Plan for the future at PrintEx Forums

The popular PrintEx Forums, which last time played to packed audiences, are returning to this year’s exhibition with an exciting line-up of speakers and panellists, moderated once again by Peter FitzSimons.

Exhibitions like PrintEx11 provide plenty of chances for businesses to gather important information, and one of the most important at Darling Harbour this May will be the chance to hear first-hand about trends, developments and new technologies from experts at the PrintEx11 Forum Series.

The sessions, offered completely free of charge to registered PrintEx11 visitors, will be held each day of the exhibition and will feature high-profile speakers who will bring their wealth of expertise and experience to bear on the challenges facing the industry and individual businesses.

The series will kick off on Wednesday 4 May with a panel discussion on ‘The Role of Print in an Electronic World’. Panellists include Graham Plant, (pictured) executive general manager, Pacific Micromarketing and PMP Digital, PMP Limited, Mark Roberts, manager, Letters Portfolio, Products & Business Development Group, Australia Post, and Raphael Richards, community analyst, Lonely Planet.

This session will focus on the opportunities available to use print as a powerful addition to multi-channel marketing campaigns, with leading communications users outlining their thoughts on ‘what works and why’ as they explore the corresponding roles of print and digital media in a world where instant communication is the ‘norm’.

An understanding of where print and digital media are headed, and the ability to build print into a cross-channel mix, will be vital for any business operating in today’s multi-media world, so this session is not to be missed.

The following day, Thursday 5 May, creativity guru and Gruen Transfer regular, Todd Sampson, (pictured) CEO of Leo Burnett, will be the keynote speaker with a presentation on ‘Creativity and Innovation – the Destiny Makers’.

In addition to his regular appearances on The Gruen Transfer, Sampson is the co-creator of the Earth Hour initiative, a global phenomenon which has been recognised as one the best ideas in the world and awarded the Yahoo Chair for Innovation.

Sampson believes creativity is “one of the last remaining competitive advantages companies have today” and his insight will provide a valuable basis for exploring the concept of creativity and its power in solving problems, including the challenges facing business today.

Tomorrow’s industry today
Wrapping up the series on Friday 6 May, innovation and strategy expert Göran Roos (pictured) will look at “Innovation and how it is shaping tomorrow’s printing industry”.

This world-renowned expert will look at opportunities for print manufacturers to create entirely new and profitable business models by successfully capitalising on new fields of technology like augmented reality, social media, synthetic biology and cleantech, in a presentation which will be invaluable for any print service provider looking to secure their future success.

The extraordinarily knowledgeable Roos – professor, strategist, innovator, award-winning author, educator and ‘global personality’ - was recently named one of the 13 most influential thinkers for the 21st century by the Spanish business journal Direccion y Progreso and has been appointed ‘Thinker in Residence’ by the South Australian Premier for the period commencing 2011.

“Göran is one of the founders of modern intellectual capital science and a recognised world expert in this field,” says Printing Industries’ Joe Kowalewski. “He has authored or co-authored over a hundred books, chapters, papers and articles on his areas of expertise and is a major contributor to the thinking and practice in the areas of strategy and innovation management as well as industrial and innovation policy.

In addition, says Kowalewski, Professor Roos has a long association with the printing industry, dating back to the early 1990s, when he was then appointed as the principal consultant to the Federal Government and worked closely with industry stakeholders like Printing Industries, GAMAA, the National Paper Council of Australia and Australia Paper, to develop the Print21 Action Agenda.

“In Australia, Göran is perhaps best known for his work on the Print21 Action Agenda, an industry blueprint which was designed to help print service providers move towards more innovative and profitable business models and capitalise on new opportunities,” Kowalewski explains.

“Göran is a truly world-class speaker whose strategies and approach may hold the key to future success for many businesses in our sector,” he says, “and I would urge visitors to PrintEx11 to take advantage of this opportunity to benefit from his expertise by registering for the free Forum Series.”

Attendance at these sessions is free of charge for registered PrintEx11 and VIIE visitors but, as places are filling fast, those who wish to attend should register immediately at www.printex.net.au – just select the ‘Visiting’ tab and click on ‘Register’.