Constellations of Collaboration: Looking Back on FuturePrint Valencia

Our Packaging, Labels & DTS Summit brought 150 people from more than ten countries to the Valencia Marina. What stayed with us most was the connections between them.

Collaboration was a common theme at last week's FuturePrint Packaging, Labels & DTS Summit in Valencia, and the event itself was our best yet. Around 150 participants from more than ten countries came together at BaseOne, beside the Valencia Marina, and the format, venue and programme worked almost perfectly.

We opened with "A New Operating System", a call to action for leaders to focus on what we can control: how we lead, collaborate and innovate. In a world awash with technology, we suggested celebrating a different kind of AI, and the greatest power any of us has: actual intelligence.

Day one was about leadership and strategy, with sessions on innovation, trends and some honest talk about where the industry stands. Day two got into the detail of technology and integration, with technical talks and case studies. We're proud of the speakers and the content, and both were very well received.

A framework built together

Day one was also when we launched The Implementation Framework for More Sustainable Print, a project we were glad to be part of. It showed what happens when a lot of people pull in the same direction, and it was good to see it out in the world.

Constellations

Looking back, what stands out is less any single session than the links between them. Each conversation was another point of light, and as they added up, a pattern started to form. A single chat leads to the next, and the next, until a constellation of opportunities begins to appear.

A big part of what FuturePrint does is connect the businesses building new technology with the businesses adopting it, and that's easiest to see when everyone is in the same room. Our events are designed to be playful, inspiring opportunities to network and connect, and Valencia was a good example.

The conversations ran in every direction. Some were with people we've known for more than a decade, some with people we've met only a handful of times, and some with people we were meeting for the first time. They covered everything from the detailed challenges in someone's business to organising a padel game next time, or meeting in Fuerteventura to share a love of windsurfing. One, over a beer, was about family life. That's the beauty of a print show: not every conversation is about print, and those are often the ones that build the strongest connections.

Global Inkjet Systems (GIS) added to the atmosphere with a rooftop party on the evening of day one, celebrating its 20th anniversary. Paella and cava on a rooftop was a lovely way to end a full day, and exactly the sort of setting where the best conversations come easily.

What we take away

Those conversations are also how we learn. Hearing first-hand what is happening in people's businesses, where the pressure is coming from and what they hope to solve gives us a better understanding of the industry than we could get anywhere else. It shows us what we could do better, and what we do well enough to do more of. We're a small, agile team, so we can act on what we hear quickly.

There's also a side of running an event that we enjoy just as much. After plenty of FuturePrint events, the build-up, the adrenaline and the problems that need solving on the spot still give us the same buzz. Issues always arise, and how they're handled is often what gives the greatest sense of achievement. Mostly, though, it's seeing a room full of people who are there because of what the team has built together.

Then comes the comedown. After so long organising an event, it's suddenly over, a bit like the blues after a holiday. Luckily, the next date is already in the diary.

What's next

The Summit returns for a fourth edition next year, and before that we'll be at Motorworld in Munich for FuturePrint Industrial Print on 11 and 12 May 2027. We'd love to see most of the people we spent last week with there, so we can carry on the conversations and keep learning from each other.

None of this happens without the FuturePrint team and the commitment of our partners. Nothing ever happens in isolation, and collaboration always wins. Thank you to everyone who spoke, partnered and took part. The picture only works with all of you in it.