The personal touch: visit Personalisation Experience’s SmartHub Conference 2025

Join the SmartHub Conference at Personalisation Experience next month to stay ahead of the latest tech and trends.

From garments and footwear to interior décor and gifts, personalisation is one of the most important trends in manufacturing of the past 15 years. Printers are uniquely placed to capitalise on that success.

Today’s consumers increasingly expect unique, customised products that reflect their identity, values or interests – and they’re willing to pay a premium for them. The global personalised gifts market alone is estimated to surpass $38bn by 2027, with growth driven largely by advancements in digital print technology and e-commerce making it easier than ever for sole traders and SMEs to swim with the tide..

On-demand manufacturing – where products are sold before they’re made – enables a sustainable, low-waste model by inverting the traditional “print then sell” production cycles to “sell then print”. Printers can now cut inventory risk, reduce material waste and become more profitable through faster turnaround times. Underpinning this trend is a wave of investment and innovation in automation and software, from web-to-print platforms to AI-powered design tools, enabling printers to manage mass customisation efficiently at scale. As a result, personalisation is reshaping how the print industry operates and provides a wide range of opportunities. But are you ready to take the next step? 

If you are interested in personalisation, or you want to discover more about the tech or software or people that are driving it, visit the Personalisation Experience at 6 to 9 May 2025 in Berlin, Germany. In particular, the SmartHub Conference offers a dedicated programme of speakers on the latest technology and smart production techniques.

Frank Tueckmantel, FESPA Marketing Consultant, says: “Personalisation and customisation in digital print are crucial for building stronger customer relationships, increasing engagement, and driving sales by making products and marketing materials feel more relevant and unique to each individual. Several SmartHub presenters will talk about how they have successfully transformed their business utilising personalisation and customisation in digital print.”

Here are five sessions from the SmartHub Conference to look out for (at least one from each day):

Session: Smart Manufacturing: When Less Makes More!
Date: Tuesday 6 May at 12.30pm
Speakers: Debbie McKeegan, FESPA Textile Ambassador; Sharon Donovich, Marketing Communications Officer at Kornit Digital; and Folker Stachetzki, Marketing Manager at Brother

How can doing less do more for your print business? By leveraging modern manufacturing strategies such as automation and AI to streamline your production, of course. In this far-ranging session, which surveys all facets of your print business from conception to delivery, FESPA Ambassador Debbie McKeegan and guests will explore the potential of the smart factory, and demonstrate how harnessing cutting-edge technology, streamlined operations and sustainable practices will result in profitable production accompanied by a reduction in waste and boost to operational efficiency.

Session: My Personalisation Experience
Date: Wednesday 7 May at 12.00pm
Speaker: Richard Askam, COO at You Are The Star Books

Richard Askam led the ground-breaking 2014 Share a Coke campaign, a marketing coup credited with bolstering the soft drink’s wavering sales figures by losing the Coke logo and replacing it with one of more than 250 names or nicknames. But personalised gifting is now far more sophisticated, as Richard will discuss in this session. Currently co-founder of You Are The Star books and Director of Media and Events at Digital Ink, Richard will discuss how storytelling is at the heart of personalisation today, as epitomised in the bespoke production of children’s books. Collaborating with the world’s biggest brands, from sports to space, entertainment to education, these books are intended to ignite the younger generation’s imaginations by putting them at the centre of an inspirational journey.

Session: Scaling Print-on-Demand: How TShirt & Sons Delivers Speed, Quality and Innovation
Date: Wednesday 7 May at 3.30pm
Speakers: Ian Bell, Screen Segment and Kornit Fulfiller Solution Expert at Kornit Digital; Adam Golder, Director at TShirt & Sons Ltd

How did a traditional screen-printing business transform into one of Europe’s largest direct-to-garment (DTG) print providers? Adam Golder and Ian Bell will discuss the challenges of scaling a print-on-demand model, the role of advanced technology like Kornit’s Apollo in increasing efficiency, and how automation and innovation have helped them keep up with the demands of e-commerce brands. The conversation highlights the future of digital textile printing and how TShirt & Sons continues to evolve in a fast-paced, competitive market.

Session: AI-Driven Innovation Transforming the Print Industry
Date Thursday 8 May at 2.00pm
Speakers: Lisa Brown and Johnny Shell, Principal Analysts at Keypoint Intelligence

Gain insights into cutting-edge applications and learn how artificial intelligence (AI) is shaping the future of printing. AI is revolutionising the sector through driving efficiency, automation and design innovation. But are you? This seminar will explore AI's role in optimising workflows, predictive maintenance, colour management, on-demand production and customer satisfaction. How can you use AI-powered tools to enhance creativity, reduce waste and improve workflow and customer interaction? Attendees will find out all this and more.

Session: Beyond Fabric: Customisation, Personalisation and Scalability in Textile Design
Date: Friday 9 May at 11.00am
Speaker: Joanne O’Rourke, Fine Art and Textile Designer, MA Fine Art

As a Green Grads UK member, Joanne explores the intersection of craftsmanship, technology and circularity by creating customisable and scalable textile designs. Committed to eco-conscious materials, responsible dyeing techniques and innovative surface design, Joanne ensures sustainability remains at the core of her practice. By balancing personalisation with mass customisation, she aims to make bespoke design accessible on a larger scale. 

For more information on the rest of speakers that will be presenting at the SmartHub Conference, please visit here, and for more information on all the other sessions taking place during the conference, please visit here.