From London to Watford, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield and Nottingham, the tour gave us direct access to some of the UK’s leading print and visual communications businesses, along with three days at The Print Show in Birmingham.
Three observations I’ve brought home:
Automation is now a competitive necessity. Touring operations such as Augustus Martin in East London and Precision Proco in Sheffield showed how investment in automation and integrated workflow is reducing labour intensity, lifting consistency and shortening turnaround times. The Print Show sessions on robotics and inkjet and hybrid printing reinforced how quickly this is moving. Precision Proco further demonstrated that precision in print is never accidental.
The strongest printers are creative partners, not suppliers. At Stylographics, ImageCo and Hickling & Squires, the common thread was businesses embedded in their clients’ operations through print management, online ordering and data-driven services. Sessions on AI and the future of print made the same point: the value is increasingly in what surrounds the print. Creativity is high on everyone’s agenda, and these businesses are leading the way.
People and leadership remain the foundation. Technology changes quickly, but skills, culture and leadership determine who benefits from it. It was encouraging to see the focus on workforce development, and on the women leading change across our industry internationally.
The challenges we face in Australia are shared across markets, and the ideas from this tour will directly inform how we continue to develop our services at Colemans Printing for our clients across the Northern Territory. Above all, it was a week of listening and learning.
My sincere thanks to VMA CEO Kellie Northwood for an exceptionally well-organised program, and to the VMA Board and sponsors. Thank you to the businesses that so generously opened their doors to us, to Colin McDermott (The Online Print Coach) for his time and insights, and to my fellow tour participants for the conversations and the company.
Thank you also to everyone who has shared and tagged me in posts from the tour. I’m grateful for the support.
#VMAPrintTour #VisualMediaAssociation #ThePrintShow #PrintIndustry #PrintInnovation #WomenInPrint #ColemansPrinting #NorthernTerritory
