Visual Print’s MD moves To Solopress
Graham Hunstone, managing director of recently acquired print provider, Visual Print & Design, has been hired as head of partnerships by fellow UK printer, Solopress
The Print Show will host a range of initiatives which champion young people in print and signage, including the FESPA Next Generation Committee and YPIP
The Print Show will play host to a range of initiatives and talks, designed to foster the younger generation to find opportunities and thrive within the print industry.
Annual UK print expo, The Print Show, returns from September 23rd to 25th at Hall 3 of the NEC in Birmingham.
Scheduled to run for the first time in 2025, The Sign Show will also take place alongside The Print Show this year. The co-located event is being billed as the UK’s “annual dedicated sign expo”, pledging to establish a show focused on signage solutions alongside print.
The Sign Show has announced that it will be working with FESPA UK and its Next Generation Committee at the inaugural show this year to help champion opportunities for young people in the industry.
The Next Generation Committee will have its own stand at the event, with its members from across the industry in attendance throughout the show to discuss both the work the Next Generation is currently doing and how the initiative has helped them in their own careers.
Launched in 2023, the Next Generation seeks to address the need for succession planning in print, graphics, and signage. Its primary focus is on this skills gap, offering a structured space for emerging professionals to develop personally and professionally.
The Next Generation Committee works with FESPA UK to create various events and initiatives, all of which are tailored towards younger people and showcase the opportunities available to them within the industry.
Along with running their own stand throughout the show, the Next Generation Committee will also be hosting a session at the Knowledge Zone, the speaking venue at the co-located Print Show.
Current and existing members of the FESPA UK Next Generation will come together to talk about the project’s recent achievements, its current activities, and its next steps to help develop and nurture the next generation of print, graphics, and signage professionals.
The session will take place at 1pm on September 23rd, the opening day of both The Print Show and The Sign Show.
Those who cannot attend the Tuesday session can catch up with the Committee on Stand S432, opposite the School of Wrap – an area that is also being supported by FESPA UK and its Waste Accreditation scheme.
Exhibiting at the UK print exhibition for the first time this year will also be Young People in Print (YPIP), an initiative set up to help the industry promote itself as a career choice for young people.
During the show, YPIP will be offering guided tours to young people coming in from local education establishments at all levels to showcase the diversity of the industry. The group will also provide information for them to take home and consider in their own time.
YPIP founder, Elizabeth Bowerman, says: “The show has always been a must-attend event, even more so with the rapid rate of advances which have been made in recent years. From a YPIP perspective, it allows us to showcase what's coming to the young people.”
Younger people keen to learn about YPIP, how it can support them with their career choices, and gain further knowledge about working in print can meet with the group on Stand P65.
Collaborating with YPIP at The Print Show to present opportunities to the next generation will be print-focused recruitment firm, Matching Talent With Opportunity (MTWO) and training provider for the printing and graphics industry, Learn2Print.
MTWO will be exhibiting alongside fellow recruitment firm, Print Jobs, at Stand P6 of the show, with Learn2Print exhibiting at Stand P64.
Matt Hanley, managing director of MTWO, will host a talk at The Knowledge Zone titled ‘Building a brighter future for the print industry’, which will take place at 2pm on September 25th.
At the talk, Hanley will speak to team members at print and graphics agency, KGK Genix, about the company’s programme which offers young people first-hand experience within print, as well as the chance to work with leading brands on a wide range of creative projects.
The Print Show returns from September 23rd to 25th at Hall 3 of the NEC in Birmingham. Those wishing to attend the exhibition have been encouraged to register online.
