W2P at Print 09

It never ceases to amaze me how few Europeans visit the US trade shows like Print 09, despite the fact that, particularly for residents of the UK, the cost of travel and accommodation is relatively low. Having said that, there weren't that many American visitors in evidence either, although I suspect that was more because companies only sent one representative instead of the usual 2, 3 or 4 people. I was there on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, the latter being the busiest day.

What made the trip extremely worthwhile from my perspective was the opportunity to spend time with the movers and shakers of the Web-to-Print world. These are the people who are helping to shape the future of the Printing Industry as it moves inexorably into the brave new world of multi-channel communications. There are some Printing businesses out there that are doing great things with W2P and making very good money but they are not telling the rest of the Printing Industry what they are doing. Why should they? If you hit on a rich seam of profitability would you tell everybody where it was? Of course not! The W2P vendors know who's doing what with their applications and whilst they're probably not allowed to say exactly, they have amassed a huge knowledge base of how and why certain markets, applications and methodologies work better than others. This isn't stuff you can put in a brochure or a webinar, this is deep stuff that requires detailed discussion and analysis; the sort you can only do face to face. When this kind of intimate knowledge is available in one place, from all the key vendors and in an environment which lends itself so well to this sort of research, the Printing Industry has no excuse if it misses this particular boat.

The next big global exhibition is Ipex in May 2010 in Birmingham, UK. Hopefully, by then, any green shoots of recovery will have taken proper root and Printers with a realistic business plan will be able to raise money once again. I, for one, do not believe that any business plan would be complete without some form of online strategy. I know that this view is also shared by many of the lenders. It isn't rocket science to realise that the world of communication media is changing rapidly and that that change is taking place online. Print has its place in the mix but unless you can demonstrate where that place is now, and how it might change over time, it's unlikely anyone is going to invest in your operation. Recognising that long-run general commercial litho is in trouble (I heard a marketer say 'brochures often don't work any more') I have a phrase I use to describe the current state of play:

'Print is not dead, nor is it dying; it's use, however, is evolving in more ways, and more quickly, than the Printing Industry anticipated'

It's such a shame that when events like Print 09 offer such a great opportunity to learn, those that need it most stay away in their droves.

Now is the time to take your business online.

www.w2p.co.uk