Inspiration takes centre stage at Power of Print

The Power of Print seminar returned earlier this week (November 4^th), with over 200 representatives from print, paper, publishing, packaging, and media attending the event.

The seminar, organised by Two Sides and the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF), in partnership with Canon, returned to the historic Stationers’ Hall venue for its 15^th edition.

A range of keynote speakers discussed what the future holds for the UK print and associated industries, with topics as diverse as the state of the economy, utilising AI and behavioural data, and how to calculate and utilise consumer trust.

In his opening address, Jonathan Tame, managing director of Two Sides UK, said: “This is our opportunity to provide a day of education that will inform and inspire you with ideas on where print sits within the world of multimedia communications.”

Charles Jarrold, chief executive officer of BPIF, began with an overview of the current state of the UK print industry.

Among his insights, which were identified as part of the BPIF’s ‘State of the Industry’ and ‘Quarterly Report’ research papers, Jarrold highlighted that although “our industry has been through so much significant change”, many sectors have bounced back in recent quarters.

Within these sectors, Jarrold demonstrated data showing a consistent increase in physical book sales in recent years.

80% of book readers reportedly continue to read physical editions, with e-books now judged to be a minority market. This is in contrast to a previous perception that e-books would come to dominate sales.

However, Jarrold noted that factors such as labour costs and the effect of changing taxation have significantly impacted the printing industry, noting how tough those surveyed have found the last 12 months.

Jarrold stressed that “we are waiting with bated breath to see what happens with the latest budget”, referring to the UK government's Autumn Budget which most economists believe will involve further tax increases.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) recently said that Reeves will "almost certainly" have to raise taxes to make up what it estimates will be a £22bn shortfall in the government's finances.

Tom Ridges, chief executive officer of Herdify, followed up with a joint talk alongside Ben Briggs, managing partner of Join the Dots.

The two software and media planning specialists talked through how companies can harness AI software which can track offline social influence, allowing them to understand where their brand is gaining traction and therefore provide more targeted, bespoke advertising.

The Herdify concept, which is aimed at brands with smaller marketing budgets, is based on the principle of "herd mentality," which suggests people are highly influenced by the purchasing decisions of those they know and trust in their local area.

Simon Harrop of the Aroma Company and Jon Bickley of Anthem Publishing detailed two positive and potentially lucrative uses of print, with Harrop outlining the transformative impact of scented prints and Bickley revealing how returning to printed output revitalised his publishing company.

Another highlight of the event was from Clive Booth, a filmmaker, photographer, and brand ambassador for Canon.

He discussed his latest project, ‘The Silence After Applause’, which captures raw, intimate portraits of Birmingham Royal Ballet dancers moments after leaving the stage.

The photos were printed and displayed as part of Expo 2025, a world expo held in Japan, with copies of the prints also displayed at the Power of Print event.

While Booth highlighted how “print gives the opportunity to tell a much more holistic story”, he also stressed that the rise of AI photo generation has had a massive real-world impact on the number of commissions he receives.

For example, the project in question was created by Booth turning a passion project into a commission through sheer effort and a dose of good luck.

This point was reflective of the expansive and sometimes contrasting themes and messages of the various talks throughout the event.

While speakers such as Greg Brooks from software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, io.tt, and the aforementioned Ridges and Briggs championed the many exciting and revolutionary uses of AI, Booth’s mention of the struggles of creatives should serve as a warning that this revolution should work in tandem with the continued support of human endeavour.

Another example of this balanced approach came from Roger Wright, waste strategy and packaging manager at Biffa. While his speech praised the increasing industry push for recyclable materials and reduced waste, he also noted that a lot of materials and packaging manufacturers still don’t go far enough to create what he labelled “an inclusive, harmonised system with the circular economy in mind.”

Among the other important messages at the event, Trewin Restorick, founder of social enterprise Sizzle, spoke about how difficult meaningful sustainable actions are in a time of disruption, scepticism, and political backlash against environmental practices.

AI came into Restorick’s topics of discussion as well, with him noting its transformative influence while also pointing out the gigantic energy cost of creating such complex computational systems.

As Restorick warned at the close of his talk, “there is a colossal cost of inaction.” He called on companies across the industry to act now, regardless of the political climate or any fear of public backlash.

As Tame said in his closing address at the tail-end of the conference: “It’s up to us tell our story.”

If the Power of Print seminar is anything to go by, the print industry still has many inspiring stories to tell, with industry innovations and changes happening faster than ever and an engaged community pushing to stay right at the cutting edge.