The event will take place on 1 September at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), Coventry, with the theme ‘Print in Balance – Supporting People and our Planet’.

The networking conference will aim to address two key trends that are fundamental to the long-term growth of the UK print industry.

Firstly, how businesses can increase their environmental sustainability, ahead of significant changes to legislation in the next few years and rapidly changing print purchasing priorities.

And secondly, how to ensure they are protecting the productivity and health of their teams through implementing wellbeing practices at work.

A supplier expo will also run concurrently at the event. Exhibitors will include Antalis, BCR Associates, Canon, Duplo, Fujifilm, HP, Imprint MIS, Konica Minolta, printIQ, Tharstern, Vivid, Worksthing, Xerox, and Xmpie.

The IPIA said the collective support of its sponsors was indispensable, making the conference affordable and a much higher quality of experience for delegates.

“It’s becoming ever more critical that print businesses and our entire supply chain understand what it really means to be sustainable,” said Brendan Perring, general manager of the IPIA.

“The conference will seek to educate delegates and provide tangible tools to help them make informed decisions about how to reduce their carbon footprint, get ahead of impending government legislation and affect positive change within their organisation.”

He added the conference “seeks to guide delegates on decisions about sustainability that not only protect natural resources, but also make good business sense”.

On the wellbeing at work part of the event, the IPIA said the pandemic triggered a cultural shift in how people see their work/life balance and what motivates them and influences their productivity.

Another critical trend is how recruitment is also being significantly influenced, with the best talent increasingly weighing up a range of criteria in regards to their quality of life, not just how much they will get paid.

Speakers will therefore advise on how to create a healthy environment where workplace stress is reduced, productivity is increased, and employees feel valued and supported.

“The conference talks will help educate delegates in how to improve the wellbeing and happiness of their teams, because a happy team is a more productive team,” said Perring.

As with previous IPIA events, the conference will also provide networking opportunities throughout the day in between the talks – where print buyers, suppliers, manufacturers, and technology developers can mix and build new business prospects.

The Autumn Conference starts at 9am for early-bird networking, before the conference programme starts at 10am and concludes at 5pm. The full line-up of speakers will be announced in due course.

Tickets start from £66, including all food and refreshments, for IPIA/BAPC members while for non-members the ticket price is £95. They can be booked at: ipia.org.uk/ac.