24 September 2020

Future Focus 2020 – BPIF and BOSS lead way for virtual events…

Future Focus, organised by leading trading associations BPIF and BOSS, was a one-day virtual event driven by the immediate concerns of coping with the current challenges of emerging from lockdown and planning the way ahead. A collaboration between the Creative Digital, Business Supplies and Printing industries.

Joining forces with the Visual Media Conference, Future Focus brought together the best speaker's cross sector to share inspirational ideas and practical foresight. Case studies of innovation throughout COVID-19 and real life examples of inspiring leadership. Panel sessions debated the way forward for each sector and encouraged audiences to join this debate.

BPIF specialist interest group Creative Digital Industries (CDI) held their 7th Visual Media Conference (VMC) for the first time virtually, as part of Future Focus, and have substantially grown its previous 335 delegate audience from its Yorkshire roots to international engagement and over 550 registered virtual attendees.

With over 550 registrations, attendees came from a wide range of sectors and backgrounds including creative and digital, business supplies and printing industries - from apprentices, business owners, designers, trainers, professors, managers with speakers from across the UK, US, Brussels, Dusseldorf and Australia - the event truly had a global appeal.

Charles Jarrold, CEO, BPIF comments:
"Future Focus was a true ‘online conference', combining the ability to engage with different speakers and content themes live, and use the event to network with other attendees. It was a highly innovative event, in the technology we used to host the event, as well as the range of brilliant and inspiring speakers and panellists, combining the best of our own Visual Media event, BOSS's view of the future of the office and work, and, an overview of BPIF activities especially over the last 6 months. While we couldn't be at the Houses of Parliament this year, we could celebrate somewhat in style, and also celebrate the winners of this year's Victor Watson and Kathy Woodward awards, Lewis Filtness and Matt Thornton respectively, who I particularly want to congratulate."

During the event BPIF held their first Members' Day review virtually, with a company and member update from CEO, Charles Jarrold and a training update from Karly Lattimore, Managing Director of Training. Attendees also heard for the first time from Jon Bailey & Gary Peeling discussing their new merge and the exciting opportunities in the future. With Gary saying, "We see ourselves in the future as a technology business that also delivers print products, not the other way around."

During the Members' Day session, the winners of the Kathy Woodward Award for Learning and Victor Watson Trophy were announced. Congratulations go to:

Mark Stokes, Highly Commended for the Kathy Woodward Award for Learning 2020 Matt Thorton, Winner of the Kathy Woodward Award for Learning 2020

Max Brown, Highly Commended for the Victor Watson Trophy 2020 Lewis Filtness, Winner of the Victor Watson Trophy 2020

Main Stage:

Jonathan Geldart,
Director General, Institute of Directors
Jonathan discussed the global trends that COVID-19 has amplified. A truly engaging session on inspiring survival techniques from the board room to an arctic trek and the importance of Generation Alpha.

Some great questions were asked on recognising the correct type of leadership for the situation and the importance of attitude.

"Teams if they are well trained and things are going fine, things go fine, if things are going badly things still go fine." Reminding us of the importance of communication, strategy and leadership.

Felicity Burch
Director Innovation and Digital, CBI
Felicity's session discussed the impact on the acceleration of technology adoption. How to embrace this, come up with new ideas & invest in R&D.

Felicity Burch reminded us of the significance of a company's digital transformation highlighting the four-fuel approach, as well as highlighting the importance for digital skills training.

James Sommerville
Founder, Known Unknown (former VP Global Design The Coca-Cola Company)
Calling in from Atlanta, James shared his unique perspective of how brands and companies can differentiate themselves in the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

An inspiring story from street artist in Huddersfield to VP Global Design at The Coca-Cola Company. Reminding us that timing is everything and that change and adapting can be extremely beneficial and vitally important.

Adrian Odds
Director of Strategy & Market Propositions, Communisis
How to use Artificial Intelligence to cut through the noise!

Inspiring presentation - "print and digital channels coexisting is going to be crucial going forward". The power of print is stronger than ever and it is still one of the most reliable forms of communications..."

Session Specific - 4PM Intergraf

One of the outstanding sessions was the Intergraf International Panel, moderated by Charles Jarrold, CEO, British Printing Industries Federation bringing together expertise from across Europe and the USA to compare notes and to offer guidance as we look to emerge from COVID 19.

This virtual gathering of the world's leading trade associations took time to reflect on the way their members had looked to them in this unprecedented time. They had been extremely busy advising government and providing individual support and guidance throughout the period.

Michael Makin, Executive Vice President PRINTING United Alliance, reinforced the view that government support was essential and Beatrice Klose, Secretary General of Intergraf agreed that the industry was directly influenced by national economic output. It was agreed that diversity in the industry meant that some sectors had seen business fall by up to 90% whilst others such as packaging had been exceptionally busy during the pandemic.

Following the initial contraction of global markets there is indication of recovery albeit nowhere near the previous levels of business.

The industry had served itself well by some companies being sufficiently agile to re-purpose their production facilities and staff to provide essential equipment such as face masks.

On a lighter note the panel remarked that innovation had produced some unexpected initiatives such as life-size printed cut-outs filling the seats in stadia. The panel agreed that Future Focus has been an unmitigated success with 570 registrations and a global audience that stretched from Australia and across the USA as well as 20 European countries. Sabine Geldermann, Director drupa & Global Head Print Technologies Messe, was pleased to learn they were looking forward to the future opportunity of a meeting at a real conference and pledging their support for drupa 2021, encouraging their members and manufacturers to recognise the continued need for opportunities to develop relationships and the missing element of humanity in the online world.

To view the videos from the day please click here.