Business

 

BAPC membership hit 3,000 during Ipex 2010, when Neil Forrest, development director for web-to-print company Cognitu Cloud Computing joined the association at the show.

Sidney Bobb, chairman of the BAPC (British Association for Print & Communication) said, “It was great to see such positivity and the industry as a whole enjoying such a successful Ipex over the past eight days.  We were also very pleasantly surprised at the attention visitors were giving the BAPC during Ipex 2010, especially given the opportunity to see all the latest technologies on show.  It was therefore tremendous to welcome our 3,000th member at the exhibition.”

Neil Forrest added, “I am delighted to be part of the print community that is the BAPC and honoured to be the organisation’s 3,000th member.”

The BAPC is a not-for-profit organisation that supports the print community with member services including business advice, arbitration, environmental consultancy and legal advice.  Membership to the BAPC is a flat rate of just £50 per year.

“We’re an organisation of printers helping printers,” continued Bobb.  “This is a time of real change for the industry and we want it to succeed.  The BAPC therefore wants to work with everyone possible to make this happen.”

This year, the BAPC’s annual Conference will take place over the weekend of the 5-6th November at The Marriott Hotel, Waltham Abbey.  The conference, which is renowned for providing an unrivalled opportunity to network informally with fellow providers and gain an insight into the latest industry trends includes a line-up of international speakers and gala awards dinner on Saturday 6th November 2010.

Professor Frank Romano, international analyst and Ipex ‘Champion in Print’ best summed up the mood of exhibitors and visitors when he declared that “Ipex 2010 has demonstrated that the printing industry is back in business”.

With one day of Ipex 2010 to go visitor attendance stood at just under 50,000 from 135 countries, excluding over 20,000 exhibitor, agents, dealers, distributor, OEM’s and 500 international media personnel. Most significantly, the international ratio has increased by 8% compared to 2006, with the overall visitor attendance representing 48%. This makes Ipex more international than any other business to business event in the UK.

The largest overseas visitor groups came from France, Germany, Netherlands with a 4% overall increase from Western Europe. Notable increases in attendance levels came from Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa as well as China and India. Exhibitors commented on the high level of personnel seniority from both overseas and UK companies. 77% of attendees were senior managers, company directors and owner/managers.

Trevor Crawford, Ipex 2010 event director, comments: “We’re delighted with the visitor numbers which are roughly in line with 2006, despite considerable industry consolidation. The notable increase in international visitors underlines the importance of Ipex to the printing industry. A far-reaching integrated marketing campaign, including successful international roadshows and a comprehensive co-marketing programme, came together to deliver an international decision-making and buying audience.”

With over 1,000 exhibiting companies from 40 countries, Ipex 2010 provided a spectacular showcase of the best in printing equipment, workflow and consumables. Continues Trevor Crawford: “Here at Ipex 2010, the industry’s leading suppliers certainly inspired visitors with exciting new technology, but we believe Ipex 2010 will be remembered, first and foremost, as the moment when printers showed renewed confidence and moved to invest in the future of their business.”

Record levels of business

Exhibitors reported record levels of business, with tens of millions of pounds worth of deals closed at the show, for both digital and offset technologies.  HP surpassed its revenue and lead generation targets as of Day Five.  Xerox sold in excess of 100 digital systems at the show.  Canon exceeded targets, with 250 production and light production print engines sold, supported by strong solution sales.  Konica Minolta’s order intake surpassed expectations, with orders taken during the first three days covering the cost of participation.  Heidelberg reported orders for 140 printing units in the UK alone and AGFA generated more than € 25 million worldwide sales. Finishing specialist Duplo lauded Ipex as the company’s most successful show ever, with more than £2 million worth of orders.

Nick Craig Waller, Ipex 2010 Marketing Director says: “Two phrases spearheaded our global campaign for Ipex 2010: Perfect Time, Perfect Place, One Unique Opportunity and Marketing Print’s Potential. Both have resonated extremely well with visitors and exhibitors. Feedback confirms that Ipex has played a key role in re-igniting the global industry and provided the catalyst the market was seeking. While we’ve set our own targets, ultimately, we judge the show on the business results our exhibitors have achieved. By that measure, Ipex has been a tremendous success.”

Over a third of the exhibitor base had never participated in the event, demonstrating how Ipex continues to evolve and attract new companies and reflecting the status of Ipex as an international launch pad to the graphic arts industry. Ipex newcomer, web-to-print company Red Tie has been thrilled with the quality of enquiries, and Israeli digital print supplier Scodix commented on the high volume of sales and have confirmed their attendance at Ipex 2014.

UPEX used machinery dealers also reported a busy and successful show, with organiser Mike Steele commenting: “Dealers reported that visitors are seriously looking to buy and to sell. We have had very positive visitor feedback on the quality being displayed; exhibitors have really raised the bar with the standard of machine and information presentation and stand design.”

Show highlights

At the Opening Ceremony, Trevor Crawford, Ipex 2010 Event Director and George Clarke, Ipex 2010 President and Heidelberg UK MD, paid tribute to the resilience of the industry and the significant technological developments evident at the show. The ceremony also marked the culmination of the Champions in Print initiative, which saw the Ipex Champions presented with an award and honoured for their significant contribution to the industry.

Show features like the Printers’ Profit Zone in association with the Print Coach, Nick Devine (www.theprintcoach.com) and the Great Print Debates (in association with Pira) proved a big hit and played to full houses. Feedback showed that the robust and tangible business advice provided during these sessions was extremely well received by printers. Ipex also hosted a number of high-profile industry events including the PrintIT! awards, Xplor/BAPC seminars, the Digital AdLab meeting, as well as the EDP awards.

At the event’s mid-point, Ipex announced David Preskett, Canon’s European Professional Print Director, as president of Ipex 2014.  David will be the first ever Ipex president from the digital community, and will head up a new Ipex Advisory Committee to prepare a world class event which will reflect the needs of the industry in four years time.

Current Ipex President & Managing Director of Heidelberg UK concludes: “This Ipex has been a huge success. It has been busy, had a real vibrancy and shown itself once again to be a truly international event. Visitors have been informed, entertained and shown glimpses of the future. Suppliers with the right products have generated good sales. Ipex came at a fortunate time in the economic and investment cycle and it will be remembered as the Recovery Show, the most important Ipex ever for our industry.”

György Kovács, Vice-President FESPA, took to the dirt track recently in the Turkish stage of the World Rally Championships. Throughout the race György and his teammate fought valiantly against world-class competitors, eventually finishing third in their category, despite leaving the trail at high speed during the race’s 12th special stage.

“I had an exhilarating few days in Turkey, and despite some minor setbacks I am very proud of the way we performed” says György. “Aside from print, rally driving really is my passion in life and I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel in New Zealand in May, to get the adrenaline pumping in time for a great FESPA 2010 in Munich!”

The annual PrintIT! Awards, now a well-established event in the print industry calendar has taken place at Ipex, the global event for print, publishing and media. Attracting a host of industry figures, print professionals and finalist schools, the event celebrated the hard work and achievements of the thousands of students who took part in this year’s PrintIT! competition. During the event Daniel Smith, a pupil from St Ives School - a specialist technology college in Cornwall was awarded the overall prize of a state-of-the-art iPad and an exclusive all-expenses paid trip to Paris to attend Canon Expo in October.

George Clarke, outgoing Chairman of PrintIT!, congratulated all of the finalists of PrintIT! 2009/10 and commented on the importance of the nationwide competition for the future of the print industry, “This year’s awards have been particularly special taking place at Ipex 2010 and attracting an astonishing range of talent. It’s been a privilege to work with PrintIT! throughout the past year and to see first-hand how this unique programme can introduce and enthuse young people to the exciting world of print.”

Mr Clarke continued, “The winner of this year’s competition submitted an exemplary piece of work; innovate, creative and mature, but as has been said before, the standard of entries submitted from all across the country was outstanding. Choosing just one winner was tough.”

This year the overall winner of PrintIT! 2009/10 was selected by a panel of print, media and graphic arts experts that deliberated over who, out of the thousands of participating students, would win each of the competition’s eight subject categories.

Commenting on Daniel’s success, which included winning the prize for “Best Wall Poster”, Tom Bowtell, General Manager of Proskills, the Sector Skills Council behind PrintIT!, said, “Daniel’s entry emerged as the winner due to his inventive, fresh approach to the competition brief.  Across all categories, Daniel’s work stood out because of the obvious amount of care and attention he’d given the project, teamed with which, the level of understanding he demonstrated for printing methods, and for the environmental concerns of the industry as a whole was exceptional. In addition, his overall winning design of the barcode is relevant to all merchandise across the Fairtrade brand.”

As part of the new ‘Green’ PrintIT!, students this year were challenged to place a greater emphasis on sustainability than in previous years, helping students to develop a better understanding of the environmental issues facing print. Creating a raft of designs to suit a print-based campaign promoting Fairtrade products in supermarkets, the PrintIT! 2009/10 course expanded its focus to include the teaching of wide and large format print processes.  This in turn gave entrants the scope to design a wider variety of end products, from leaflets and shelf wobblers through to posters, mobiles, and aisle and storefront banners.

“Our print industry is still in the early stages of recovery, but you only have to look at the skill demonstrated by these young people and the passion they have displayed for all aspects of print, to know that we have a bright future ahead of us,” comments Terry Watts, Chief Executive of Proskills.

This year Vario Press based in Slough, Berkshire, a printing and finishing company offering a multitude of integrated services including marketing, advertising and graphic design, took home the award for “Best Industry Twinner”. The company was judged to have provided exceptional commitment in supporting its twinned school (Herschel Grammar, Slough) and providing advice to both teachers and students throughout the competition.

“We believe strongly that the competitiveness and success of the Print Industry depends on young people today. Schemes like PrintIT! are some of the best ways of introducing students to the many print career choices available to them, and by Twinning we are taking an active role in educating potential upcoming talent,” says Dave Clarke, Managing Director of Vario Press, commenting on his company’s role as a Twinner.

Mr Watts concludes, “What we have all seen today at Ipex is a glimpse of some of the future talent available to the print industry. The whole event has been a great success and it has been an inspiration, not only to see the students enjoying the awards and Ipex as a whole, but to see so many of print’s key figures in one place. PrintIT! has proved to be a uniting force for this industry since its inception in 2005, and we are sure that it will continue to play this role in the many years to come.”

All eight category winning students were presented with a top of the range digital camera and their schools were gifted print-related equipment for their Design & Technology departments.

 

2010 Category Winners

• Best Wall Poster: Daniel Smith, St Ives School, Cornwall.
• Best Shelf Wobbler: Fiona Shaw, Wycombe High School, Buckinghamshire
• Best ‘Free’ Design: Thomas Gavrie & Edward Johnston, Chatham House Grammar School, Kent
• Best Use of Brand across the Range:  Fiona Liao, Tiffins Girls School, Surrey
• Best Understanding of Printing Techniques: Madeleine Young, Wycombe High School, Buckinghamshire
• Best Use of Materials: Bethany Titcombe, Wycombe High School, Buckinghamshire
• Best Understanding of Environmental Concerns: Jaye Sahota, Herschel Grammar School, Slough
• Best Overall Presentation: Shreeja Basak, Tiffins Girls School, Surrey

 

2010 Special Awards

• Best Industry Twinner : Guy Clarke, Vario Press in Slough
• Best Teacher: Ricardo Arbelaez, The Thomas Deacon Academy

 

Overall Winner of PrintIT! 2010

• Overall Winner of PrintIT! 2010 : Daniel Smith, St Ives School, Cornwall

 

PrintIT! has today announced that Wayne Barlow, Director-Professional Print of Canon UK has been named as the new Chairman of PrintIT!  Wayne takes over the chairmanship from George Clarke, Managing Director of Heidelberg UK and President of Ipex 2010, who has held the post for the past year.  The handover took place at a special sponsors and supporters reception, held after the PrintIT! Awards Ceremony during Ipex 2010.

Canon UK has been a sponsor of PrintIT! since its inception back in 2005, and in addition to the ongoing support of his organisation, Wayne is passionate about the cause of attracting creative young talent to the industry, and is keen to lend his own personal commitment to the future success of the project.

Wayne Barlow himself admits he has some ‘big boots to fill’, taking over as Chairman from George Clarke and comments, “I have strongly admired the achievements of PrintIT! over the past five years, and now more than ever, we need to come together in arms to continue to support this initiative and ensure it continues to evolve into something even greater.  Every printer and print-related business in the UK has a role to play in PrintIT!, and I want to encourage everyone not only to get behind PrintIT!, but to play an active role in its future - to find an industry friend, partner or customer and get them signed up to the Twinning Programme and interacting with their local participating school.”

He continues, “If the industry in the UK is to survive and maintain its competitive edge in the future, we need to look to this exciting talent pool and encourage these youngsters to channel their abilities into a career in print, be it technical, creative or even sales and commercial related areas.  We only have to look back at some of the greatest inventions of the 21st century, namely the internet, email and social media, to see the impact that such creative young talent can have on business.”

Wayne also used the Ipex Awards Ceremony to present the overall winner of PrintIT! 2010, Daniel Smith from St Ives School in Cornwall, with an expenses paid, overnight trip to Paris in the Autumn, to attend Canon Expo 2010 courtesy of Canon UK.  Daniel, will be accompanied by a teacher, parent, Best Twinner, Vario Print and a representative from Proskills, to attend the show which takes place every five years, and ‘take a look into the future of imaging’ by seeing the Canon’s future technologies covering medical, broadcasting, consumer, business and print related solutions

“We’re delighted that Wayne has accepted the role of Chairman of PrintIT!, adds Terry Watts, Chief Executive of Proskills.  “Wayne’s continued support of the initiative, and his personal drive and passion will give a tremendous boost and momentum to PrintIT! as he lends a positive voice of encouragement to the industry to come on board.  I would also like to take this opportunity to thank George Clarke for all his work over the past year.  And, once again, I want to reiterate our thanks to the whole industry for its continued support, especially during some challenging times, and look forward to planning our sixth successive PrintIT! competition for the forthcoming academic year.”

 

The Ipex organisers are delighted to announce that David Preskett has been appointed President of Ipex 2014. He will assume the role from the current President George Clarke when Ipex 2010 closes on 25th May.

David Preskett is the European Professional Print Director at Canon Europe and has worked more than 16 years in the graphic arts industry. Having joined Canon in 2005, David previously held senior UK, European and Global positions at Agfa’s pre-press and large format arenas.

Says Trevor Crawford, Ipex 2010 Event Director: “David has been an invaluable member of the Ipex 2010 Advisory Committee. We are delighted he has accepted the post and have no doubt that his considerable international industry, marketing and event experience will help us shape Ipex 2014.

Ipex 2010 is a landmark in the shape of international graphic arts exhibitions, in that it is the first time that the ‘digital footprint‘ has occupied the largest floorspace. While Ipex will continue to reflect the complete supply chain, David’s digital expertise will be of enormous help to us. “

Commenting on his appointment as Ipex 2014 President, David Preskett says, “I am particularly honoured to be the first ever Ipex president from the digital community, and look forward to canvassing the views of my colleagues who represent all sectors of the graphic arts industry so that we can assist the Ipex organisers in delivering an international world class event in 2014 that meets the needs of visitors and exhibitors alike. I see one of my key roles working with the team to continue to grow the international attendance figures particularly from Europe where we have the opportunity to further expand Ipex’s position as a ‘must attend‘ event.“

David has a MBA from Henley Management College and also a BSc. Hons in Chemistry from Exeter University. Married with three children – a son and two daughters – David lives in the south of England and counts running, cars and motorsport as hobbies.