The PrintNZ hosted event featured a range of speeches and workshops from both international and domestic speakers, various business meetings, an official dinner, and golfing and fishing events.

In her keynote conference address, PrintNZ chief executive Joan Grace said although the printing industry was facing a number of challenges, it had also achieved several successes this year. Ms Grace said apprentice numbers had risen five per cent, moves were being made to create a larger industry training organisation with the journalists’ organisation, and more government money than ever before had been granted to training. Additionally, a new marketing strategy had been developed to help plot the future for the industry as a whole.

PrintNZ membership services manager Ruth Cobb said the speeches and workshops had been very well received.

“The keynote speakers have made excellent presentations about what companies have to do to move forward in the industry,” said Ms Cobb. “That’s around competitive advantage and looking for specialisation markets, staying on top of things – – you can’t continue to be the same printing company that you have been if you want to move forward.”

Ms Cobb said she had also received feedback from delegates that this year’s event was “the best one yet”. “As you have each conference, the networking opportunities are greater. People are remembered from the last time and the time before that, so it allows them to talk to a much broader range of the industry than they would normally be exposed to.”

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