The company is compiling a rich programme of content for its forthcoming leadership event, the European Global Summit, taking place on the 17th and 18th November at the Dolce Sitges Hotel near Barcelona. The summit will push printers to explore the opportunities in digital print.
Addressed to leading print service providers and their key suppliers, the summit is designed to provide printers with information and insights to help them diversify their businesses into new market niches. This event perfectly matches FESPAs key objectives of sharing knowledge and tackling the issues the wide format community is facing.
FESPA aims to use the summit to stimulate debate and help printers develop innovative solutions or embark on strategic actions to drive their growth. Confirmed speakers so far include respected analysts and consultants in the printing industry together with leading figures in the marketing arena. Sessions will cover both technical and communication driven subjects. Conference sessions are in English, with simultaneous translation into Spanish.
Following an opening address from print innovator Christian Duyckaerts, FESPA Head of Events and New Media Duncan MacOwan will share the results of FESPA research into the evolution of print and the print buying community. Dr Neil Hopkinson, BEng (Hons) MIET CEng, Senior Lecturer at the University of Loughborough, will highlight the potential of 3D printing, while John Charnock, Director of Print Research International, will update delegates on how to deploy special printing effects to produce added value applications.
On the marketing side, Brian Robbitt, European Learning & Development Manager – Coca Cola Enterprises Ltd Director – Good to Great Ltd, will offer development tips to polish leadership skills, while Mark Cruise, Head of Print Management for BSkyB, will give delegates the benefit of his deep experience working for the most comprehensive multi-channel television service in the UK to explain what modern PSPs have to do to win business. With environmental credentials becoming increasingly crucial along the print supply chain, Nick Widdowson, Merchandising Manager for FMCG brand giant Unilever will explain the importance of sustainability in print purchasing.
Delegates can also expect insights into exciting market niches such as interior decoration and hear the views of successful print leaders and creative professionals on the role of print in the media mix. Sales, Marketing and Business Models workshops will offer inspirational ideas to expand market proposition, and interactive sessions will allow attendees to engage with speakers to delve into specific areas of interest to them.
FESPA Managing Director Exhibitions & Events, Neil Felton, said, FESPA is committed to stimulating the large format community with provocative debates and events. Mapping the direction of the market and highlighting future drivers is pivotal to us. Large format is still on a growth curve and plays a crucial role in the contemporary marketing mix. This summit will celebrate that, and give us fresh themes and challenges to address through the content programme at our forthcoming Digital event in February. Our motive is to encourage printers to embrace change and opportunity.
Participation in this leadership summit is by invitation from FESPA and its sponsors. The conference programme itself is free of charge to invited guests. Printer delegates need only cover their travel to Sitges and one nights accommodation at the hotel, where FESPA has negotiated discounted accommodation.
To register interest in receiving a VIP invitation to attend the summit, printers should contact Duncan MacOwan at FESPA via duncan.macowan@fespa.com, providing a brief summary of their business credentials.
