SEEING IS believing

revenues from dry erase boards and markers were up 10% and 16% respectively, with flip chart sales growing by an impressive 32%. These spikes have particularly come from within the education, health care and social assistance verticals, according to the research firm.

Many product categories in the business supplies space suffered throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. One that’s bucked the trend – and continues to do incredibly well – is visual communications.

Virtually overnight, as lockdowns hit and businesses and, of course, entire education settings reverted to home-based working/ learning, face-to-face communication became very difficult. Demand for videoconferencing equipment and associated supplies went through the roof and sales of other items such as webcams, microphones and headsets increased exponentially.

Even now, many employers have to ensure their premises are suitably equipped with the appropriate viscom products to facilitate the ongoing hybrid working scenarios that appear here to stay.

Away from the tech side of the category, US data from Circana (formerly The NPD Group) shows significant dollar increases in sales of more day-to-day items. In 2022, year-on-year

Netherlands-based Showdown Displays Europe is a specialist in promotional signs and display systems. Nicola Forani, Director of New Business Development and Strategic Accounts, also paints a comprehensively positive picture of the sector: “Many people are now going back to work on a regular basis and both public institutions and private companies continue to invest heavily in viscom products.

“In 2022, we saw 20% growth in year-on-year sales, with the best performing items being snap frames and lockable notice boards. In 2023, we expect an additional 20% growth for these products, with a 30% rise in items designed particularly for use in public spaces and the hotel and catering industry.”

On Display

Another operator in the field is US-based Polyvision Corporation. It manufactures ceramic steel surfaces for applications such as whiteboards, chalkboards, architectural surfaces and panels for infrastructure projects. The company estimates that, globally, the viscom sector now represents a $35 billion opportunity.

“That’s a lot of potential,” says CEO Kevin McCoy. “And it continues to grow – we don’t see it slowing down. We are making investments both in the US and around the world to take advantage of this growth. We see this $35 billion market as one that’s broken into several segments. Polyvision concentrates on three of those target areas: education, workplace and architecture.”

As part of the latter of these three verticals – architecture – McCoy also highlights public spaces as high in demand for its products. “We’re doing a lot of work on the walls of airports, transit stations and connecting tunnels. We’ve just finished a bike tunnel in Nashville, Tennessee, for instance, that was lined with a printed mural which made it a much cleaner and safer environment for people to use.

“One of the benefits of our ceramic-coated steel is its highly reflective surface – even when it’s printed. That quality makes any area brighter and it’s a perfect solution for the walls of a bike or pedestrian walkway.

“We’ve done similar projects in Sweden and Denmark and the transformations have been pronounced. Our ability to print on ceramic steel allows us to display anything from fine art to wayfinding signs. But we’re not just making whiteboards – we can also do floor-to-ceiling architectural elements that add dimension and dynamism to a classroom or office.”

The market is equally buoyant down under as Mark Bowdern, Managing Director of Sydney-based Visionchart asserts. He refers to an increase in enquiries for both traditional whiteboards, architectural writing boards and pinnable surface products. Strong growth originated from the educational sector, with requests for vibrant colours to energise learning spaces.

He adds: “Display and notice cases are also popular – these typically have a hinged or sliding glass door. Significant demand has come from government departments, schools, universities and warehouses – likely to address the need for effectively showing important health and safety information.”

Return To The Workplace

While the viscom sector clearly benefitted from the initially sharp transition to homeworking, it’s also now profiting from the gradual return to the workplace. As businesses try to encourage staff to come back into the office, they are upgrading spaces to make them attractive.

This desire to create a more enticing workplace was first seen in the furniture sector, but this is now spilling over into other areas. In fact, many businesses are prepared to spend considerable amounts of money to tempt employees back in and the viscom category is a definite beneficiary.

As Bowdern explains, while the return to work has begun, a large percentage of the workforce still wants to work from home. Consequently, organisations are reconfiguring their spaces to make them ‘home-like’ for when staff do come in. This is reflected in the use of softer furnishings and relaxed methods of meeting, for example. Viscom solutions have further become more mobile whereby products can be moved between group spaces.

“Visionchart has responded to these needs by introducing improved mobile boards, including our new configurable Quiet Glass mobile. One side is a coloured magnetic writing glass but in a softer colour palette that better emulates home décor. On the reverse side is an acoustic panel to quieten any ambient sound.”

With this increasing desire for mobility comes another shift – fewer walls. Says Bowdern: “We have known this for many years as the ‘open plan’ layout, but the trend has accelerated so that a wall in the office must now have a specific function. Often, they are designated as a viscom writing wall, where the entire surface can be written upon.

“This has created demand for larger writing panels of up to 150 cm in width, with less frame area or no frame at all. For smaller dividers, meanwhile, we see a growing trend in acoustic products for controlling sound levels, either with a distinctive pattern or in a printable design that could, for example, depict a view of a city skyline or palm-fringed beach.”

When people are in the office, they typically do so to collaborate and communicate, often in a planning and brainstorming way. In this context, meeting and presentation products are still very much required, according to Danny Berendsen, European Sales Director at Portuguese vendor Bi-silque.

Of course, some question the future role of traditional writing boards, given the rise of high-tech alternatives. Not Bowdern. He comments: “Employees will always want to express themselves and the ease by which anyone can just grab a marker and share a thought is very powerful.

“This thought then takes shape and becomes something other team members can add to. It’s something we call ‘visual democracy’ – the ability to give a voice to even the quietest member of the team allowing them to express their insights. You simply don’t get this spontaneity, this creativity, from a PowerPoint slide or an LCD panel – both are far less collaborative.”

Attitude Shift

Another very notable trend in this segment –similar to many other categories, in fact – is that customers increasingly want viscom products which are sustainably produced and delivered. Says Berendsen: “Yes, you may benefit from a 10-20% price reduction by buying from Asia, but shipping it all that way adds to pollution and flies in the face of CSR.

For those still able to work from home – some or all of the time – viscom requirements are quite different, he adds: “To address these, our home office solutions are directed towards a more natural look, with wood frame boards or designs which incorporate home décor colours – often in smaller sizes. This results in a more personalised look.”

It’s also important to note, he says, that while many categories – including print, paper, breakroom or stationery – are heavily affected by staff working from home one or two days a week, the same doesn’t apply so negatively to the viscom market. “For these consumables, the impact can be considerable, as there is effectively 20% or 40% less demand.”

“We’re seeing far more local sourcing as customers seek to reduce their carbon footprint, with these considerations especially prevalent in Scandinavian and Benelux countries, plus Germany and the UK. ‘Made in Europe’ is a definitive USP and sourcing locally is a key differential.

“Additionally, there’s huge demand for products that have certifiable circularity. Why throw away an item when you could prolong its life by using spare parts? Bi-silque has developed products such as its KYOTO easels which are fully circular.”

Circularity is also a key philosophy underpinning the ethos at Polyvision. “We have a strong presence in Europe where the Paris Agreement has made sustainability a big concern. It’s something we embrace completely,” says McCoy.

“Our products are 99% recyclable and all scrap from production processes is returned to the steel manufacturer where it’s used to power the blast furnace. This creates a circular economy whereby we aren’t wasting any virgin materials. In addition, no volatile materials or dangerous solvents are used during the production of our ceramic steel surfaces which are Cradle to Cradle bronze certified.”

As Berendsen concludes: “I believe the pandemic reset our way of thinking and the time of cheap mass production is gone for good. Sustainability is a powerful driver which the next generation of leaders in the viscom sector will embrace and develop further.”