Failure to change will be printers’ downfall – Fuji Xerox Innovate 11

Keynote speaker, Neil Falconer, PIRA International, pulls no punches at this year’s international gathering of digital printers in Melbourne.

In a hard-hitting presentation he claimed 41% of printers in the market are hanging on by their fingertips, slipping to the bottom and running out of cash. Click here to see the image gallery

“They’re blaming everybody in the world for their problems, print management companies for consolidating the market, raw material prices going up, customers who don’t understand and drive prices down. They’re not looking at themselves; they’re not looking at the evolution of their business,” he told the audience at Melbourne’s Crown Promenade Hotel.

‘The vast majority of these guys are going out of business in the next three years. They can’t possibly survive. They’ve got no way of driving the value up in their business, costs are rising and they are essentially running out of cash.”

Falconer was one of a number of stellar speakers at what is one of the most important digital printing events on the calendar.

Over 120 print players converged on Melbourne for a full day education session that delivered information to give businesses a competitive edge.

According to Simon Lane, national manager of graphic communications at Fuji Xerox Australia, how printers live with the online world will play an ever more important part in their future.

Lane reflected that the conference attendees were better prepared for the future than many. They had at least addressed the challenges and opportunities of the digital world. “I thought it was worthwhile for us to confront the brutal reality of the industry,” said Lane.

He notes that a key takeaway point from Falconer’s presentation was that the value you provide to your customers is doing the difficult things that other people don’t want to do, because that’s where value is created.

Pictured: Laying down some print knowledge at Innovate11 as Keynote speakers; Graham Reed (left), MD of Global Print Strategies with Neil Falconer, W2P director Peter Lancaster, and Mike Walsh, CEO of consumer innovation research lab Tomorrow.


The keynote speakers offered guidance from their respective perspectives, from useful business strategies to identifying opportunities in growing markets, current technologies and successful implementation, the state of the global market and how to achieve success tomorrow.

Educational guidance from industry professionals who have experienced print innovation first hand, offered helpful steps to secure business future and profitability.

The most notable and recurring point throughout the day was lack of change or poor implementation will be the downfall of many printers. Only a strong strategy and a willingness to change company culture and mindset will see printers survive the next few years.

Attendees were given a break from the knowledge flowing from the stage, as the PIXI awards were presented.

Representatives of Fuji Xerox Premier Partners attending the conference included Geon Group, Worldwide Online Printing, Scott Print, Salmat, Snap Printing, STi Lilyfield, and ABnote Australasia.