Five senior executives from Opus will join a number of other figures from the wider printing industry, including Cheque Mates’ Rodney Frost, at 16 June event, which sees business leaders sleep rough to support St Vincent De Paul’s work with homelessness.

The team from the private equity-backed print group are Opus Print Group chief executive Cliff Brigstocke, executive chairman Richard Celarc, sales and marketing manager Carrick Wilkie, Ligare general manager Wayne Bywater and Canprint Communications general manager Sam Holden.

“To be honest, when I first did it last year I was more worried about myself, spending a night outside on a sheet of cardboard in the middle of winter. But compared to what homeless people go through it was absolutely nothing,” said Brigstocke.

“The night was both touching and eye-opening and it certainly shattered a few myths. I had the misconception that most homeless people were older men who had come into hard times, but the number of women and children on the streets is incredibly high.”

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Rodney Frost, chief executive of Sydney mailing house Cheque Mates, sits on the CEO Sleepout committee and has been taking part since the event was conceived three years ago.

He has predicted that 2011 will be the event’s biggest year for donations and is looking forward to participating.

“The event made me realise that we can make a difference,” said Frost.

“You get your soup and your bread, you hear from a couple of people from government who run you through some statistics, and tell us what we can do to help as community leaders.”

“Then you hear the stories from the people who have actually been homeless and it is incredibly moving,” added Frost.

Cactus Imaging Australia general manager Nigel Spicer has also got on board for the sleepout.

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