OUTPUT

One of the areas in which FESPA really excels is with its gatherings of industry specialists and the resulting thought-provoking discussions on topics which affect all of us in our everyday lives and in mapping out future activities. Last week I was participating in the FESPA 100 Club event in Hamburg where a diverse group of us looked at changing landscapes in the market with the idea of exploring trends and other issues which touch on our working methods.

The team from FESPA has really got its act together when it comes to mixing industry specialists with those who sit on the periphery but have something innovative and valuable to add to the mix. These summits and conferences always have an added element of spark, arranged in an informative and cohesive way so that everyone is involved and no-one ever leaves an event as an unheard voice.

It came across loud and clear, from the presenters and the delegates alike, that we are as FESPA predicted now in a period of evolution so we can drop the 'R' off revolution and concentrate on the remaining nine letters. We have lots of lovely machinery which we could never have imagined being reality two decades ago. And we have a huge choice of materials and enough software options to help us become ever more creative and versatile.

The trouble is, we need to find more channels for telling the world at large what we can do with digital print. We all agreed that, despite the best efforts put into shouting about what can be produced nowadays, there are still countless end customers and agencies who proclaim 'we didn't know you could do that'.

FESPA's catalogue of trade events and summits is one of a kind for the digital world. I don't like to use the word 'unique' but there isn't another platform that caters purely for our sector on such a broad international basis. And, from the viewpoint of manufacturers, it's FESPA which has enabled new products and developing technologies to be rolled out to a worldwide demographic.

Evolution in my online dictionary is defined thus: 'the gradual development of something, esp. from a simple to a more complex form'. We've got all the tools we need to make this happen, and the right platforms from which to shout about it. We have the internet and social media ready and willing to let us go viral about what we can do. We know what we can do and we're lucky that we have organisations like FESPA who take the time and trouble to get us all together and take on board ideas for moving forward.

But now we need to capitalise on ways to bring the benefits of digital production to the notice of the general public. And that's the difficult bit.