We deliver herewith a series of articles, from designers, brand owners, printers, converters, journalists and influencers. We look forward to working together with experts, who enrich our drupa Essentials with fresh impulses, sound expertise and remarkable experience. All these articles will allow us to understand a world that has changed dramatically since the creation of drupa in 1951 and will continue to evolve. Different observations and perceptions of an industry seeking innovation in a fast-changing world. Give free rein to your instinct under the adage: “to each his own drupa".
Sean Smyth Dr Sean Smyth is a Senior Analyst & Consultant at Smithers. He is closely monitoring the digital transformation of the printing and packaging industry.
Sabine Slaughter Sabine Slaughter is a renowned international editor, consultant and journalist who for decades has monitored the transformation in the printing industry. She works in close relationship with printer manufacturers, brand owners and PSPs and has written thousands of articles, stories, related analysis in various trade magazines inspiring the entire industry.
Tim Sykes Tim Sykes is of Packaging Europe, one of the leading intelligence resources for European packaging professionals. Tim Sykes, brand director at Packaging Europe, explores the barriers that may be holding back the digital tide.
David Pittman David Pittman is the Editor of Digital Labels & Packaging. A respected B2B journalist, having accrued more than a decade of experience covering topics from construction materials and machinery, mobile telecommunications to learning and writing about package printing and converting. He was previously the Deputy Editor, Labels & Labeling.
Christophe Bossut Christophe Bossut is the co-founder of Argo, the fusion of Snap Press and Bear, since January 2019. Until 2019, Christophe Bossut was Deputy CEO of the Groupe Revue Fiduciaire. He is at the origin of the creation of the application "GRF +" Award Dataconnexion in 2015 – contest Etalab. He was President and Founder of Snap Press via Augmented Reality. In addition, Christophe Bossut is an advisory board member and teacher at the DigiSchool and Wemap school.
Ron Gilboa “Have passion, be positive, embrace new technologies, be open for partnerships and teamwork and care about genuinely resolving your client’s challenges”
Jean Poncet Jean Poncet is Editor-in-Chief of a range of titles, including: Etiq&Pack (France’s leading Printed Packaging magazine), S&E (the newspaper about Large Format), Pap'Argus (the monthly magazine about Paperboard), and Liquides & Conditionnement (the Liquid Food Container magazine).
Hadar Peled Vaissman Hadar Peled Vaissman is an independent international Art Director who helps brands to improve their communication mainly through customisation, personalisation and individualisation. She believes that these will elevate a company’s relevance in a digital world.
Pat McGrew “Before you write that check for a new workflow solution, do a self-assessment that starts with a walk through your workflow.”
“The need for workflow platforms will only intensify as the industry converges and analogue-heavy segments like packaging undergo further digital transformation. Now, you need to know how to combine print with other communication channels.”
“In the modern print shop, it is essential to be able to identify every cost associated with every job to ensure that margins are met.”
Silas Amos Silas Amos is a designer and design strategist. Much of the media he works with is packaging and his clients are typically marketing leaders and brand managers for big brands stocked in retail outlets. Over the past few years he has become convinced of the benefits of digital print in delivering a more creative and agile approach to how marketeers use the media of packaging.
Knud Wassermann, Graphische Revue "Thinking forward to drupa 2021 the question arises: what role will commercial and publishing printing play in the future? They will of course play a role, but in a very different way than today. To a great extent the future of commercial and publishing printing lies in ‘individualisation’"
Alvise Cavallari With a background in mechanical engineering, Alvise Cavallari spent nearly 20 years in the machine industry which is where he first discovered and fell in love with the fascinating world of packaging printing. He then moved from B2B to B2C, joining Nestlé R&D where he now heads Nestlé’s corporate digital printing programme as well as other related activities. In this role, he is a privileged observer of the ongoing technology trends and related business needs and opportunities.
Tiziano Polito, Emballages Magazine “Individual consumers are becoming more particular… They must be offered products that match their needs. […] This packaging production revolution will require packaging converters to review their entire supply-chain system.”
Isidore Leiser Isidore Leiser is CEO of Stratus Packaging, one of the leading European label converters using both conventional and digital technologies to transform the label industry.
Lorenzo Villa Lorenzo Villa is a Print Engineer and Publisher. From the late '90s Lorenzo has led print industry publications. He’s been co-founder and General Secretary of the EDP Association. From 2010 he started serving innovative manufacturers as management consultant, specializing in product & business development, being involved in a number of projects within graphics, textile and packaging. Together with his partner Gabriele Lo Surdo, in January 2015 he founded Density and acquired Italia Publishers.
Régis Thienard Régis is an inkjet specialist owning various inkjet patents and one of the JETVarnish inventors. He is a graphic industry specialist and consultant with a strong passion for printing and print-machine design
Ron Gilboa Ron Gilboa is a Group Director at Keypoint Intelligence—InfoTrends responsible for a team of seasoned professionals covering industry segments including print on demand, packaging, wide format printing, industrial printing as well as production workflow. He is responsible for conducting market research, market forecasting, custom consulting projects, strategy and planning engagements as well as creating editorial content for product and market analysis reports. Having spent the better part of a decade with Eastman Kodak Company, where he served in executive marketing roles, Ron rejoined InfoTrends in 2013.
Anja Roehrle Marketing & Communication Manager at DS Smith
“Digital pre-print opens a new era for brand protection and brand activation in e-commerce. Smart, digitally printed corrugated cardboard packaging solutions inform, entertain and network the shopper. They warn of product counterfeiting and guarantee transparency in shipment and traceability. All this is now possible not only for short, but also for medium and long print runs. Hence, there is almost a paradox: that of individualised mass production.”
Deborah Corn Deborah Corn has 25+ years of experience working in advertising as a Print Producer. She is the Intergalactic Ambassador to The Printerverse at Print Media Centr, a Print Buyerologist, international speaker and blogger, host of Podcasts from The Printerverse, cultivator of Print Production Professionals the #1 print group on LinkedIn, Girl in Charge at Girls Who Print, host of #PrintChat every Wednesday at 4PM ET on Twitter, the founder of International Print Day and the founder of #ProjectPeacock. She sits on the boards of the Advertising Production Club of NYC and The Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi.
Raphael Ducos As a journalist Raphael Ducos has witnessed the printing industry for decades. Today he operates as a freelancer. He was one of the first journalists to advocate for digital at a time where digital was the “print enemy”. He was right in many ways. Raphael has a talent to identify emerging industry trends – for instance, predicting the consolidation of the print service providers and the emergence of on-line printers. He is looking at things in a unique way, perhaps due to his educational background of holding a Master's degree in Philosophy.
