The Directors of thirteen of Intergraf’s members convened in Bordeaux, France, between 7 and 10 September 2019 for the annual Directors Conference.

Bringing the Directors together each year enables a productive exchange of views on challenges facing the industry, and the ways in which Intergraf and its members are solving them. It is also an opportunity to network and celebrate the printing and graphics industry in Europe.

One point of discussion was the scientifically proved advantages of reading on paper (EREAD). The research shows that when reading longer texts, for instance at school or university, a printed text facilitates superior comprehension and retention than reading from a screen. A fruitful exchange of ideas was held on how to promote these findings to ensure that the value and benefits of reading from a printed text is well recognised in an increasingly digital world.

The Directors also discussed the threat to unaddressed advertising in several European countries where governments or local authorities, in an attempt to reduce the amount of waste paper, are banning local businesses from reaching their local community through printed advertisements. Our members are working closely with their governments to find a fair solution to these concerns: one which does not unfairly disadvantage one method of advertising over another.

A number of policy issues were also discussed, such as the implementation of GDPR and extended producer responsibility schemes, to agree a common position for the industry. This is in order for Intergraf to continue promoting and protecting the interests of European printers when engaging with the EU institutions.

With the new EU parliamentary term and continuing economic and social change, ensuring a fair deal for this important, dynamic, and creative manufacturing industry is as important as ever.

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