The ‘ember’ months are unarguably the busiest months for the printing industry worldwide. For one thing, these seasonal months come with both end of year celebrations that birth souvenirs and other memorabilia or gift items aside book publishing opportunities as a result of change in school calendar/ season. For the other, the accompanied holiday season is not only a subtle reminder that either ‘Santa Claus is coming to town’ or a new year is on the horizon, but more importantly, it is a stark reality check to equally start planning for the upcoming year both personally and for one’s business.
With volatile nature of economies around the world, mental and physical preparation for work-life balance is critical. Therefore, this is the time to start taking stock of 2024 as you look ahead for the future. Know what to hold on tenaciously and what to discard with a pinch of salt. Prioritise your mental health and physical wellbeing by discarding business(es)/ associate(s) that give your heart palpitation. Enough of emotional and physical fatigue! Instead, take on those that gives you the required peace of mind even while doing that for family, charity, and friends. Note that at the end, your healthy mind and body are as good as your outcomes. So, develop your mind through proper on-the-job trainings then stay alert of industry trends. Plan your investment ahead so as not put unnecessary pressure on yourself and business. Visit dedicated industry shows to see all alternatives and get the right info, contact and ask expert advice before agreeing on the preferred buy.
Which brings us to this bumper 92nd edition devoted to the two leading exhibitions in West Africa (PROPAK West Africa 2024) and America (PRINTINGUnited Expo 2024) though in different continents but was simultaneously held the same day (10 to 12 September 2024) in Lagos and Las Vegas respectively. Check out the official statistics-backed post-show reviews of both shows in the SPECIAL FEATURE ARTICLES titled: PROPAK CONTINUES TO DRIVE INNOVATION AND CHANGE IN MANUFACTURING VALUE-CHAIN IN WEST AFRICA (on pages 14, 15, 16 and 17) and PRINTINGUNITED EXPO 2024 DELIVERS UNMATCHED INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE (on pages 37 and 38) respectively. A fall-out of PRINTINGUnited Expo 2024 are series of interviews and article like Konica Minolta’s promise to support their counterparts in Africa with both after-sales support services especially in the supply of consumables and parts. Flip over to page 28 for the special feature article captioned: “WE’RE COMMITTED TO SUPPORT OUR COUNTERPARTS IN AFRICA WITH AFTER-SALES SERVICES.”
Also, at PRINTINGUnited Expo WHERE To Print held series of interviews with movers and shakers in the industry that culminate in series of educative and inspiring SPECIAL FEATURE INTERVIEWS with the likes of TVF duo of Danny Jimenez and Samantha Marion titled: “OUR EXPERTISE IS YOUR SUCCESS” (on page 19); Muller Martini North America President and CEO – Andrew Fetherman captioned: “MULLER MARTINI IS YOUR STRONG PARTNER” (on page 21); Kennickell Group, Vice President – Kacey Kennickell Ray titled: “MY HOPE IS THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS WILL CONTINUE TO UPHOLD THE VALUES THAT HAVE DEFINED OUR COMPANY WHILE PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE IN THE PRINT AND SIGNAGE INDUSTRY” (on pages 30, 31 and 32); and PRINTINGUnited Alliance duo of Mark J. Subers and Ford Bowers that sums up the SPECIAL FEATURE INTERVIEWS with these respective captions: “OUR EXPECTATION FOR 2025 IS TO ENSURE THAT OUR ATTENDEES ARE PROVIDED WITH A FULL ARRAY OF SOLUTIONS TO DISCOVER” and “THE ALLIANCE IS COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING THE GLOBAL GROWTH OF THE PRINTING INDUSTRY” on pages 40 and 42 respectively.
Once again, special thanks to my Team for holding forth at PROPAK West Africa 2024 while away in Vegas! It was great meeting industry colleagues like the amiable, dynamic and result-oriented Amanda Kliegl who ensured WHERE To Print stress-free coverage of PRINTINGUnited Expo 2024. And indeed, kudos to everyone at PRINTINGUnited Alliance for a job well done!
As usual – you can find out latest news, industry trends, and special reports in our PRINT IMPACT AROUND NIGERIA (from page 10) and PRINT IMPACT AROUND THE WORLD (from page 12) respectively to ensure you are aware of the happenings in the printing industry both in Nigeria and across the globe recorded in the last 2 months. In the same vein, as ‘ember’ months provoke opportunities in book publishing, our COVER STORY for this issue titled: BOOKS PRINTING – ALL CHANGED – A CLOSER LOOK AT THE NEW OPERATING MODEL on pages 22, 23 and 24 will enable you to know more about the transformation in book printing operations thereby getting you prepared for any opportunity that may arise.
Be Part of IPD 2024!
Celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year, the International Print Day (IPD) will take place on Wednesday 23 October 2024. IPD is a 24 hour celebration of print, paper, packaging and design – all rolls into one – from, to, by, and for practitioners around the world.
To support this initiative like we’re doing for World News Day (WND) as a responsible media, we’re putting up free advert slots (as supplied by organisers on pages 5 and 41) to share the messages of CHOOSE TRUTH of WND and PRINT IS LIFE of IPD respectively. You can as well join us in making the world a better place for all of us as you share these messages on your social media handles to spread the words of hope for both humanity and print around the globe!
Interestingly for IPD, the theme for this year is #PrintLife, which represents our lives in print – what, where, how and why we do what we do, and who we do it for – and why a life in print is a fun and rewarding career, showcasing our emotional attachment to the tangible medium of print.
So, get involve and join millions of timelines on social media that will connect and trend with #IPD24 during the day and let your company be seen as a knowledge provider and supporter of graphic arts albeit the printing industry. Remember to check out, and follow this year’s tags online – #IPD24 #PrintLife @IntPrintDay
In conclusion, please take care of your mental health!
As you start to look at the future, now is also the time to start looking for processes and systems that not only enhance your quality and service delivery but also ensure increased productivity and efficiency likewise well-being of your team members. Upgrade your service to humanity and downgrade irrelevancies, time wasters, and energy sappers. With that, you’ve successfully engineered your peace of mind not only for now, but also for years to come. Until next edition, take care of yourself!
And please; continue to do good
