Verschueren

Based on article by FINAT.

We all know how shopping for jeans can be a tortuous nightmare. In fact a poll by online fashion retailer isme.com found that 43% of its 1,000 over-50 female respondents said it was more stressful than moving house. While a survey by Which? Magazine found the average person spends twice the amount of time shopping for jeans than they do a current account. A testament to this fact is that of the 15 or so pairs of jeans I own, only a couple are regularly worn and even then that is because I have forgotten how uncomfortable or unflattering they really are.

So what about a service that scans your body shape, takes your measurements and asks you to state the style of jeans you are lookin for (skinny, flared, bootcut, boyfriend etc…) and then 3D prints the perfect fit and colour? Sounds too good to be true doesn’t it?  But in reality, with the fast paced developments in digital printing a ‘made-to-measure’ solution may not be that far away.

We have already seen how 3D printing is proving to be the perfect way to produce small objects like false teeth and hearing aids that are formed to the contours of the wearer’s ear or mouth. But market interest is growing every day with a host of new products now being manufactured from records to houses. Raw materials options are also expanding making ‘made-to-print’ jeans not such an outrageous suggestion.

In fact interest from the fashion industry was piqued last year by the 3D Print Show in London and escalated in January when Dutch designer Iris van Herpen’s Paris Fashion Week collaboration  featured a 3D printed skirt and cape created with artist, architect, designer and professor Neri Oxman from MIT’s Media Lab, printed by Stratasys.

She also presented a dress designed in collaboration with Austrian architect Julia Koerner, currently lecturer at UCLA Los Angeles, and 3D printed by Materialise.

Kimberley Ovitz picked up the baton at New York Fashion Week earlier this month with a range of form-fitting jewellery. Her Coelom Bracelet and Squama Ring, in stainless steel or flexible nylon and a Thana Earcuff and Spicules Earhook were among the AW13 collection produced with Shapeways – a marketplace and community that offers access to 3D Printing. And prices start at a not hugely prohibitive $35.

So is this a market area commercial printers should be looking at?

It is an opportunity that could be explored but as a stand-alone service although there may be some MIS and prepress cross over. The question comes down to investment costs versus sales potential and this will initially depend on cost per item and interest from the existing customer base.  

It is certainly something we at duomedia will be keeping an eye on and for some businesses I think it could be a perfect fit – just like those jeans. 

Catherine Carter

We’ve returned from the Packaging And Converting Executive (PACE) Forum for suppliers and brand owners and the number-one concern among delegates was abundantly clear – how to extend the shelf-life of their products.

The issue is brought into sharp focus when you consider this fact: around half of all food produced in the US and Europe is never consumed. This is a staggering amount of waste – particularly when there are millions of starving people in other parts of the world. There was agreement that on-demand production is crucial for addressing the problem, as well as adding smart tags to food packaging to let consumers know the food is still safe for consumption. This was just one of many issues covered at the PACE networking event, which brings together brand owners and suppliers from across the packaging supply chain to discuss the trends and challenges shaping their industry. 

The list of brands attending the event read like a ‘who’s who’ of FMCG manufacturers – Kraft Foods, Nestle, Heineken, Danone, Nokia and P&G, to name but a few. duomedia was also invited because of our strong track record of engaging and promoting suppliers and brands in the packaging market.

Celebrating its eighth anniversary, this year’s PACE Forum was set in the beautiful location of Prague, Czech Republic.   

Other hot topics discussed at the event were the need to produce sustainable packaging and prevent water wastage – and how this can be achieved across the whole supply chain. But while reducing the amount of packaging is good from an environmental perspective, it poses brands another challenge. Packaging is about much more than just protecting food. It’s also about ‘shelf impact’, tempting consumers to buy, and brand differentiation. 

Delegates also commented on the difficulties of operating in a global marketplace, where there are many regional differences and growing consumption in emerging territories. In India, for example, keeping food refrigerated remains a challenge, while in China there are different regulations and laws regarding food production and wastage. 

There was a consensus that the various companies involved in the supply chain must improve communication and become more efficient, so they can not only meet brand owners’ needs, but also deliver high-quality to consumers without adding to the current mountain of wastage.   

There are no quick fixes. But it was very heartening to hear how suppliers and brands owners are committed to developing solutions that are not only commercially viable, but also sustainable and socially responsible.

 Lutt Willems

To grow and learn, that’s why I expect to get out of an internship. Or would that be the standard response any trainee gives? Doesn’t matter, because I mean business. I’m a PR student in his last year, so time to get some “on-the-job experience” and learn how things work at a PR agency. That’s the reason I signed up for a 2 month learning curve experience at a pan-European B2B PR agency, called duomedia.  And after two weeks on the job, I think one blog will not be enough to cover it all.

Being 23 years old and approaching the exit doors of the University can be frightening because it means school period is nearly over. After six years at Primary school, six years at Secondary school and five (or more) at University, the time has come to go look for a job. I want to take on this venture fully prepared, gain useful knowledge and be really immersed in the field of communication in order to define both the key elements and subtleties that interest me most. That way I know which future job to look for.

My previous internship at a small E-marketing and Inbound Marketing agency introduced me to tools for creating communicative content, timesheet management and multitasking. However, I felt my communication skills in terms of  language and content management, as well as my writing skills could use some improvement.

When I saw the pan-European and even international strategy duomedia puts forward, I knew this was the place to be. I applied, the management accepted me and here I am. All yours for nine weeks.  Experience is what I asked and what I will get. From day one, the team has welcomed me as one of their own and I’m immediately involved in key operational elements: comparative studies, database research, social media strategy, and basic account management. Interesting to see how the theoretical studies are actually handled in everyday life! Even more, duomedia handles B2B PR for very technical markets, such as graphic arts and food/beverage - markets I had no idea were such large industries.

Oh yes, there will be loads to learn here and I can hardly wait. This is my opening blog. I’ll be back in a few weeks to report on what I’ve learned. I just hope I’ll be able to sum it up in a page.

Florent Lahy

They say policemen and women never truly clock off. Even when they’re off duty, they always have one eye out for trouble, ready to step into action. Well, it strikes me that PR people aren’t so different. When I’m not at work it’s amazing how often friends and family expect me to go into ‘PR mode’ to sort things out. To smooth things over.  To fix things.

If I’m out with friends in a restaurant and someone grumbles that the food’s not up to scratch, what invariably comes next is: ‘Ask Maya to have a word with the manager, she’s good at this sort of stuff.’

Or if I’m in a store and there’s some haggling to be done over the price of an item, guess who’s pushed forward.

Even when it comes to something as simple as asking directions, the responsibility typically comes my way.

Does always being the ‘go-to’ person get on my nerves? Not really. I see it as a backhanded compliment. What people are effectively saying is: “Whatever the problem, whatever the situation, we trust you to handle it.”

In essence, being known for your positive, can-do mindset is what being a good PR rep is all about. It’s about being a safe pair of hands that clients can always rely on. And to be a safe pair of hands, you have to be a good all-rounder.

First of all, it goes without saying that we have to be resilient (Press Officer always features highly in those most-stressful-job lists - see the latest article on the largest Belgian job site Vacature).

Then, of course, we have to be able to communicate with people from all backgrounds – from the big-wigs in the senior management team, to the tech guys beavering away in R&D, to the workers plugging away on the shop floor.  

And let’s not forget all the events like product launches, press conferences and trade shows. They demand all your organising and management skills, and involve some serious multi-tasking.

And when the chips are down, when a client is having a mini or full-scale crisis, we’re the ones they often turn to for counsel and to help steady the ship.

So given the amount of general ‘sorting out’ we do, it’s perhaps no wonder our PR skills are called upon so readily outside the workplace. At the end of the day, we’re often the ones people trust to get things done. Just ask our friends and family. 

Maya Staels

In the New Year many companies ponder how they can drive the business forward in the next 12 months. And sooner or later, many of them consider hiring a PR agency (or switching to a new one).

Make no mistake, a decent PR agency can have a big impact on a company’s visibility and bottom line. But this doesn’t happen overnight. It takes hard work from the agency and client.

So before you draw-up your agency hit list, consider these tips – they could save you a tonne of money and time in the long run.

1. Know your goals

What do you want your PR programme to achieve –specifically? Not knowing the answer to this question is a common mistake (particularly among PR first-timers).

When a company is unsure of its objectives, the standard answer is usually ‘more media coverage’ or ‘more sales’.

But this is a very vague response. If you want great visibility, what media are you targeting? Is there a particular publication, editor or journalist that you want to build a closer relationship with?

And what about metrics – will you be measuring web traffic? Sales conversions? Whitepaper downloads?

If you’re unsure, a good agency will certainly help you agree on realistic goals.

2. Trust your instinct

PR is all about fostering strong relationships – and that begins with your agency relationship.

When an agency team pitches to you, what’s your gut feel about them? Are they the sort of people you could go for a meal with? If not, there could be trouble ahead. If they’re not ‘your sort of people’ in the pitch, they probably won’t be further down the line.

3. Have sufficient resource

Hiring an agency is just the beginning – you’re going to need resource to manage the relationship.

Normally this is the Marketing Director’s / Manager’s role. They’ll work closely with the agency on devising and rolling out a PR programme. They’ll evaluate it regularly, and will sharing ideas on how the programme can be improved.

Without an in-house marketing or PR specialist, managing the agency relationship ends up being a bolt-on responsibility – and typically the results suffer.

4. Think dialogue, not monologue

Today, communication is all about engaging with people, either by starting or joining conversations. It’s about talking with people, not at them.

And it doesn’t matter if your stakeholders disagree with what you’re saying. This is how some of the best conversations start. This is proper engagement. Someone might have a different view to you, but they’ll still respect your opinion if it’s well considered and diplomatically presented (and this is where a good PR agency earns their corn).

5. Prioritise quality, not quantity

Any agency can bag you some quick wins on the coverage front – for example, mentions (or even whole swathes of press releases) in titles that are less choosy about what they publish.

The hard part is getting you in things like feature articles in key publications, the kind your customers and prospects read. Here it’s all about positioning you as an industry expert – someone journalists can turn to for unique insight. But remember, getting to this stage takes time (see ‘Be patient’ below).

6. Be realistic

A common misconception about PR is that it can turn water into wine. It can’t. If you have a cruddy product, PR won’t make it a good product.

If your product has some flaws in it, iron them out first. Ask any salesman what makes a product easy to sell and they’ll reply one they really believe in. So get your product in tip-top working order first, then let PR do its thing.

7. Be patient

Most companies struggle with this (and if you’ve never hired an agency before, you probably will too). We often hear things like ‘Competitor ABC is in Publication XYZ all the time – we must be too!’ Chances are, Competitor ABC is already deep into a long-term PR programme.

Things don’t happen overnight. Results take time. If your agency has a good track record, they’ll very likely get results for you too. Be patient – it will happen!

8. Respect your agency

Well, we would say that! But seriously, the most successful client-agency relationships are those that start on an equal footing – a partnership, essentially.

Remember, your agency will have an excellent understanding of your industry. So seek their counsel – that’s why you hired them. And if you treat them like equals they’ll stand shoulder to shoulder with you, through good times and bad.

Please note our office will be closed from December 24 until January 2, 2013.

Back to full blogging mode as of January 2013! Happy holidays!

Building the bike as we ride it…

Last Friday we staged the inaugural duomedia Social Media Debate to discuss just how social a business should be. This engrossing, highly interactive event was attended by editors, journalists, print industry consultants and duomedia customers.

Between us we identified the best path for companies wanting to exploit the huge potential of social media.

If you couldn’t be there don’t worry – below are the main points covered at the event.

Embrace social media

There was universal agreement that social media are here to stay, and should be central to any engagement strategy. Most companies are already on board, but some are still dragging their feet.

If you’re unsure how to make best use of social media, that’s fine – any decent PR or marketing agency will show you how.

But resisting social media is futile. These channels have made publishers of us all, and brought about the democratization of information. Quite simply, social media channels are too big an opportunity for any company to miss.

Get a social media strategy

Gene Hunt emphasised the need for a clear social media strategy.

Social media accounts take no time to set up, so it can be really tempting to post stuff on as many channels as possible. But this won’t do you any favours in the long run.

Spend some time thinking about how a social media campaign can support your broader objectives and how you can measure its success, or you won’t see the results you want.

Create a social media policy

Gene also underlined the need to establish a social media policy that details the company’s procedures for posting content.

You wouldn’t fire off a press release without it first going through the proper internal channels. The same goes with social media.

Take social media seriously

Stan Lemmens, stressed that social media is a crucial component of a communications programme – and should be treated at a such.

This means entrusting your social media output to a senior communications professional. It’s way too important to hand to someone learning the ropes.

In the social media world, an ambiguous statement or casual use of slang may well be genuine mistakes, but they can bring a lot of flak to your door.

Choose your channels wisely

Catherine Carter and Debbie Ward from Print Business highlighted the importance of using the right platform for the right message at the right time.

For example, Facebook is like a shop-front you can fill with engaging images and videos; LinkedIn is a more professional platform where you can hook up with like-minded groups; while Twitter is your up-to-the-minute message board where you can update your community.

Each platform may be part of the same engagement strategy, but they require a different approach.

Be polite…

Gareth Ward, editor of Print Business, spoke wisely of the need to use common sense when using social media channels.

The perceived informality of social media has prompted some companies to really cut loose from the corporate jargon, which is certainly no bad thing. But there’s a line you shouldn’t cross.

So tread carefully – especially when using humour – and never risk coming across as rude. Social media channels are about engaging people, not enraging them.

…and relevant

Don’t post content just for the sake of it. Obviously, you need to post fairly regularly or your community won’t grow. But it’s equally important that you post content that’s worth sharing. Spare people the brain burps, otherwise you’ll quickly lose followers.

Respond fast

The great thing about social media is you can react to an issue as it breaks. And if you chip in quickly with well-considered comment, you can even help shape the story.

One attendee raised an important question about being fast out of the blocks: ‘How can you respond quickly when you have to go through layers of approval first?’.

Mike Horsten from Mimaki Europe, replied that it’s possible to react fast while staying within your company’s posting guidelines. He explained that at Mimaki, two people tweet so they can react to issues quickly while also ensuring content is checked for its appropriateness.

Know your facts

Ed Boogaard noted that while social media facilitate rapid responses to industry issues, it’s important to maintain integrity and post content you know is accurate.

Ed was recently questioned by a follower on Twitter why he hadn’t responded to an industry rumour. He said that he didn’t want to comment on a rumour that he believed could be untrue.

Don’t lose momentum

Catherine Carter commented on how many companies use social media to create a buzz before and during an event – but then make the mistake of ditching social media activity when the event’s over.

This is a missed opportunity. If people are following you before and during the event, they’ll likely be receptive to any follow-up activity (again, as long as it’s relevant).

See some pictures taken during the debate and Xmas event on our Facebook page: 

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.478910718817819.99551.158221694220058&type=1

We’ve just returned from the 40th edition of the International Packaging Exhibition (Emballage) in Paris and it proved to be quite a show.

The event attracts all the major players operating in the packaging industry. There was no shortage of innovative solutions on show, addressing the needs of all areas of the packaging chain – from raw materials to finished products, as well as related machinery and services, such as marking-coding, labels and printing systems.

Around 1,500 exhibitors took part in the show, which ran from 19 to 22 November. As always, it proved the ideal backdrop to deliver presentations, participate in forums, buy equipment and sign strategic partnership deals.

When it comes to the main trends shaping the packaging industry, many exhibitors identified a definite increase in shorter print runs and turnaround times. They also reported greater demand for personalization, an increasing need for finishing solutions to stand out from the crowd, and a growing requirement for eco-friendly packaging solutions.

Among the communication innovations of the 2012 edition,  we applaud the live TV studio organized by GM Consulting and the live web TV organised of French online publication Graphiline, but also many conferences dedicated to the future of packaging highlighting this year’s themes on safety, functionality, packaging, ergonomics and cost control.

No less than five duomedia customers presented their latest innovations at the show and we were there to set up stand interviews between the press and the company representatives. Four duomedia ladies attended the show to make sure every ran smoothly for the customers. Luckily we also had some time for pictures and checking out what the customers were bringing to the show.

Atlantic Zeiser presented its latest solutions on product tracing, combating counterfeiting and grey market protection. A panel of experts from Esko and Kodak discussed the theme « Packaging printing : new technologies for integrated workflow and improved quality » on the Emballage Web TV channel. (you can click here and see the whole debate). Videojet previewed two CIJ printers and focused on the availability of machines allowing manufacturers to produce uninterruptedly while ensuring the integrity of coding. Finally, X-Rite displayed its spectrophotometer range including the new eXact, an instrument for measuring rapidly color accurately.

All in all another Emballage success story! See you in 2014 in Paris!

Annie Garçon

When Gareth Ward suggested we call the Kodak Round Table on Hybrid Printing a colloquium, I can’t deny I had a few moments of doubt that it might end up a stuffy event with much spouting forth.  The origin of the word ‘colloquium’ denotes a conversation but according to the Oxford Dictionary the word means an academic conference.  As it turned out it certainly wasn’t stuffy and the open nature of the conversations actually livened up the chat and got the brain juices working. The Round Table Colloquium took place during the recent Print Efficiently event at IFS’ Showrooms in Perivale and the panel were filmed discussing the pros and cons with an audience of around 25-30 – a video is in the pipeline.

Gareth set the scene talking about trends and giving his take on the concept of hybrid printing  - the marriage of digital and offset – the fact that there are now amazing possibilities available to printers producing direct mail, books and commercial print.  He said he believed the technology now had the capabilities.  Gareth had recently been in to see what the Anton Group is doing with their Prosper printheads on a Heidelberg Cutstar and was impressed not only with the configuration of their direct mail operation but with the huge amount of savings in time and materials that the hybrid printing solution gives them. He apparently overheard John Knight at Anton calling the hybrid solution a game changer.

There was some fascinating chat.  On the panel, Jeff Ward talked about Timsons strategy to move from being a traditional litho book press manufacturer.  The company has revolutionized its business by building a new digital book press in his foundry in Kettering.  I went up to Kettering before drupa  - amazing – black visors, molten metal, golden sparks and black sand - a truly impressive machine.  Jeff tells us the Timsons TPress is pure inkjet, using the processing technology of litho to maintain speed.  Prosper printheads working to create the fastest, widest, digital inkjet press for b&w trade and textbooks. Another slant on hybrid came from Bob Usher of Apex Digital Graphics who talked about hybrid options opening up new markets for busy commercial printers. In the UK, Apex is now selling the latest Ryobi SRA1 offset litho press with Prosper printing heads incorporated if required.   Gareth is sure to be writing loads in his next issue of Print Business – look out for it!

As for the Print Efficiently event, I can see it becoming something of a brand.  In its second year, thirteen companies came together at IFS to show new equipment, new solutions and new systems.  The concept is about suppliers working together to demonstrate an integrated production line from Web2print ordering, through MIS and Workflow software, to Printing on multiple devices and a variety of Finishing solutions.  Visitors get a hands-on experience, some key ‘learnings’ and lots of unique printed products to take home.  What I liked was the obvious friendly collaboration and partnerships going on between the vendors.  Turnout was good over the six days and there’s word on the block that there will be another event in the spring of 2013 – look out for that as well!

Annie Hotton

Pictures courtesy of Kodak

Following duomedia’s blog ‘Why it pays to have a PR rep in your corner at trade shows’  I got to thinking about the recent Packaging Innovations Show at London’s Business Design Centre and why it had been such a great success for companies. As the blog says, trade shows and event support are a key PR activity that can provide a good return on investment.

Every client is unique. They have different goals and aspirations, different products and perspectives, all aimed at different audiences and promotional needs.  The PR rep has to gauge the market and current trends to make the right call and look after the clients’ best interests.  Among the most recent trends is an increase in seminar and forum programs to educate visitors and impart knowledge as well as samples and networking.

At Packaging Innovations 2012, Kodak created a buzz with tweets and images but what really made a difference was the speaking opportunities.  Two speaking slots also enabled a more rounded presentation of the business advantages of using Kodak’s Packaging Technology - its unique digital imaging system Flexcel NX and Kodak Spotless, an intuitive colour processing system.

A Forum with Packaging Today was moderated by magazine editor Felicity Murray.  The panel led by Jonathan Moore, Kodak UK Packaging Sales Director, included Della Lawrence, Design Director of jkr Global, Keith Mollan of Pulse Media, a key Kodak customer and Digital Packaging Solutions provider and Jonathan Smith, Brand manager of Birds Eye Iglo.  The 80 attendees showed a tangible interest in the cooperation between the technology supplier, the brand owner, the designer and the packaging printer and the discussion profiled them all as partners with a mutual goal.

The Packaging News discussion, Printed Electronics on Flexible Labels, was a cutting-edge speaking opportunity on packaging technology -  something new with a world of possibilities! Hosted by Philip Chadwick, Features Editor at Packaging News, Jonathan Moore again led the discussion with Kodak customer Andy Hewitson of Reproflex3, Chris Ellison of printer OPM and Chris Jones of Printed Electronics manufacturer Novalia. The big attraction was a mock up sample label that when pressed, played several different orchestral instruments in harmony on an iPad App. The session was a winner and subsequently R3 and OPM had crowds around their stands at the show asking how the Kodak technology worked and what it could it do for their business.

Putting the client on the stage, so to speak, and with his customers, is a key plan to profile a company working with clever products and innovative technology. The PR rep can advise and help make it happen! There is a market out there waiting and wanting to know -  how is it done? How can I grow my business?  A lot of companies are happy to talk about it - are you?

Annie Hotton - duomedia

Left to right - Jonathan Smith (Birds Eye) - Della Lawrence (jkr Global) - Lottie White (jkr Global) - Jonathan Moore (Kodak) - Felicity Murray (editor of PT) - Keith Mollan (Pulse Creative)

Picture courtesy of EasyFairs UK & Ireland

Annie Hotton - duomedia

Let’s face it – if you’re a brand that wants to communicate a message via a poster or packaging, you’ve probably got seconds to do it. Which means striking visuals are a must if you’re going to grab someone’s attention.

So perhaps it was no surprise that as well as the usual POP manufacturers, printers, engravers, designers and decorators, Viscom Italia also attracted plenty of reps from marketing and advertising agencies. They were very keen to see the latest innovations that could enhance their business.

What also struck me was that allthough many businesses are still struggling with the impact of the downturn, there certainly wasn’t an air of pessimism about the place. Quite the opposite in fact – everyone I spoke to was very upbeat. The visitors seemed impressed with all the new technology that continues to emerge despite the challenging economic climate, while vendors were very satisfied with the sales and leads they were making.  

Check out these t-shirts!

You can use all kinds of materials to get your message across

When it comes to the age-old color-consistency problem, you can have a real job on your hands if you don’t have tools that ensure your colors print exactly as expected. 

X-Rite has been helping its customers to address this problem for many years. The company was represented at Viscom by Color Consulting, its Italian distributor. At their stand we saw the X-Rite eXact on display, a next-gen handheld color measurement tool that helps printers and packaging converters to manage color across the entire production process and ensure outstanding color accuracy.

It was a pleasure to meet with Matteo Micheli, Sales Manager at Color Consulting, who was very happy about exhibition results. 

It was also great to see companies in the design, cutting and finishing field out in force. Esko and its Italian representative, B+B Informatica, were kept very busy at their stand.

Visitors saw the Kongsberg XN and XP cutting tables in action, as well as Esko’s structural design software, ArtiosCAD, and B+B’s job costing and management system, PackWay.

Both companies declared Viscom a big success – the event gave them a chance to engage with prospects and catch up with existing customers.

Can’t wait for next year’s event!   

Barbara Bernardi