Print Leaders Forum: Investing in the future

An excerpt from AP March 2020 Print Leaders Forum – by Visual Connections president Mitch Mulligan 

As it happens, the state of the industry is something which has been on the minds of the Visual Connections Board and its management team for some months, with analysis from PrintEx 19, Visual Impact and Label & Packaging Expo shows still underway, and the company completing its first-ever survey of industry players in Q4 last year.

The survey, which canvassed topics as diverse as trade shows, networking, industry challenges and what constitutes the ‘value’ in association membership has already identified some notable trends.

We are still working through the survey results and translating them into meaningful action, of course, but we already have an interesting ‘snapshot’ of the prevalent moods, attitudes and opportunities for the industry and for us as an organisation, and we are looking forward to what we can learn from this information to inform our activities this year and into the future.

Meanwhile, the organisation continues to invest in the future of the industry, with its share of the profits from the recent PrintEx, Visual Impact and Label & Packaging Expos already flowing through to fund education programs being run by The Real Media Collective (TRMC), the Australian Sign & Graphics Association (ASGA) and the Flexible Packaging and Label Makers’ Association (FPLMA).

Our mandate has always been to contribute to a sustainable future for our sector, and education and training are one of the most fundamental pillars in achieving that goal. In fact, we can think of no more important investment than that which we make in the young people who are the future of our industry.

Visual Connections invests hundreds of thousands of dollars in education and training initiatives each year, also supporting initiatives like Re-Engineering Australia (REA)’s F1 in Schools program, the Australian Schools Industry Partnership (AusSIP) which helps connect students with work opportunities, and by working closely with RTOs like Holmesglen TAFE on the design and delivery of their training programs.

Through our education liaison team, we are also running work inspiration classes for years 9 and 10 students, as well as for Careers Advisors, which include practical workshops and on-site visits to both manufacturers and suppliers, to illustrate the diversity of opportunities available for interesting, exciting, long-term careers in the broader sector. This commitment to supporting a sustainable future for the industry through education is also reflected in its ongoing sponsorship of the LIA/Heidelberg Graduate of the Year and Future Leader Awards.

We’ve been delighted recently to be in touch with the 2019 winner, Jonathan Pitt from Multicolor Corporation in South Australia.

Like those already mentioned, many initiatives are run in cooperation with other industry organisations – something that is testament to the collaborative approach of Visual Connections and the alignment of values across most industry associations when it comes to supporting projects that further the interests of the industry.

Visual Connections co-hosts PacPrint and PrintEx with the PVCA, we have representation on the executive of TRMC, and enjoy close working relationships with the ASGA and FESPA Australia in the sign and display industry, the FPLMA in the label and packaging space, and regularly collaborate with PrintNZ on projects which ‘cross the ditch’.

Visual Connections, perhaps uniquely among these organisations, has truly international reach and resources, with many of its members the Australian arm of the industry’s global behemoths.

We are fortunate that our members not only have their fingers very firmly on the pulse of the industry locally, but are driving the vast majority of the innovation which is equipping our industry for the future.

With their continued leadership, the information we have gathered from this survey, and our ongoing communication with the industry, we are well informed and equipped to satisfy our mandate to contribute to a sustainable future through education, exhibitions, sponsorships, grants, networking and all our other activities.

We are looking forward to the opportunities ahead, and to introducing some new and exciting initiatives in 2020 and beyond.

 

This article was written prior to the impact of COVID-19. The digital version of AP March 2020 is available here.

And as part of AP’s 70 anniversary, we’re pulling together a list of 70 local industry pioneers – you can make your nominations here.

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