What positives are you able to draw on from the experiences of 2022?
The continued challenges we are having to deal with have made our team at Spectrum stronger in their resolve to help each other and for the good of the company. There seems to be more empathy with both our suppliers and customers in finding our way through the difficulties that we are all facing, more collaboration, now that has to be a positive!

What trend (business or technology) do you think has been accelerated because of
the impact of inflation?
AI, we are all looking for ways to reduce onerous labour content, to make ourselves more efficient without impacting on our teams. The digital revolution has totally taken hold, particularly during and since the pandemic. Even the toughest diehards (notice the Christmas link there) are finding it difficult not to use their mobiles for convenience and are keeping up with how the world is changing, including digital membership cards and card payments.  

What do you think will represent the single biggest opportunity for printers in 2023
and why?
Software and digital print. R&D was given the biggest green light ever known due to the lockdown. Forward thinking companies used that time to concentrate on plans that would have taken years to achieve and during 2022 have propelled digital print quality and technology, giving printers more opportunities to innovate with texture and finishes as well as direct marketing. This is a great time for printers to work with their customers exploring exciting ways to engage with the end users.

What are your hopes for 2023?
To be the trusted source for our customers, existing and new, on climate change knowledge versus biodegradable / recyclable materials. There is a lot of misinformation surrounding best practice on this subject but the rule of thumb should be to keep the item in use in the system for as long as possible, i.e. a pass that is only used for a day or two should be paper/board, a pass that will be used for a lifetime should be made of something more durable.

What piece of advice do you wish you had been given in December 2021 to prepare
you for the year you’ve just had?
I’m not sure there could have been any advice that would have prepared us for 2022. We knew that we had difficult times ahead, but on numerous occasions I’ve felt like the world has gone mad. As business owners we have no control over it, but have to deal with the fallout and keep the economy going.

What was your word or phrase of the year in 2022?
Let's crack on! With the crazy year we’ve all had it was the only thing we could do.

What’s your favourite Christmas cracker joke?
What is the best Christmas present in the world?

A broken drum….. you can’t beat it.