Shaping the future of print

Innovation in an evolving sector: shaping the future of print

More than 80 delegates from across Europe meet in Brussels at the event discussing the future of the commercial print market.

Shaping the Future of Print: Commercial Print 2020 was organised by Intergraf, the European federation for print and digital communication, with the support of Smithers and the Nordic Offset Printers Association (NOPA). The event was moderated by Cees Verweij, President of Intergraf.

“‘Using customer data goes very far’ because it is powerful and useful for companies when selling their products. It’s all about relevance […] If what is inside is useful people will read it – the rest is of less importance.” - Jo Van De Weghe (Symeta – Colruyt Group)

Key Notes :

> Intergraf keeps

sustainability high on the agenda. > Whatever you do, don’t do the same things – you’re in a market that is changing. > Changing demands require business models to be reinvented to own the relationship with the customer rather than the manufacturing.

“Whatever you do, don’t do the same things – you’re in a market that is changing,” was one of the key messages communicated by Sean Smyth (Smithers) to European printers. The rate of change for the commercial printing industry with regard to technology, business models and customer demand is growing, and the landscape of the industry already looks vastly different from a few short decades ago. Across the commercial print sector today, there are many different types of companies – some very successful, with a young, skilled, enthusiastic workforce who have no trouble innovating and recruiting. However, as in any rapidly developing sector, other companies are trailing behind. Demographic changes are entering the market (Generation Z), as well as the upper levels of management in printing companies (Millennials), and “their preferences are now their demands”. According to Smyth, this requires business models to be reinvented to own the relationship with the customer rather than the manufacturing, and focus more intensively on issues relating to sustainability. In order to not only survive, but thrive in today’s new context, Smyth advised printers to think about their customers in a different way and re-invent their business model to better meet customers’ – and employees’ – changing demands.

Sustainability is a hot-button issue for commercial printers across Europe, and with the recent introduction of the EU’s Green Deal, at European level too. Many speakers at Commercial Print 2020 covered topics relating to sustainability. The first speaker of the day, Emmanuelle Maire (European Commission), presented about the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan (expected in March 2020), which will be closely linked to the Industrial Strategy. She expressed that she was “very happy that Intergraf keeps sustainability high on the agenda” for printers. Maire also mentioned the EU Ecolabel for printed paper, an environmental labelling scheme introduced in 2012, explaining that “only the greenest products will get the label”, ensuring that it “incentivises the front-runners to push for the best products to be the norm”. Jannick Schmidt (2.-0 Consultants and University of Aalborg), also addressed environmental labelling schemes, urging policymakers to better include Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in the design of certification systems to improve their real-life effects. Schmidt explained that if LCA is not included in the development of labelling schemes then a lot of important information is not taken into account, making them less effective because “following your intuition will not necessarily reduce waste”.

Also on environmental matters, Paul Verspoor (Intergraf), an expert on technical environmental regulations affecting printers, presented about new requirements for heatset printers. The requirements include a revision of all environmental permits (before mid-2024) based on the revised BREF. Verspoor

explained that Intergraf will produce ‘Heatset BREF Guidance’ to advise printers of any changes, as well as following all of the necessary legislative developments.

In a particularly interactive session, experts from 4 different countries (the Netherlands, France, Germany and the UK) joined a panel about door-drops. National governments and/or local authorities in certain countries (the Netherlands, for example) are increasingly putting pressure on unaddressed printed advertising mail. If this continues, it will have an effect on the printers of such products across Europe. The panel – and audience participation – made clear that the real fight is the public’s inaccurate perception of print. According to one of the panellists, “print is not as bad as it is perceived […] What we know about our sustainable, circular industry, the public does not know”. From a legal perspective, these developments are troubling for a number of reasons. Not only is the freedom of retailers to sell their products under threat, but certain groups of – often more vulnerable – consumers are also at risk of losing out if they can no longer be contacted in this way.

Importantly, Mark Davies (Whistl and ELMA) reported that in Europe, generally, “the higher the volume, the higher the opt-out”. In the UK, 4 door-drop items are delivered per week, in the Netherlands it is 34, and in the EU average is 14. Davies questioned whether “we need to pull back a bit as an industry”, strongly advising door-drop companies to “diversify across their customer base”.

The future of the European printing industry was elaborated on by the other speakers at Commercial Print 2020. Markus Hoffmann (Leonhard Kurz Foundation & Co.) told participants in his presentation about new technologies for embellishments that this is a growing market because “customers more often want not only an optical, but a physical, product”. Annette Dales (Multicopy) highlighted that “there is a big future for print, but it is also with cross-media”. And Jo Van De Weghe (Symeta – Colruyt Group) presented about Colruyt’s use of personalisation and targeted messaging in their communications with customers. He explained that “using customer data goes very far” because it is powerful and useful for companies when selling their products. Van

De Weghe stated that “it’s all about relevance […] If what is inside is useful people will read it – the rest is of less importance”.

In conclusion, the commercial print market in Europe has both challenges and opportunities and individual companies must decide how to adapt to deal with this. Print no longer exists in isolation and it has to operate in a fast-changing world – but there is a bright future for the sector for those who respond in an innovative way to the changing tide.

Speakers • Sustainable in a Circular Economy: Emmanuelle Maire, Head of Unit Sustainable Production, Products and Consumption at DG Environment, European Commission • Commercial print and catalogues market trends: Sean Smyth, Consultant and Analyst at Smithers • The potential of embellishment by hot stamping, cold transfer and digital metal: Markus Hoffmann, Senior VicePresident, Leonhard Kurz Foundation & Co.

Panel: the end of door drops as we know them? Miguel Delcour, Chief Executive of KVGO (NL) Mark Davies, Managing Director of Whistl and President of the European Letterbox Marketing Association – ELMA (UK/EU) Dr. Jörg Eggers, Managing Director of Bundesverband Deutscher Anzeigenblätter e.V. (DE) Matthieu Prevost, Environment Manager and Imprim’Vert National Coordinator at UNIIC (FR) Using customer data and digital print

in retail: the Colruyt case: Jo Van De Weghe, Marketing & Sales Director at Symeta (Colruyt Group) The product life cycle and environmental labelling schemes: Jannick Schmidt, CEO of 2.-0 LCA Consultants and Associate Professor at the University of Aalborg Give your company the greatness she deserves: Annette Dales, Managing Director of Multicopy Industrial emissions: new requirements for heatset offset printing Paul Verspoor, Environmental Consultant for Intergraf

Change in Heidelberg Management Board: Ulrich Hermann leaves the company

New structure strengthens efficiency and implementation speed.

The Supervisory Board and Management Board of Heidelberg have decided to reorganize and further streamline the management structure. The Management Board of the company will be reduced to two persons and will in future consist of CEO Rainer Hundsdörfer and CFO Marcus A. Wassenberg. To this end, the level below the Management Board will be significantly strengthened with a newly established Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will be responsible for cross-product customer solutions and the operational functions, and together with the Management Board will implement the transformation of the company. As part of these changes, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hermann is leaving the company by mutual agreement.

“By merging our Management Board divisions and setting up an Executive Committee, we aim to make our internal processes even more efficient so that we can drive forward the ongoing realignment of Heidelberg with even more vigor,” says Rainer Hundsdörfer, Chairman of the Management Board.

As part of the adjustment of the organizational structure Prof. Dr. Hermann will leave the company by mutual agreement at the end of the current financial year 2019/20. The Supervisory Board thanked Prof. Dr. Hermann for his achievements and his successful commitment to Heidelberg as part of the digital transformation: “Over the

past three years, Ulrich Hermann has shaped the further development of Heidelberg with innovative impetus and valuable contributions. With his important pioneering work in the realignment of the company, the successful introduction of digital business models in the IoT sector, the subscription business and the establishment of the Heidelberg Digital Unit (HDU), he has laid a decisive foundation for the future direction of the company. Following the strategic concept and entrepreneurial development work, further implementation can now be carried out by the operational management. With the new management structure, we will now use and drive forward the opportunities Intergraf is the European federation for print and digital communication. The Brusselsbased trade association represents 21 national printing federations from 20 countries. It advocates for the interests of the print and digital communication industry in Europe, working together with the European Union to support the sector’s competitiveness through advocacy, information-sharing, networking and social dialogue.

Photo Credit: Jason Bickley for Intergraf.

arising from changed business models, technological change and new customer requirements,” said Supervisory Board Chairman Dr. Martin Sonnenschein.

The newly established Executive Committee will coordinate key operational functions and the operating business and will be jointly responsible for everything from development to sales. Together with the Management Board, this committee will further develop innovative technologies and digital business models across all markets and customer segments in the interests of customers, in order to increase growth and profitability.

Messe Düsseldorf postpones key events

Alternate Dates established: BEAUTY DÜSSELDORF and TOP HAIR – DIE MESSE Düsseldorf will be held from 18 - 20 September 2020.

The trade fair duo BEAUTY and TOP HAIR Düsseldorf, which was postponed due to the effects of the Coronavirus Covid-19, will now be held in autumn 2020. BEAUTY DÜSSELDORF, the leading meeting point for cosmetics, nail, foot, wellness & spa, will take place in the halls 9 -13 from Friday, 18 September, to Sunday, 20 September 2020. Held concurrently on two days – Saturday and Sunday, 19 and 20 September 2020, TOP HAIR – DIE MESSE Düsseldorf will be held in halls 15-17 as Europe’s leading event for hairdressers.

“We are very happy to have found alternate dates for our trade fairs so quickly. The whole team of Messe Düsseldorf jointly with its co-organisers, partners and exhibitors has put its heart and soul into the preparation of the two trade fairs. Together we will make sure that our exhibition halls in September will turn into emotional experience worlds where people meet who are passionate about cosmetic services and hairstyling and barbering,” says Wolfram N. Diener, Managing Director at Messe Düsseldorf GmbH. All visitors tickets already purchased will, of course, remain valid for the alternate dates.

An important signal is given by Düsseldorf’s hospitality industry, by DEHOGA (German Hotel and Restaurant Association) to be more precise: “We appeal to our members and the industry as a whole to show flexibility when it comes to rebookings by exhibitors and visitors. The Düsseldorf trade fairs such as BEAUTY and TOP HAIR play an extremely important role for the city, the hospitality and food service sectors. It would be counterproductive not to show goodwill in this situation,” as both DEHOGARepresentatives Giuseppe Saitta (Chairman Düsseldorf/District Group Rhein-Kreis Neuss) and Rolf D. Steinert (Düsseldorf/RheinKreis Neuss Hotels and Tourism Group) emphasize.

Earlier Messe Düsseldorf GmbH had announced postponing the trade fairs ProWein, wire, Tube, Beauty, Top Hair and Energy Storage Europe.

In doing so, Messe Düsseldorf stated that it was following the recommendation of the crisis management team of the German government to take into account the principles of the Robert Koch Institute when making a risk assessment of major events. On the basis of this recommendation and the recent significant increase in the number of infected persons, including in Europe, Messe Düsseldorf has reassessed the situation. Added to this is the uncertainty of numerous exhibitors and visitors at the events in March and the complicated travel situation, especially for international customers.

Werner M. Dornscheidt, CEO of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH: “Our customers, partners and employees trust us. Not only when it comes to the professional and successful handling of major international events in Düsseldorf. They can also have this trust in us when we make decisions about critical

situations in the interests of their safety”.

“This decision was not an easy one for all concerned,” says Thomas Geisel, Lord Mayor of the City of Düsseldorf and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH. “But the postponements at the present time are necessary for Messe Düsseldorf and its customers in view of the increasingly dynamic developments.”

The organisers however refuted any speculations regarding their plan to postpone the major trade fairs interpack and drupa, which will be held in Düsseldorf in May and June. “Of course, we are taking our customers’ inquiries regarding the coronavirus very seriously here too,” says Dornscheidt, “so we will re-evaluate the situation in good time in consultation with health authorities and partners in order to make the appropriate decisions.”