The idea factory in Bangkok: industry leaders at the FESPA Global Summit 2020

Keynote speakers identified the biggest print trends to come in 2020 and explain how new partnerships prosper at the summit.  

What did you speak about at the Global Summit?

Jean Van Houtryve, CEO, VISIX: Life is like riding a bicycle: to keep your balance you must keep moving. Just like taking care of the planet, it never stops. Being green is no longer a matter of marketing. I’m a keen cyclist, so I spoke about my passion for cycling and made a link to:

• De-cycling: as a growing company, VISIX has to produce less waste
• Recycling: what to do about the waste we still make
• Upcycling: how we are making new products from our waste
• The sustainability programme we are implementing with the help of the Chamber of Commerce in Flanders. Sustainability goes further than ‘acting green’.

Jean Van Houtryve, VISIX

What is the future of sustainability?

Jean Van Houtryve, CEO, VISIX (Belgium): Start today, with little things. Start with quick wins. If we do not change the way we respond to customers – who nowadays are quite often younger – they will stop buying our products. The students protesting today on the streets are our future customers, and they are looking to us for change. The idea should be embedded throughout the complete company and not only by management. 

Why is it important to attend events such as the FESPA Global Summit?

Jean Van Houtryve: It is my first time attending a global summit as the new President of FESPA Belgium. My interest is to see what regional differences there are in the way companies respond to sustainability, but also to see how digital printing markets are evolving globally. 
 

Mark Young, Route 1 Print

What did you speak about at the Global Summit?

Mark Young, Head of Route 1 Print: How Bluetree and Route 1 Print, the web-to-print brand for trade supply to print professionals and creatives, have implemented automation and its impact on the business’s growth. 

What is the future of automation?

Mark Young: For us it’s about using it to learn more about the work we’re putting through the factory and how to route it to the correct machine for the job. Whether that’s for cost effectiveness, quality or because of the limitations of a file, we can automate all of these decisions.

Why is it important to attend events such as the FESPA Global Summit?

Mark Young: It brings together people who wouldn’t usually be in the same room. This is critical for learning more about our industry. 
 

Mark Anderton and Malcolm Mackenzie, Colour Engine

What did you speak about at the Global Summit?

Mark Anderton, Managing Director at Colour Engine: Malcom Mackenzie, our Technical Director, took an overall look at how we supported Route 1 Print to automate their processes, using Enfocus software by examining the following questions:

• How does a business begin the process of automation?
• What should be automated first?
• How do you select the appropriate repetitive tasks to be handled by an automation platform?
• How do you continue to implement, create and maximise business advantage?

Over the years, we’ve had acquired a lot of experience in automation, breaking down projects into manageable steps and identifying what is most relevant, starting with the quickest wins for the client. Works are often complex: for example, testing, building flows and working out customers' very different needs. 

Print is a hugely diverse industry, with customers needing both bespoke elements, along with established proven logics and best practises. We look at the details of clients’ workflow and often technical integrations with existing legacy kit and systems.

What is the future of automation?

Mark Anderton: If printers wish to survive, automation holds the key to streamlining and speeding up repetitive processes. The exciting thing about that is it then releases staff to do more valuable, creative work. And automation also gives firms a financial win. Automation is absolutely crucial to the industry, a must-have on any printer’s agenda.

Why is it important to attend events such as the FESPA Global Summit?

Mark Anderton: We’re FESPA members first and foremost, and we’re there to support the organisation as well as Route 1 Print. 
 

Thierry Pauwels, POP Solutions

What did you speak about at the Global Summit?

Thierry Pauwels, Corporate Responsibility Manager, POP Solutions: John Morent, the owner of POP Solutions, and I spoke about our sustainability project and moving from being reactive to proactive when facing the evolution of sustainability in the market in point-of-purchase (POP) sales.

What is the future of sustainability?

Thierry Pauwels: We are in a B2B2C market with growing bottom-up pressure from consumers. Brands have to be bold and engaged. Therefore, they transfer their willingness to be more responsible and all related risks to the chain of suppliers. The time has now come to embark to this change for the business good and after a ‘fear’ phase, we are happy to go through the ‘learn’ zone. The time is past when business could do what it wanted at any cost in terms of negative externalities. The main objective is twofold: decrease the environmental impact while keeping a room for economic growth with jobs for people.

Why is it important to attend events such as the FESPA Global Summit?

Thierry Pauwels: The opportunity to exchange and hold ‘qualitative’ meetings – with enough time and appropriate set-up – with business peers and key opinion leaders from different countries.
 

Brendon Cook, oOH! Media

What did you speak about at the Global Summit?

Brendon Cook, CEO, oOH! Media: Why ‘classic’ print remains important, driving ROI for clients, a deep dive into data and the future of print in oOH! Media.

What is the future of ‘classic’ print?

Brendon Cook: Speed and 100% creative ownership.

Why is it important to attend events such as the FESPA Global Summit?

Brendon Cook: The industry is competitive, but collaboration and learning will allow us all to prosper. 
 

Raitis Purins, Printful

What did you speak about at the Global Summit?

Raitis Purins, Head of Marketing at Printful: I shared the story of Printful's growth to an 800-person team across two continents in just six years. Printful is one of the leading print-on-demand companies in the world, and I've had the opportunity to lead the marketing team from back when we were five people to now, when we're an international team of more than 40 people. 

What is the future of print-on-demand (POD)?

Raitis Purins: Today, the biggest challenge for the retail industry is to decrease the resources used to serve the ever-increasing demand from consumers. Printful’s POD business model is turning the equation upside down. Unlike the majority of the retail industry, in the case of POD, merchants selling products online only produce as many items as the customer needs, making Printful merchants and partners a lot less wasteful than other players in the industry. We see an increasing need for solutions like ours from the big retailers and small business owners from across the world, so the future seems full of new business opportunities. 

Why is it important to attend events such as the FESPA Global Summit?

Raitis Purins: FESPA events present a unique opportunity for industry leaders to come together, share their best practices and learn from each other. On top of that, it creates a platform for launching new business partnerships and collaborations. 

Nonparkorn Thiapairat, Prompt Partners

What did you speak about at the Global Summit?

Nonparkorn Thiapairat, Co-Founder and General Manager, Prompt Partners (Thailand): I talked about the 5/3/1​ theory, which​ refers to​ the​ method of​ seeing visuals at different distance. ​And​ how​ to​ design​ an​ effective​ communication,​ including​ image, colour, scale, composition​ and​ the hierarchy of​ these​ tangible​ elements.

What is the future of wide format print?

Nonparkorn Thiapairat: The​ main​ media​ will​ change ​to​ ​digital. So, wide​ format will be more about brand presentation than product marketing. It’s to increase focus on brand awareness within a culture requiring more immediacy and impact. Logo use and key visual design are the essentials.

Why is it important to attend events such as the FESPA Global Summit?

Nonparkorn Thiapairat: It’s important to update knowledge and connections, which can be achieved within this face-to-face environment.