A Blueprint for Change

In October 1997 the printing and graphics arts communities came together at the invitation of Printing Industries for an industry summit at the Airport Hilton in Sydney.

Convened to address a growing concern about the future viability of the printing industry the summit attracted a large contingent from Australia's wider print community.    

With increasingly efficient production methods afforded by new technology, improvements in quality and a growing demand for new products, particularly in the marketing area, it would be natural to conclude that the sector is in good shape, highly profitable and enjoying strong growth.

The reality, however, is an industry at the crossroads, with margins, profits and investment all falling steadily in recent years.

The problems are similar to those facing other countries, such as vast overcapacity, the impact of increasing competition in a global market and new technology creating an array of alternatives to traditional forms of print for delivery of information, particularly multimedia and the internet.

Printing Industries then National Director, Policy, Philip Andersen, said the summit provided an opportunity to canvas what were seen as key issues facing the industry and to determine a course of action.

"Our industry has tremendous strength and is at the cutting edge of technology and development in many areas," Mr Andersen said. "We should be forging ahead, building on our existing markets and growing new markets, but we need to tackle these problems that are fundamental to the industry's health and viability. Bringing the industry together at the summit provided a forum to discuss the issues in depth and I believe a shared commitment to overcoming them and getting the industry back on a solid footing."

Out of the summit and with the support of the Federal Government came the impetus to develop the Action Agenda, or Print21, a plan to guide the industry into the 21st century and to equip individual businesses to navigate the increasingly complex world of print. An industry consortium was established to co-ordinate the Action Agenda.

Consisting of the Printing Industries Association of Australia, Graphic Arts Merchants Association of Australia (GAMAA), National Paper Council of Australia, Australian Paper and Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources, the consortium has contributed both funding and expertise to the development of Print21.

A steering committee and three working groups were created to:  

• Define and profile the industry  
• Undertake a strategic analysis  
• Develop scenarios and possible directions for the industry  

The results of this work were distributed for industry comment before being compiled into the PRINT21 Action Agenda which became the focus and direction of Printing Industries.  The reports of the three working groups can be downloaded here. The final compilation, including the recommendations and Business Diagnostic Tools, is available to industry companies via any Printing Industries office or can be ordered from the PrintNet online bookstore.