FuturePrint PodFEST 2026: A Beautiful Conversation? The Rest is Print…

Podcasts have become one of the defining media formats of our time.

Having recorded more than 340 FuturePrint Podcast episodes, one of the questions I often ask guests is whether they listen to podcasts themselves. Unsurprisingly, very few say no. Such is the proliferation of podcasting that there is now almost certainly a podcast for every conceivable interest, hobby, profession, sport, industry, or passion. Whatever subject you want to explore more deeply, someone, somewhere, is talking about it.

While this is a new reality, podcasts have undoubtedly exceeded expectations.

Not so long ago, marketers talked about the "long tail" of demand - the idea that niche audiences, when aggregated, could become incredibly powerful, and even more influential than the mainstream media. Podcasts' success aligns with that principle perfectly. It has enabled experts, enthusiasts, journalists, entrepreneurs, and businesses to build highly engaged communities around topics that traditional media often overlooked, not because they were not important, but because mainstream media, defined by huge eyeball numbers and a mostly commercial focus, just lacked the focus, knowledge, and the time.

The impact is now measurable too. Research suggests that 59% of B2B decision-makers listen to podcasts during working hours, underlining the extent to which podcasts have evolved from a leisure activity into a professional learning and information channel. Podcast audiences also tend to be highly educated, influential and professionally active, making them particularly attractive for specialist markets such as print, packaging and manufacturing.

One of the most striking examples of Podcast growth is Goalhanger, the media company co-founded by former England football captain and broadcaster Gary Lineker. In a remarkably short period of time, Goalhanger has launched a portfolio of hugely successful podcasts spanning sport, current affairs, history, entertainment, politics and military intelligence. What began as a podcast business has rapidly evolved into a significant media enterprise.

Its success is now extending beyond audio. During the FIFA World Cup, Netflix is hosting ‘The Rest is Football’, a special Goalhanger series filmed live from New York. The concept is simple. The programme does not feature footballers playing football. Instead, it features informed, interesting and entertaining people talking about football.

The format works brilliantly. Partly because it is filmed. Mostly because it creates the perfect backdrop for something increasingly valuable: conversation. A conversation about the beautiful game during arguably the biggest sporting event on the planet.

Inspired by the format, and the growing influence of podcasting, we decided not to be left out.

Earlier this year, FuturePrint launched PodFEST.

The concept is equally simple. Having built momentum through more than 340 podcast episodes and over 40,000 downloads, we wanted to bring the FuturePrint Podcast to life on film and create a dedicated space for deeper industry conversations.

This week, more than 30 thought leaders, innovators, business leaders and industry experts will gather at the Century Club in London's West End to record nine separate discussions covering some of the most important topics shaping the future of print.

The conversations will range from commercial print to industrial inkjet printing, from emerging leadership talent to the ever-present topic of artificial intelligence, and from sustainability to the opportunities and challenges facing our industry in the years ahead.

The objective is not complicated.

We simply want to create thoughtful, useful, inspiring and perhaps even ‘beautiful’ conversations.

Not about football. But about print in all its wonderful forms.

Over the coming months, these discussions will be edited, produced and shared with the FuturePrint community, with content beginning to roll out in September and continuing through to the end of the year.

Looking back on the growth of the FuturePrint Podcast, one lesson stands out above all others.

Podcasts work because they are people first and technology second.

The technology enables the conversation, but it is the people, their experiences, ideas, perspectives and stories, that create value.

Research into podcast audiences consistently highlights the trust-building power of the format. Listeners report higher levels of engagement, recall and trust than many other forms of digital media. Perhaps this is because podcasts allow people the time and space to explain not only what they do, but why they do it.

Over the years, we have seen podcasts connect people, share knowledge, spark new ideas and help individuals and businesses navigate change. They have become a powerful tool for learning, networking and community building.

In a world increasingly dominated by short-form content, algorithms and endless scrolling, there remains something uniquely valuable about giving people the time and space to explore a subject properly.

There is power in a conversation.

The power to challenge assumptions.

The power to inform and inspire.

The power to explore complex topics with depth and nuance.

And perhaps most importantly, the power to bring people together.

Whether you are participating in the discussion or simply listening to it, a great conversation can leave you thinking differently.

That is why podcasts matter.

And that is why we are excited to share the results of FuturePrint's first PodFEST in the months ahead.

A beautiful conversation? This week in London, the Rest is Print.