The event, which was held at the Honorary Artillery Company in central London, attracted over 20 guests from marketing agencies. HP hosted the event as it believes that it can drive business to print service providers by raising awareness of what can be done through digital printing.

Ogilvy & Mather creative services director Duncan Stokes and Intimis director Mathew Mills were among two marketers making presentations on how they used digital print for campaigns through HP. Both added that digital print campaigns have resulted in printers becoming more involved at an earlier stage.

"What we have found is that since the switch to digital, the printer has moved up the food chain. You need to work with the guy who is running the press to get it right," said Mills. Stokes said that his agency worked closely with three printers with HP digital equipment London Digital, SR Communications, and Screen and Colour.

"From an agency point of view, you can do more interesting and targeted campaigns with variable data. The conventional middle ground runs are being squeezed more and more as digital offers a more tailored message for audiences," he said.

SR Communications recently added to its digital stable by purchasing a second HP Indigo 3050 and is set to make further investments in the digital field. Managing director John Burbidge said that direct mail campaigns will increasingly incorporate digital technology (See Direct Mail feature, page 24).

Last week Intimis claimed that its mass individualisation service would open the floodgates for high volume digital print (PrintWeek, 27 May).

Story by Philip Chadwick