Top speakers for trans-Tasman talks – Print21 magazine article

The PrintNZ Conference from 11-13 October 2010 offers an excellent professional development opportunity for people working in the New Zealand and Australian print and packaging industries. Joan Grace outlines what lies in store.

The bi-annual PrintNZ Conference will bring together quality speakers with a focus on sales/marketing, technology, business and lean and green. Following the keynote presentations on these topics, workshops will provide participants with knowledge and tools to take back to the workplace.

The conference will run over two full days (12-13 October) and follows a day of golf or fishing for those interested. Conference packages are available at very reasonable rates of NZ$750 for two full days of speakers, breakfasts and conference dinner, or $925 if the third day of recreation is added. This is equivalent to what many businesses pay for a half-day seminar on just one topic.

Many companies are still recovering from the economic downturn and PrintNZ has made every effort to keep the costs contained. This has also been made possible with the support of principal sponsors Spicers Paper, Heidelberg, Hostmann-Steinberg NZ and Fuji Xerox.

Four keynotes strike a chord

Aussies welcome, too

We are excited to have Barb Pellow of InfoTrends in the US as the first keynote speaker. Barb is an expert in the major international trends occurring in print and packaging. Her presentation will cover the challenges and opportunities facing the industry and the direction that companies overseas are taking.

Second keynote speaker, Clinton Yeats of Yeats Consulting, has an extensive history of success with continuous improvement programs, particularly in the Japanese motor industry. Recently, Clinton has been working closely with the print industry in New Zealand where his presentations at PrintNZ workshops and work with printing companies have made a big impression.

Third keynote speaker, Phillip Lawrence, is well-known for his involvement in the printing industry for more than 30 years. Phillip is a consultant to organisations looking to develop their environmental strategies in line with recognised international standards. He has worked in most areas of the industry from ink manufacture and press engineering to prepress technologies and desktop publishing systems. Phillip was a popular speaker at the 2008 conference.

Fourth keynote speaker is Gareth Kiernan, managing director of Infometrics NZ. Gareth is an economic analyst and commentator who undertakes substantial work in the New Zealand printing industry including providing the macro analysis for the PrintNZ annual survey. Gareth will give an overview of current business conditions in New Zealand and what is happening in specific sectors that are big customers of the print industry, such as retail and tourism.

The final keynote will provide an understanding from an agency viewpoint, of how they position print products within the marketing mix and what print companies can do to help influence that spend. The PrintNZ Conference follows the theme of ‘Part of Life’, incorporating the PrintNZ marketing campaign which aims to raise the profile of printed products and increase public awareness of the role that print plays in everyday life.

Aussies welcome, too

Part of PrintNZ’s role as the industry association is to provide educational and professional development opportunities for those working in the wide range of roles that make up the print and packaging industries. The conference provides a unique opportunity for people to engage with experts on topics of key relevance. Participants will leave with information and tools from the keynotes and workshops that they will be able to apply to their own businesses.

Members of our sister association, Printing Industries, can access the PrintNZ member rates for conference packages. Visit our website <www.printnz.co.nz> to pre-register – we look forward to seeing you there.