1. What do you believe will be greatest opportunities for printers to grow their businesses in 2008?
I believe that three things will make up the best opportunities for business growth in 2008. By using a combination of the power of the internet, variable data, and integrated marketing ideas, printers will be able to add value to their customers' businesses. This, in turn, will help them to sell more print and services. The second way in which they can grow their business is to get the right pieces of the puzzle in place by hiring the best people. The third is respecting the environmental trends in the industry and capitalising on this opportunity for change.

2. What will be the greatest threat to your sector in 2008?
In 2008, raw material costs, such as aluminium and oil, will continue to rise. This continues to be a threat to the print sector.

3. How can the industry raise its profile next year?
To raise the profile of the industry, I think we must start reaching out to university graduates and young business leaders, attracting them to our industry and selling the business to a new generation of potential print community members.

4. What do you believe is the most under-recognised aspect in printing that is likely to become more important in 2008?
The sheer power of print. Although being the fourth-largest manufacturing business in the UK, print is not recognised as this. Technologies being developed will continue to show that print can be a part of any company's integrated marketing plans.

5. Which print sectors do you believe will experience the greatest innovation next year?
Each sector has changes occurring due to technology evolution. Drupa will highlight some new trends around the impact of volume application of digital inkjet technology in a market where today offset is unchallenged. This will definitely be an interesting area to watch throughout 2008.

6. What should the print industry do when it gets back to work after the holidays?
We should all focus on meeting customer's needs in terms of value creation and efficiencies – helping our customers build strategies to win contracts in the current climate and create growth for their businesses. This should take the place of the pound purchasing-driven behaviour that we have seen throughout the last year.

7. If the government stepped in and did one thing to help the industry, what would you hope that would be?
I think we would benefit from less intervention from the government across the board. Privatised market responsive companies solve trends and problems better than governments. I do think it should provide funding for education to allow a high level of technical and business training for the manufacturing industry.

8. What will you do differently in 2008?
Play more golf in Scotland?