IPIA to return to London with EPIC event

The Independent Print Industries Association (IPIA) has refocused its annual event for marketing professionals to boost its appeal and reach.

Previously known as Everything’s Possible in Print (EPIP), the event has been renamed Everything's Possible in Integrated Communications (EPIC) and will return to London’s Congress Centre, just off Oxford Street, on 3 July.

According to organisers, the day-long conference will see “top marketers, digital gurus and social thought leaders share their insights on integrated/cross channel communications”.

It promises to offer insights into how to build trust in campaigns, thought leadership from renowned marketers and industry leaders, tools to help with campaigns, and opportunities to network with peers.

IPIA chief executive Marian Stefani said: “We ran it as Everything’s Possible in Print for three conferences and we had a good response and a lot of brands in the room, but in the planning this year we went out to look at how we could extend that reach.

“What came back very clearly is that we were struggling more to get people to a print conference than we would if we had called it a marketing integration conference.

“So we still have the same message, but we have tried to grab the brand attention by putting in top marketing speakers, and those speakers will be pushing as hard as they can to champion the fact that print needs to be in the integrated marketing mix.

“The take-up from the brands has been exceptional already; we’ve probably got double the amount of top brands there and a lot of interest.”

This year’s keynote speakers are Peter Docker, co-author of Find Your Why, Karen Fraser, head of strategy at Credos/Advertising Association, and Mark Wright, founder of ClimbOnline and winner of BBC’s The Apprentice in 2014.

Other speakers will include REaD Group customer engagement director Scott Logie, Hashtag Ad founder Rupa Shah, Whistl managing director Mark Davies and Jon Birrrell, chief executive of the BPMA.

The all-day event will begin with registration from 8.30am and will finish at around 4.30pm. Lunch and snacks will be provided during the day and there will be a cocktail hour at the end of the conference.

EPIC 2019 is also staging ‘The Exchange’, an area open for breakfast, during the lunch break and for the cocktail hour that is dedicated to sharing the latest innovations and ideas for delegates looking for more inspiration. This area includes Ideas Village, a dedicated networking and learning zone.

“We’ve taken the decision to not have too many representatives from the print industry speaking on stage, but to expand the exhibition side,” said Stefani.

“So we’re hoping that the marketing gurus will inspire [delegates] and then they’ll go out into the exhibition area and be inspired to learn about print.”

She added: “We know that there has been a substantial amount of print ordered that wouldn’t have been ordered if people hadn’t attended our previous events.

“We’ve had several top brands come back to us to say that we had completely changed their thoughts about using print. We know that one of our members got their single largest order from the conference and it was a job that wouldn’t have been created at all if that person hadn’t attended the event.

“But we need industry support; we want the industry to buy tickets and attend with us because not only will they learn something, it is also the most significant event where they will be able to network with the brands, legitimately able to hold their own and talk about the value of what they do.”

For more information and to reserve your place, visit epicthinking.net.