2024 Wide-Format Summit Takes Flight in Miami

The 2024 Wide-format Summit – now in its 4th year – kicked off this week at the JW Marriott Turnberry Resort and Spa, in Aventura, Florida, near Miami. The annual event brings together a roster of growth-minded wide-format business owners and top level managers seeking to chart their paths forward. The summit is presented by PRINTING United Alliance and Wide-format Impressions, and is supported by more than 40 sponsoring companies, including Keynote Sponsors Agfa, Canon, FUJIFILM, and HP.

Key Summit Takeaways: Day One

In welcoming Summit attendees, Steve Duccilli, group vice president with PRINTING United Alliance, said, "You reflect the diversity we see in wide-format segment today." With that quote, he highlighted that, in addition to companies with wide-format production at their core, attendees also included commercial printers, direct mailers, and others. This reflects the current, shifting dynamics of the segment, as well as the inherent opportunity within that change.

Market Dynamics Shaping the Future of Wide-format

Marco Boer, Vice President of IT Strategies

Following Duccilli's opening comments, Marco Boer, Vice President of IT Strategies took to the stage to discuss key trends that are driving industry growth, such as ERP software, high-touch programs, and specialty applications. Boer explained that while he's confident about sustainable long-term growth in the wide-format segment, print service providers need to get on board with these concepts in order to thrive in the segment. He explained that ERP software can help PSPs manage their inventory of substrates and inks, process workflows, and address issues.  According to Boer, ERP software "can make or break us."

Boer also said that as the wide-format market becomes more competitive, specialty applications like soft signage and wallpaper will help businesses stand out, as more commercial printers start to set their sights on wide-format when they seek new revenues for profit.

"These commercial vendors are hungry for new sources of revenue, and they're going to come in one way or another. And so with tools like ERP and high-touch programs, you have the opportunity to become a far more sophisticated business. That's going to be critical to your ability to survive and thrive in this industry," Boer said.

The Business Implications of New Technologies

(From right to left) Denise Gustavson David Dey, Nick Green, Craig Furst, and Dilo Wijesuriya

Following Boer's keynote, Denise Gustavson took the stage, along with David Dey, executive vice president of Color Dynamics; Nick Green, director of wide-format for AlphaGraphics; Craig Furst, CEO of A3 Visual; and Dilo Wijesuriya, president and CEO at ARC Document Solutions; to discuss the various factors that must be considered when investing in new wide-format printing equipment.

The panel was asked questions by reps from keynote sponsors Agfa, Canon, FUJIFULM and HP. The sponsor questions tackled how the panelists are addressing current challenges such as cost inflation and labor shortages; what are they doing to stay competitive; the biggest challenges they are facing today; whether or not they're implementing automation either in software or hardware; if sustainable initiatives have earned them new customers; and where they're investing or allocating resources/time spent in these current economic conditions.

Sustainability Drivers and Opportunity

(From right to left) Dan Marx, Leslee Barker, Brian Hite and Gary Jones

For the final session of the day, Dan Marx, content director for Wide-format Impressions, was joined by a panel comprised of Gary Jones, vice president, of environmental, health, and safety affairs for PRINTING United Alliance; Leslee Barker, director of graphic center operations at Miller Zell; and Brian Hite, co-founder of Image Options, to discuss the latest driving forces in sustainability, including regulatory initiatives, customer requirements, and business benefit.

The panel touched on topics such as the benefits of third-party sustainability programs like the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership (SGP), increasing government involvement in sustainability regulations, how sustainability can reduce operating costs, and whether the panelists feel as though it's their moral obligation to keep the planet in mind during daily operations.

About the Wide-Format Summit

The Wide-format Summit is a free, all-inclusive experience for qualified attendees – senior managers and business executives who want to understand how current and future wide-format printing technology, software and solutions will impact their business and investment decisions. This summit offers strategic-level insights into what printing industry leaders can do to improve and optimize their business.

For more information, visit wideformatsummit.com