Addressing the opening day of the two-day conference, Dr Ronnie Davis, vice-president and chief economist at Printing Industries of America, said he believed demand for print would still grow even if the most pessimistic economic forecasts turned out to be correct.

"There is a lot of opportunity left in the printing industry," Davis said. "We are in the middle of very, very difficult times in global economy, but I have optimistic views about the future."

He said that in order to increase profits, companies should develop a specialty in either a certain type of printing or a specific market area. "Become a diversified, specialist printer," he stated. "By that I mean specialise but add ancillary added-value services around your specialisation.

"The key to survival is not to get bigger, but get better," he added.

Aptly, Davis was followed onto the stage by St Ives group sales development director Debbie Nedza who explained how the group had changed its offering to services beyond print manufacturing, and how this has completely transformed its relationship with customers.

"When I started in sales it was all about getting the volume in. Now we are talking to clients about how we can produce and print less for them, but do it more effectively," she said.