Sign & Digital UK, the country’s leading trade exhibition for the sign making, display solutions and digital printing industry, today announces the Business Theatre lineup for its 30th anniversary event.
The exhibition returns to the NEC Birmingham from 28 to 30 March 2017 and the full programme of seminars can be viewed on the Sign & Digital UK website.
This year’s Business Theatre will host an extensive programme of free daily seminars, workshops and case studies, identifying new revenue opportunities for business owners looking to expand and improve their services for the year ahead.
Session topics range from practical ways to grow your business, funding options for the purchase of capital equipment, benefits and practicalities of being a franchisee and how to make the apprenticeship levy work for your company.
The programme will also look at new areas for product diversification, including wide format printing, soft signage and pop-up retail.
Session highlights include ‘More money, more customers, more focus’, exploring how business owners can differentiate themselves in a competitive market and add value to customers. Chaired by Colin Gilman, editor, Graphic Display World, expert panelists include James Priest, managing director of Assured Systems and Tony Kenton, strategy specialist for It Has To Be Brilliant.
The ‘Where are the opportunities in wide format?’ session will discuss the current and future mix of applications available for people looking to forge a path in wide format printing. Combining real world insight and advice from experts working in the industry, current panelists include Ed Currer, founder of Vinyl Impressions, Robert Long, managing director of Kingswood iOptus and Richard McCombe, managing director of Matic Media and will be chaired by Barney Cox, editor, Digital Printer.
Opportunities for business diversification will be explored further in the session ‘Business Diversification: temporary pop-up and retail structures’. Run in association with the Shop and Display Equipment Association (SDEA), it will be chaired by its director Antony Behiels and includes industry experts from Unibox and Tecna UK. The session will examine how companies can benefit from this growing market by diversifying into the production of temporary or seasonal short term retail structures and displays.
Another new seminar for 2017, ‘Business Diversification: soft signage’ will explore how companies can get into this rapidly growing sector and will explore investment strategies, how to use existing equipment, floor space planning and the skills necessary for finishing. Presented by Grafenia, this session is ideal for businesses looking to understand the benefits of trade supply.
For those visitors looking for inspiration to grow and develop their business, then the seminar ‘A toolkit for growing your business’ presented by Ed Currer, Founder, Vinyl Impression and Frazer Chesterman, Co-Founder, InPrint & FM Brooksis a must-attend.
David Catanach from the BSGA will return to update visitors on the standards and regulations surrounding sign design and construction, as well as a session on the sign maker’s obligations under planning law.
Other seminar topics include the ‘Accessing equipment to build your business – what are the options? from Paragon Bank,‘Cover maintenance & service contract agreements’ from RolandCare; ‘Making the apprenticeship levy work for you’ presented by Charles Jarrold, chief executive of BPIF, and ‘An investment in knowledge pays the best interest’ presents an overview of training options available for businesses, delivered by Joe Wigzell, academy and creative centre manager for Roland DG.
As digital signage continues to take market share, a panel of experts including Tech Resource and Michael Gietzen, managing director, Identity Group will take a look at ‘Where physical meets digital’ providing an insight into the opportunities for growth.
Rudi Blackett, event director for Sign & Digital UK said: “In difficult and uncertain economic times, business owners need to be more prepared than ever to diversify their product range and explore new areas of revenue. For our 30th anniversary year, we have developed a line-up of practical sessions that are all about providing inspiration and practical advice for anyone looking to expand and improve their services for the year ahead.”
Sign & Digital UK 2017 takes place at the NEC, Birmingham from 28 to 30 March 2017 and is free to attend for visitors. To enquire about exhibiting please contact the show team on 01342 332 000, email signanddigitaluk@fav-house.com or pre-register as a visitor at www.signanddigitaluk.com.
