Building on the success for the first FuturePrint Virtual Summit, October brings five more days of topic-specific education that every printer will want to review. Just about every topic in print gets a look during the week, with deep dives into the traditional printing arts and the emerging printing sciences. From getting into the minds of the Young Guns in Print to deep dives into the technologies that are changing industrial, wide format, textile, packaging, labels and commercial print, the curriculum will make you a master of your print universe.
Kicking off October 12th with the Young Guns in Print, this is where you will meet the people who are making the future today. Print is an industry that needs some dusting off and rethinking. It needs new blood, but it also needs to nurture those who made the decision to come into print in the last decade. In these sessions, you will be introduced to some of those who answered the call and are already in the field making a difference by carving out their niches in print. Printpreneurs, brand ambassadors, and digital marketing specialists all make appearances. From standalone printing companies to vendor ecosystems, it will be worth listening to these speakers and panelists as they share their views of the industry and their hopes for the future.
Industrial print is the topic for day two, which kicks off with a keynote from Dr. Jonas Ridderstrale, co-author of Funky Business: Talent Makes Capital Dance. You will want to listen to Dr. Ridderstale as he offers suggestions on how add creativity to your business and explains why that is worth the effort. Also, Inkjet Insight contributor Mark Bale of DoDxAct will join a team of experts from Ricoh, Sun Chemical and Integration Technology discussing the importance of collaboration for industrial inkjet. The big story in industrial print is how the technology continues to expand. One day is almost not enough to cover a range that starts with simple imprinting and extends into 3D print and electrical component printing. Not only are the inks and substrates changing constantly, but the use cases for industrial printing solutions haven’t seen a horizon.
As important as the hardware and consumables are to industrial print, don’t forget to watch Martin Bailey and Jeremy Spencer from Global Graphics. They bring the software story that is so important to ensuring that what you want to print is what you actually print. Roland Biemans is part of a couple of the sessions, which means you’ll be getting some real world insights, and watch for Montserrat Peidro’s Demystifying Software Platforms for Print on Wednesday as a great extension to the story.
On the 14th, the topic is wide format printing – and that is a huge topic. While there will be analysts on hand, the real stars are the people doing the heavy lifting in retail print and textile production. Pay close attention to the sessions that talk to the need for sustainability as more garment, wall and home décor print goes digital! All the vendors are bringing great stories that will be worth your time. And don’t forget to stay for The Crown Pub! Kevin Bell and Milo Ferchow of Vpress have been hosting a rollicking online touchpoint that never fails to provide insights into the challenges our friends in the industry are facing. Bring your favorite beverage!
The Thursday edition is for everyone who works with packaging and labels, but every printer will find something to add to their knowledge quiver. The vendors will be out in force and will be worth your time to learn from their wide range of experiences.
Mark Hanley, president of IT Strategies, looks at the silver lining for production print, followed by the Packaging Industry 2040 Vision from Paul Jenkins (ThePackHub) and Joanna Stephenson (PHD Marketing). It’s not all analysis and prediction, however. Francois Martin from Bobst brings the practical options for Packaging Production followed by a pantheon of presenters from the across the industry bringing insights. From flexo to folding carton, labels to packaging, these experts will give you guidance based on their experience.
Friday brings a view into the infrastructure of our industry. Inkjet Insight contributor, Ralf Schlozer of digitalprintexpert.de does a deep dive into the rise, fall and restructuring of the print economy in 2020, while Matthew Parker has what you need to know to leverage LinkedIn as a sales channel and Jonathan Malone-McGrew, one of the Young Guns, brings the story of successful adaptation. Another McGrew (me) will be talking about why now is the time to transform your business with some guidance on how to do it. And, if you’ve been watching the industry news you won’t be surprised to find Richard Askam interviewing the Precision ProCo team or our own Elizabeth Gooding asking the evergreen inkjet question – Is Changing Lanes a Competitive Advantage? Morten Reitoft, who you know from Inkish, brings his widely acclaimed review of the mystery of pricing. If you haven’t heard it, this is your chance to learn what might be missing from your approach to pricing your products.
As the brochure says, there are five days of content covering five print categories with education lead by 116 speakers. There is no other event like it on the horizon. Most of the Inkjet Insight team will be on board.
Remember, there are a million questions in inkjet city! Have a question for Pat? Get in touch.