The seventh edition of C!Print Madrid, the exhibition for professionals in graphics, visual communication and personalisation, which is organised every year by 656 Édition, is already underway. At ID GAMAX we wanted to chat with its director, Pierre Mirlit, to find out about his background, experience and current vision of the personalised promotional gift sector and the printing industry and, of course, to discover what this new edition has in store for us.
In 2018, Pierre Mirlit assumed the management of 656 Éditions, after a long career linked to the business of events. Four years later, he tells us: “Our aim was to diversify the industries we serve. And in 4 years, we have developed new fairs dedicated to new technologies for the digital transformation of companies. And this has been done without sacrificing the quality of the services we provide to the sectors we traditionally collaborate with, in the field of promotional items and the printing industry. We have also developed new activities to promote our customers and partners, such as C!Print l’Agence, which helps our customers to work in new lead channels, especially through digital technology”.
He adds: “The COVID-19 crisis has had a big impact on many of our activities and, by being agile and cohesive with our markets, we have been able to identify new opportunities to further support the markets we work with. The fairs business model has faced a big challenge during the crisis. But as 656 Editions is a publishing company, we don’t think like traditional fair organisers”.
As Mirlit points out: “Now more than ever, our aim is to support the sectors and markets in which we are positioned, in all areas that can help them to increase their business. This means, of course, holding trade fairs, as face-to-face meetings are essential. But it also means reinforcing the content and expertise we bring to these sectors, which demonstrates our sincere interest in what our customers are going through. To do that, the media and magazines we publish bring original content to our customers, which I hope will inspire them”.
“Therefore, our goals are to continue to encourage the communities we are honoured to help. And through the creation of new products, especially for events, but also press or digital elements, both in Spain and France, as well as in the rest of Europe, to find potential customers and clients for our partners, so that their businesses can be strengthened.“
The next three days will see a new edition of C!Print Madrid, one of Europe’s leading trade fairs for print, visual communication and personalisation. Pierre says enthusiastically: “We are particularly enthusiastic: “We are looking forward to meeting the Iberian market players again after two years without having been able to organise C!Print Madrid! Fortunately, we have not been disconnected from the industry, as we have been committed to support the professionals with various initiatives: with our monthly newsletters and the C!Prints days, which allowed us to be in touch with the market in 2020 and 2021! We have several new features that we have already announced. Visitors will be able to discover 2 new spaces: Co x Crea, an exhibition space for innovative applications of printing technologies, and C!Wrap, the covering competition”.
C!Print has been committed since its inception to build an event in line with the expectations of the market, one that responds to its needs and allows business to be done in optimal conditions. And from that perspective, in terms of market expectations and needs, Pierre says: “I am convinced that the industry today is looking for an event that allows them to meet as many exhibitors as possible to see the latest innovations in printing, personalisation and finishing, but also a place to meet after this hectic period. True to form, the C!Print programme includes a series of testimonials to help understand market developments and technical workshops to test new printing technologies. The Plug&Play creative space becomes the personalisation café: in a cosy atmosphere that recreates the universe of a Café́, the object and textile personalisation corners will offer a complete overview of the marking solutions available. Around 10 brands of printing material on clothing or objects will showcase their latest solutions!”
When asked about the main challenges currently facing the advertising object sector and the players involved in the promotional market, Pierre Mirlit says: “Even before the COVID crisis, there was already talk of major trends, but the challenges inherent in these trends have continued to multiply with the crisis. This is the case of sustainable development. One of the challenges, beyond the regulatory issues, is an obligation of transparency and responsibility in the face of environmental and social problems: an advertising object must be sustainable in its use, and responsible in its design, production and lifespan. The importance of digitalisation is nothing new for retailers. But we are now seeing other players, marketplaces and e-commerce platforms gaining market share. The arrival of print-on-demand retailers for personalised products is a new challenge for the mainstream market. To differentiate ourselves, it is necessary to develop real customer loyalty and continuous innovation. Finally, in this period of crisis and absence of physical meetings, advertisers’ budgets have sometimes been reallocated to the detriment of the advertising item. We have to help our clients recover the demand that existed before the pandemic“.
It is a fact that digitalisation is here to stay, also in the world of printing technologies. Moreover, the advertising object industry, like so many others, has seen a further acceleration in its digitalisation processes in the wake of the pandemic. On whether digital systems and processes can coexist with more traditional ones, the director of 656 Éditions says: “Each printing technology has its own advantages and disadvantages. In the field of marking, we see every year the technical improvements offered by digital printing and especially direct digital printing on textiles. However, many customers prefer screen printing or embroidery, which are more traditional techniques with different effects. At 656 Editions, we believe that complementarity is the key to strength: for example, digital can enrich an offer of more traditional techniques for smaller series“.
The personalisation of products and services is a differential value that all brands today want to offer their audiences in order to establish new emotional links that help to reinforce their relationships in a positive way. On the increasing number of personalisation solutions on offer in the sector, Pierr explains: “Many importers and manufacturers of advertising and textile products are now offering a personalisation service. Convinced that print-on-demand can help retailers to add an additional service to their offering and remain attractive, numerous platforms have emerged among suppliers in the last few years, and with a bang during the COVID crisis. The number of marking solutions may have evolved, but above all, access to these customisation techniques has become easier and more obvious“.
Before concluding, we would like to ask Pierre how the sector is facing the challenge of sustainability: “The public’s demand for transparency is leading the players in the communication by object market to show their willingness to be more transparent about their practices by offering increasingly responsible products. In return, these actions generate stricter obligations than usual and their conduct must be exemplary and proven. Talking creates obligations“.
In the face of this paradigm shift, Mirlit states that “professionals in the field of communication through the object have no choice but to bring about a revolution. There is an obligation of transparency and responsibility in the face of environmental and corporate challenges, and we must respond collectively, in the framework of a constructive dialogue with all stakeholders (advertisers, agencies, event professionals, legislators, etc.). In France, the professional association 2FPCO is particularly involved in this issue, and is implementing measures and recommendations to protect the brands of advertisers who rely on distributors, the people who use the products distributed, so that everyone is aware of their impact on the planet“.
An innovative and dynamic show that we can enjoy until 28 April, which every year brings together the main players in the visual communication, printing and personalisation sector, as well as the new members of a constantly growing market such as the creative industries, with the aim of doing business, expanding the client portfolio, networking, showing their innovations and taking the pulse of the state of the sector.