The IPIA has revealed the theme of and speakers for its 2023 Autumn Conference: Rising to the Challenge: Finding Opportunities to Grow and Thrive. The all-day event takes place on 31 August at The Manufacturing Technology Centre, Coventry.

Matthew Ruff, chair of the IPIA Events Subcommittee commented, ‘The theme for this year’s event encapsulates an issue that is at the very top of business leaders’ minds across the UK print industry: with so many obstacles to growth present in the market – ever-rising running costs, the legacy of significant market disruption, unstable demand and rapidly changing routes to market – how can I grow my business?

Rising to the Challenge will provide attendees with insights from print-service-providers and entrepreneurs that are successfully negotiating these hurdles – and which have not just identified growth opportunities – but are actively and successfully exploiting them.’

The speakers will include Lance Hill of Eight Days a Week Print Solutions, Anthony Rowell of Tradeprint, Elizabeth Bowerman of Stephen Austin, Pat Headley of Go Inspire and Mike Hughes of Latcham. More will be announced in the coming weeks.

The conference will also host a special interactive panel discussion entitled Business Growth – by luck or design? This will see an entrepreneurial panel of printers, agencies and finance experts discuss the question ‘is there a formula for business growth that can be identified? Or is it just down to being in the right place at the right time?’

A panel will also answer questions from the audience, providing views and expertise on what it takes to find opportunities and exploit them successfully. The panel will include Jamie Nelson of Compass Business Finance, Simon Cooper of Solopress, Lucy Swanston of Nutshell Creative, Anthony Thirlby of Culverlands Press, and Sarah Kilcoyne-Guilliam of Kingsbury Press.

The conference will also feature an Expo and Networking Hub, with networking opportunities throughout the day in between the talks, where print buyers, suppliers, manufacturers, and technology developers can mix and build new business prospects.

Tickets for IPIA/BAPC members are £85, while for non-members it’s £120, both inclusive of food and refreshments.