As I write this column I reflect on the business news that is confronting us all each day – falling retail sales, falling house prices, high interest rates, high NZ dollar and rising unemployment – and I hear the question: “Why are you hosting a conference in this environment?”
MY answer to that is mostly reflected in the title of the conference: The Next 100 Years.The PrintNZ conference is an opportunity for you and your staff to hear from some of the best speakers in the world on topics about this industry and how it will move and change in the future. We are in the down side of what is predicted to be a short sharp recession – but we need to be prepared for the future.
This view is endorsed by the companies that support conference by way of sponsorship, in particular our Principal Sponsors of Fuji Xerox, Heidelberg, Nova Inks & Chemicals and Spicers Paper. Their support allows us to have an extensive range of speakers yet keep the cost of attending realistic.
Our choice of topics and speakers has been made to cater to a wide range of people in the industry – those involved in management, sales, environmental issues, technology decisions and business development. This will be an opportunity to test your thinking on the future of your business against the theories and practical insights of the speakers and fellow conference delegates.
The conference features keynote speakers and workshops focussing on business, environmental, sales and technical issues. We are delighted to have print guru, Frank Romano, deliver an address on the latest technology developments via digital link from his home in Boston, America. Frank is renown globally for lecturing and writing books on many topics including digital printing, pdf workflow and industry specific software programmes. Frank travels the world speaking at conferences and will also provide a post-drupa summary based on his visit in June.
Our environmental keynote speaker, Phillip Lawrence, will bring to conference 33 years of industry experience in areas including ink manufacture, press engineering and prepress technologies. Phillip has an avid interest in how environmental issues are affecting the print industry and businesses within it.
Phillip will provide an overview of environmental issues affecting the print industry and practical ideas that businesses can implement in their workplaces. Providing the keynote address for the sales stream at conference is Robert McClements of Print Yorkshire. Robert currently runs a consulting business in the UK focussing on strategic planning and customer relationship management through performance teams. Robert is a practitioner in negotiation and a member of the Bradford Negotiation Team which provides tuition and mentoring in advanced techniques of negotiation. His address will focus on how successful print businesses can find profitability in times of changing technology, over-capacity and environmental obligations.
Our final keynote speaker, Gareth Kiernan from Infometrics, will provide an overview of the current economic conditions on a domestic and global front. Gareth's knowledge of the economic climate, export conditions and monetary policy will provide a helpful overview for businesses as they contemplate future investment and direction of their own businesses.
Each keynote session will be followed by a series of workshops based around business, environmental, sales and technical topics. Speakers in these sessions have been asked to present practical solutions so attendees can then apply these in their businesses.
Finally this is a chance to spend some time with others in the industry – whether following a golf ball around the Wairakei course or fishing on Lake Taupo on Monday and also at the social times during the business sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday.
