Page 79 - Print 21 Sep-Oct 2019

Association News News updates from the printing industry
PrintEx in action for Kiwis
The PrintEx/Visual Impact/Packaging and Labels shows held collectively in Sydney last month were a showcase of the latest developments in our industry, says PrintNZ CEO Ruth Cobb.
While anything revolutionary is likely to be held for release until drupa next year, there was plenty of evidence of evolutionary progress on show at PrintEx as vendors showcased the improvements that have been made since the PacPrint show in Melbourne two years ago. Two years is a fairly long time span in the technology development space nowadays, so it was definitely worth the trip to see the updates.
In the digital space there were plenty of new models
of machinery available with faster output, higher quality, and producing a wider variety of products. The evolution
of digital production in the labels and packaging space is something to keep an eye on, and the wide format/sign part of the show was alive with equipment for both printing and finishing.
Attendance numbers overall were down on four years ago, but so are the number of companies in our industry on both sides of the ditch – and most of those companies would have fewer employees, so the lower numbers wasn’t really a surprise. The show also ran for an extra day, so it provided for quieter days, but that allowed plenty of time to chat with the exhibitors. There were many Kiwis who made the trip across to the exhibition. Those I spoke to had all seen products of interest, and some of them had purchased equipment, enabling them to add to their own portfolio of
Well done PrintEx: Ruth Cobb
products they are able to offer their clients.
The networking opportunities during the show were great and our Big Kiwi Night Out, held while the Australians attended their National Print Awards, was another success – thanks to Ricoh for its support of this event. It was good to catch up with both the suppliers and printers in
a casual atmosphere, and talk through what they had seen.
For me the highlight of the show was the Forums, where you got the opportunity to listen and learn from industry experts on a wide variety of topics from industry veterans talking about how they got their start and
the risks they took to develop successful businesses, through to the panel of current industry leaders talking about where the industry is now and where they see the it going in the future.
Overseas speakers also provided valuable insights into the industry. In particular, Pat McGrew from Infotrends in the USA provided some analysis of trends, and practical applications for both strategic and tactical decisions for print business owners, covering all sectors of
the industry. Infotrends (part of Keypoint Intelligence) undertakes print industry research and market analysis, and having someone like McGrew come down and give attendees access to this information is invaluable.
And there was a great Women In Print function with
guest speaker Deborah Corn, who runs the Girls Who Print campaign in the USA, having started it eight years ago.
She spends a lot of her time encouraging women to put
their best foot forward in the industry and embrace the career pathways that the industry provides. I had the opportunity to meet with her and she was delighted to know that we have been running the Women In Print campaign in New Zealand for the past 21 years.
The speakers at the well attended breakfast sessions also covered a range of topics including consumer profiles, sustainability, packaging and business transformation, while raising funds for men’s mental health.
There were too many Forums to be able to attend them all, but along with the exhibitors, they all had one thing in common – to challenge the way we think about our businesses and our customers and adjust what we do accordingly.
Overall PrintEx provided an opportunity for the attendees to be actively involved and focus on what is happening in our industry, exchange ideas with industry peers, and make connections – all things that are good for your business. And like all things, the more you put into it, the more you got out of it.
To all those that organised, exhibited, spoke and attended, congratulations on a job well done. 21
Important industry:
Alister Henskens, NSW cabinet secretary (left) opens PrintEx with exhibition chairman Jeremy Brew
“The Forums all had one thing in common – to challenge the way we think about our businesses and our customers and adjust what we do accordingly.”
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