Join Lesley Simpson, Editor, Image Reports in a video interview with Lawrence Green, MD, Greens the Signmakers Part of the Over to you… series, sponsored by HP

Welcome to the 2021 Widthwise Sponsors round table discussion on the state of the large-format print sector here in the UK. Lesley Simpson speaks with the Widthwise sponsors, for a suppliers’ perspective. Discussion topics:

0:00 Welcome to the 2021 Widthwise Sponsors round table

1:58 Firstly, how would you describe the state of the wide-format printing market in the UK over the past year?

6:23 The 2021 Widthwise survey shows that the cost of supplies is a primary concern for print service providers. What have the cost pressures been like for you? Have you raised prices? And do you expect the pressures on supply chains, costs and prices to change in the year ahead?

13:53 With the climate change conference coming up in Glasgow, eco-sustainability is a more important issue than ever. How are you ‘greening-up’ your own business?

23:13 Where do you think the sector as a whole needs to be making more/quicker ecological advances?

29:53 Many wide-format print service providers think that the major technological breakthroughs have already happened in their sector. Do you agree?

34:31 How would you describe the outlook for the wide-format printing market in the UK over the coming year? Do you expect the sector to quickly bounce back to pre-pandemic levels here?

Welcome to the 2021 Widthwise round table discussion on the state of the large format print sector here in the UK. Lesley Simpson talks to some of the industry’s chief players for their grassroots take on how the sector is meeting the demands of what is a ‘great reset’ - and to consider the challenges and opportunities ahead.

00:00 Welcome to the 2021 Widthwise round table discussion

3:28 How have things been for your business?

8:15 What do you see now as the key challenges (for your business - and the sector as a whole)?

13:10 What’s your chief focus?

18:40 To what extend are you diversifying?

29:08 Around one in ten of those polled said acquisition and merger was a priority for 2021/22. We’ve seen relatively few so far. What do you think about the changing shape of the WF sector over the next couple of years?

34:40 We hear constantly about the opportunities in vertical markets such as interior décor, textiles, and various ‘industrial printing’ applications, but according to our data UK-based PSPs in this sector are hardly falling over themselves to invest in them. What’s your take on that?

39:59 We are also often reminded that this sector needs to embrace W2P more rapidly than our data suggests. What are your feelings about W2P right now?

47:56 Investment in new technology in general is pretty flat. Are you spending, and if so where and why?

55:55 With all the net zero pledges now being made publicly, the environment has become a crucial focus. Where does this sector need to focus its attention to become a greener part of the whole value chain?

1:03:40 How optimistic, or not, are you now about your own business – and for the large-format print sector in the UK?

Join Lesley Simpson, Editor of Image Reports in a video interview with Peter Nicholls, Managing Director, JKN Digital. Part of the Over to you… series, sponsored by HP.