The federation’s All Party Parliamentary Print Group reception was attended by more than 170 people, including BPIF members, Unite officials, MPs and representatives of the House of Lords.
Lord Neill of Clackmannan addressed the group, and described the printing industry as “a hidden jewel”.
Infographics highlighted the power of printed communications in creating trust in democracy, with the BPIF noting that the voter turnout for the recent Police Commissioner elections, where no printed information was sent to people’s home addresses, was just 15%.
“The lack of print significantly impacted participation,” Woodward stated. “People want something very simple – to be able to read important messages in their own homes, in a way that is clear and honest.”
She highlighted the challenges of a fragmented media marketplace, and said: “Some of the big boys in marketing don’t know which media to choose to get their message across.
“Direct mail was deserted in favour of unproven, cheaper routes to market, and this has been exposed and found out.”
Woodward said she had detected “a new level of excitement” in the industry.
“I see innovation everywhere,” she added, and at the same time urged printers to help SME clients simplify their marketing plans. “We [printers] can de-myth the big data mythology and make cross-media work for our clients.”
The House of Lords event followed the BPIF’s AGM, where its accounts for the year to 31 March 2014 were presented.
Total income slipped 4.5% to £4.98m, while the BPIF’s pre-tax surplus (before pension costs) increased from £96,000 to £345,000.
Within total operating income, subscription income slipped slightly, from £2.26m to £2.24m, while training income jumped 31% year-on-year to £1.26m.
The federation’s pension scheme has a £4.3m deficit according to the latest actuarial valuation in March 2013, and the pension liability on its balance sheet increased again, to just over £2m from £1.8m in the period.
Hopes that a VAT rebate from HMRC of as much as £6m would clear the deficit were dashed when the tribunal ruled against the BPIF. The federation had wanted to be viewed in the same way as a trade union, which would make it exempt from paying VAT on membership subscriptions.
At the AGM, president Tony Garnish, chief executive at ASG Europe, said: “I am delighted to report that we have had a strong financial year, and whilst we were disappointed that HMRC did not uphold our longstanding VAT claim and our pensions deficit is still a challenge, we have been able to increase our financial stability with no reduction in the delivery of our prime objectives of being a voice for the industry, creating vital networking and knowledge transfer opportunities, supporting our members through our services, and using our joint purchasing capabilities to offer competitive industry-tailored products.”
The BPIF made a payment of £146,000 into the pension scheme over the period, as part of a repayment plant to clear the deficit over the next 24 years.
