Annual Conference 2025

Speakers Announced

BEYOND THE MARGIN

Charting new territory for growth, adaptation and commercial success in print

Date: August 28th
Venue: The Manufacturing Technology Centre, Coventry
Time: 9.00 - 17:00

IPIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
2025

Why should you attend?

Inspirational and educational speakers will combine with amazing networking opportunities, a mini-expo, as well as top class food and refreshments. The day will then be topped off with networking drinks – a chance to make further new business connections and unwind. All of this is covered by one ticket price.

Supported by an amazing array of industry technology developers and suppliers, the conference will also feature an Expo and Networking Hub – where delegates can learn about wider sector trends and advances, while building relationships with new business prospects.

Critically, attendees will be able to find new opportunities to help grow their business and provided with direction to help it thrive in the long-term.

Insights into growth opportunities and how to seize them

The theme for this year’s event, ‘Beyond the Margin’, highlights the objectives of top business leader’s across the UK print industry: how to charter new territory for growth, adaptation and commercial success.

In today’s print industry, success is often measured by the margins – whether it’s hitting tight deadlines, managing shrinking profit lines, or staying within increasingly demanding client expectations. But real transformation happens when businesses look beyond those immediate pressures.

Beyond the Margin explores what lies outside the usual boundaries – the new markets, smarter processes, and fresh thinking that allow businesses not just to survive, but to evolve and thrive.

This year’s Conference will showcase how leading print-service-providers are breaking convention, embracing change, and finding bold new routes to commercial success. With practical insights, inspiring case studies, and proven strategies for adaptation and growth, it offers the tools to drive your business forward.

Everything you need to know

Gain insight, business intelligence and
inspiration from our amazing speakers

Our Conference speakers will each drawn on their own expertise and provide their own unique take on the theme of this year’s conference ‘Beyond the Margin’ – Charting new territory for growth, adaptation and commercial success in print. They will explore:

Significant growth markets for print and how to profit from them
Critical trends across sustainability, print personalisation and artificial intelligence
How printers can adapt to remain relevant and strengthen the effectiveness of their products
The future shape of the UK economy and how to adapt to emerging market trends

Navigating a delicate outlook for the UK economy

Katerina Lisenkova

Natwest

In an era marked by volatility, structural change and global uncertainty, understanding the economic forces shaping our world is more vital than ever. Drawing on her experience as a macroeconomist, Katerina will explore the major global challenges currently reshaping the economic landscape – from climate and demographic change to geopolitical tension and inflationary pressures – and assess how they are likely to impact UK businesses, households and industries in the years ahead.

Drawing on 20 years of experience in macroeconomic research, Katerina will set out the latest developments in the UK economy, place them within an international context, and examine the likely trajectories for growth, interest rates and inflation.

For the print industry, this session offers a unique opportunity to anticipate the ripple effects of these macro shifts – from rising costs and supply chain pressures to regional disparities and changing labour market dynamics. Katerina will equip attendees with the economic foresight they need to support strategic planning, identify points of resilience, and adapt their business models for long-term sustainability and growth.

Delivering a New Narrative for Print

Carey Trevill

Mission Element

Brendan Perring

IPIA

Join Brendan and Carey as they reveal the findings and impact of the IPIA’s flagship advocacy and research programme, A New Narrative for Print. Developed in collaboration with global insight agency Madano and a coalition of industry partners, this project has analysed more than 12,000 online conversations to uncover how print is perceived across key buying markets – and how those perceptions can be positively transformed.

This session will explore the most powerful insights to emerge from the research, including evidence of print’s trust advantage, its powerful role in multichannel strategies, and how it supports authenticity, recall and emotional engagement. Brendan and Carey will also examine how the IPIA is using the data to build new relationships with influential voices outside the sector – across marketing, design, fashion, photography and beyond.

If the print industry is to grow sustainably, it must reassert its value in conversations happening far beyond its own echo chamber. This talk will equip attendees with the knowledge and tools to help make that happen and turn the IPIA’s insights into action to drive new print volumes and strengthen the value that can be delivered to customers.

Rising to the Occasion

Sam Nelson

The Printing Charity

Claire Behan

Canon UK and Ireland

Marc Farmer

Tradeprint

How do we harness the energy, insight and creativity of young people to power the future of print? In this dynamic session, The Printing Charity’s Sam Nelson is joined by 2025 Rising Star Award winners Claire and Marc to explore two vital questions: how can print capture the imagination of younger generations, and how can the industry inspire them to pursue lasting careers within it?

Through candid conversation and real-world examples, Claire and Marc will share what drew them to the industry, why print still resonates powerfully with their generation – and how creative experiences like unboxing campaigns and tactile marketing materials are cutting through digital fatigue. Sam will also spotlight research from the IPIA’s New Narrative for Print project, which reveals high levels of trust and engagement with print among Gen Z and younger Millennials – often without them even realising it’s ‘print’.

The panel will then delve into practical advice for employers: what matters most when attracting, supporting and retaining young talent, and why career development, mentoring and recognition schemes like Rising Stars are essential to building the workforce of tomorrow.

Come away with inspiration, insight – and actionable ideas to secure print’s future.

The Power of Being Personal

Gemma Mitchell

Paragon Dagenham

In a world saturated with digital noise, this talk explores how physical marketing such as print offers a powerful antidote – capturing genuine consumer attention and driving deeper engagement.

With an average attention time of 108 seconds per mail item for example (compared to 1.3 seconds for digital ads), and 6x higher response rates and 135% more engagement – Gemma will discuss how print channels carve out meaningful space in both mind, home and out in the wider world. The session will also highlight how personalisation – beyond just a name – can transform print into a concierge experience, with relevance, timing and tone making all the difference.

Integration is also key; campaigns that combine print, mail and digital drive stronger ROI, higher retention, and increased conversions. From tactile impact to behavioural influence, the session demonstrates how print not only earns attention – but amplifies other channels. Bottom line: print-based marketing channels are vital, data-driven tools for building trust, sparking loyalty, and making omnichannel marketing truly personal.

Print, Paper and Paper Packaging – Effective, Natural and Sustainable

Jonathan Tame

Two Sides

The latest Trend Tracker consumer research published by Two Sides reveals that significant misconceptions persist around the sustainability of paper products. Despite its strong environmental credentials, print, paper, and paper-based packaging are still too often perceived as wasteful and harmful to the planet. The findings underscore a continued need for education and clarity.

Crucially, the research shows that consumers place high levels of trust in print communications – and are far more likely to engage with physical print than digital alternatives. This preference presents a powerful opportunity for the industry to reinforce the enduring value and effectiveness of paper-based media.

In his presentation, Jonathan will share the key insights from the research and explore how Two Sides is using evidence-based messaging to challenge misinformation. By equipping the industry with facts, tools, and resources, the campaign empowers us all to tell a more accurate and compelling story — that print, paper, and paper packaging are not only effective, but also natural and sustainable choices for today and tomorrow.

Delivering on Mail’s Potential

Amanda Griffiths

Marketreach

Whether you are a seasoned print professional adept at utilising mail as a channel for your clients, or just beginning to explore its potential, this session will equip you to develop persuasive arguments to help unlock mail’s value – and drive stronger marketing performance for your clients.

In an increasingly digital-first world, mail can be a tough sell – unless you have the right insights to tell its story. Rather than focusing on individual campaign outcomes, this session defines the most powerful findings from Marketreach’s landmark reports and insight– to reveal how physical mail cuts through clutter, builds trust, and drives commercial results.

Amanda will explore the breadth of insight Marketreach has developed, how it is being used by top brands to reframe the role of mail, and how you can leverage this knowledge to shift perceptions and influence customers.

The Power of the Super Touch Point

Mark Cross

JICMAIL

In this session, Mark will present key findings from the most recent quarterly data release from JICMAIL and an overview of its Response Rate Tracker – a vital tool for print-service-providers and agencies looking to understand and improve campaign impact for their customers. This resource draws on live campaign data, which is then anonymised and shared with JICMAIL by 15 marketing agencies.

Mark will also introduce the powerful concept of Super Touchpoints – media channels that consistently outperform others across multiple stages of the customer journey. Drawing on JICMAIL’s in-depth research, he will discuss the defining traits of a Super Touchpoint and demonstrate how print channels, such as mail, excels in areas such as attention, acquisition, retention, and ROI.

With data showing increasing engagement among younger demographics with print channels such as mail, this session will highlight how they not only drive immediate response, but also play a unique role in deepening customer relationships and stimulating in-home conversation and brand advocacy. Attendees will gain practical insights into how to use mail more effectively – and how to position it as an indispensable part of an integrated marketing strategy.

The AI Conundrum – Friend or Foe?

Mike Hughes

Latcham

Jamie Nelson

Compass Business Finance

Anthony Rowell

Tradeprint

Rob Flannery

Nutshell Creative

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the commercial landscape – and the print industry is not immune. From automating workflows and transforming customer engagement to disrupting traditional job roles and creative processes, AI offers a complex mix of opportunity and uncertainty.

In this lively and thought-provoking panel, leading voices from across the print supply chain will debate whether AI should be seen as a threat or a powerful ally. Is AI the key to unlocking new efficiencies and innovation – or could it hollow out the sector’s creative and consultative edge?

The session will be guided by real questions submitted by conference delegates in advance. The panellists will discuss how to responsibly integrate AI into workflows; the ethical implications of AI-generated content; the risk of over-automation; and where humans still outperform machines.

This is not a technical deep-dive – it is a strategic conversation designed to help you cut through the hype and make smart, future-facing decisions. Whether you are enthusiastic or sceptical, this panel promises a balanced and practical discussion on how our sector can adapt, evolve and thrive in the AI era.

Joining Information

Date

Thursday, August 28th 2025

Where

Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC),
Ansty Park,
Coventry,
CV7 9JU

Tickets

IPIA and BAPC Member ticket price (Includes food and refreshments): £48 Inc VAT
Non-Member ticket price (Includes food and refreshments): £84 Inc VAT

Getting There

CAR – Click here to download the official “Getting there” guide.
TRAIN – The closest railway station to Ansty Park if you are travelling from the south, is Coventry.
There is then a 15-minute taxi ride from Coventry Train Station.
If you are coming from the north, Nuneaton is the closest station, again, there is approximately a 15-
minute taxi ride from the station to the MTC.
PARKING – There is ample free parking at the MTC directly outside the building.

Dress Code

Business casual

Annual Conference 2025 Agenda

9.00 – Early Bird Networking and Breakfast

10.00 – Conference Session 1

11.00 – Refreshment Break and Networking in the Expo

11.30 – Conference Session 2

12.45 – Lunch and Networking in the Expo

14.00 – Conference Session 3

15.00 – Refreshment Break and Networking in the Expo

15.30 – Conference Session 4

16.00 – Drinks Reception and Networking

17:00 – Event ends

(All vegetarian, vegan and special dietary requirements will be catered for)

The IPIA would not be able to create events such as our Annual Conference without the support of our amazing sponsor members. They are all dedicated to supporting the growth of the print industry in the UK and their contribution is invaluable. They also ensure that our events remain affordable and accessible – opening them up to a far wider spectrum of smaller businesses. Please find out more by clicking on the links below and we look forward to welcoming them at the Conference.