The Gaucho restaurant in Birmingham was packed last Friday (May 20th) for the Independent Print Industry Association’s (IPIA) first in-person event of 2022 – highlighting a rebound in business activity for the sector.
More than 100 print industry representatives, agencies, suppliers, printers and print buyers attended the lunch, setting a very high benchmark for future events.
“The Spring Networking Lunch epitomised the value of face-to-face networking. You cannot underestimate the power of human connection, especially within a community as welcoming as the IPIA. New perspectives, generating ideas, exchanging information on challenges and lots of inspiration thrown in,” says Lucy Swanston, Chair of the IPIA Events Subcommittee and Managing Director of Nutshell Creative.
Head of Data at Royal Mail, Paul Davison, presented to guests about MarketReach’s recently released report, Building Relationships with Customer Mail, which is packed with rich insights into how mail can help transform customer experience (CX). He reflected that mail is an incredibly powerful brand touchpoint, trusted and valued by consumers, which delivers tangible financial outcomes to businesses and is proven to build all-important customer relationships.
Commenting on the very significant industry turnout, President of the IPIA and Managing Director of PMG, Mike Roberts, commented: “If there was any doubt that our sector wanted to network, then this event dispels it and proves that the appetite is very much there. With the credibility of the IPIA at an all-time high, it was fabulous to be in such a fantastic venue as Gaucho and watch members doing what they do best; networking and generating new business.”
Mike expressed huge thanks to all the IPIA’s sponsors for their ongoing support and paid tribute to the Association’s executive team of General Manager Brendan Perring, Marketing and Events Manager Sharron Mahony and Membership Manager Natalie Evans.
Sharron highlighted that this was “the IPIA’s best attended lunch event to date”, adding that the room was ‘buzzing.” Sharron also reported that new member, BCR Associates, had fed back how much camaraderie there was in the room, adding: “That is music to my ears, especially as that is exactly what the IPIA works hard to foster; relationships.”
Graeme Smith, Chairman of the IPIA and Managing Director of Cyan Group, agreed it was great to see so many new faces, as well as catch up with industry friends and he looked forward to the next event – which will be the IPIA Conference on September 1st at the Coventry Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC).
The IPIA’s online print networking morning, The Big Breakfast, also continues to attract a vibrant following – with the next one scheduled for July 6th, where one lucky attendant could win a luxury Rick Stein hamper.
www.ipia.org
