Talk

Genscom is a young and ambitious communications agency that focuses on personalized publications. With their online B2C and B2B platforms (www.happiedays.com, granniedays.be and krantjesmaken.be...), they offer companies and private individuals both the technology and the support needed for the creation, personalization, print, and the distribution of their own newspapers and publications, both online and offline. Genscom specializes in personalization and also offers a free mobile app called “Lettr” (www.lettr.eu). It allows you to create, visualize, print, and distribute a newspaper on the go, together with friends, family, or colleagues. Genscom offers low print runs, starting from just a single copy, and worldwide shipment services.

I almost ALWAYS write the introduction text on YouTube, LinkedIn, and INKISH.TV, and to be honest, quite strange, to write about me. In this Conversations, CEO Julie Watson from Ultimate TechnoGraphics asked if she could interview me, and of course. However, it is important to stress that I am not in the market to promote myself, but ALWAYS promote our great industry and the amazing people I am so lucky to meet. Being an editor for INKISH, I take very seriously, and I hope the words I share here will be an understanding of where I come from, what drives me, and how I hope my words can inspire the people that see, listen, and read the stories we deliver on INKISH.TV and INKISH.NEWS. I love my work, and I am truly grateful for meeting all the really smart people out there! Thank you!

In this Conversations, VP Portfolio Product Management, Nick Benkovich, shares his views and insights on how eProductivity Software plays an immense role in the future of - well - essentially all software needed in the graphics arts industry. You will ALSO get to know more about Nick Benkovich as a human being - and what drives him as a leader in our industry—interviewed by INKISH Editor-in-Chief Morten B. Reitoft in a very open-minded conversation. Enjoy!

We are working together with Deborah Corn on a new project called PPN - or the Project Peacock Network. Before going into details about this, let's turn back time for a second. Project Peacock was founded years ago, and has with the same agenda, used various channels to educate, inspire, and promote print. In short, Peacock is about showing designers, brand-owners, and print-buyers what technology can do, and to some extent, bridge buyers and sellers. Over the years, thousands of people have been exposed to various print samples and printing technologies. Before COVID, Project Peacock Print Fair traveled through America and Canada hosting educational events - and during the pandemic, Peacock turned into the Project Peacock Platform where vendors and registrants could meet online 365/24/7 - and Platform events presented various topics and speakers. I was so fortunate to present a keynote at the digital publishing event. It was fun, engaging, and interesting to explore the feedback on a platform that isn't a virtual event, a webinar, or anything like it. Now it's 2022, and Deborah and I have been working on something entirely new. We call it Project Peacock Network, PPN. The idea is to invite people from the industry to talk about various topics and then present it as a two-hour, monthly streaming experience. On the first Friday of every month, beginning in March, Deborah will host the streaming format with guests from PSPs, vendors, designers, brand owners, influencers, and more. As we progress with the production, I am excited about this project - and of course, INKISH wanted to be the executive producer of the show and support bringing people together while bringing excitement and a new format to learn and connect to the audience. The show will be broadcast simultaneously on INKISH, Print Media Centr, our YouTube channels, LinkedIn, and where applicable at noon ET, starting March 4, 2022. If you have stories to share and/or create products and services you believe designers, brand owners, and buyers should know about, this is the time to reach out to us. Project Peacock is supported by partners who share our vision.

Marc Olin was welcomed back by friends and colleagues at eProductivity/EFI Connect 2022 in his new capacity as Executive Chairman of the board in the spin-off company eProductivity Software. It was great for INKISH to have a chance to sit down and understand more about who Marc Olin is and his view of the new setup.

Toby Weiss is the COO of the Fiery Digital Front End for EFI. In this CONVERSATION, Toby tells about his work life balance, the challenges presented by the (not so) great pandemic and his vision for what Fiery means to to the print world as the transition to digital accelerates. With a background in high technology that had little to do with print, he has become a thought leader in moving Fiery forward to the places print needs to go. His sense of humor and keen insights make this an enjoyable journey to what makes EFI a key player in the industry.

Julie Watson is the CEO of Ultimate TechnoGraphics based in Montreal, Canada. Since 1989 the company has focused on the imposition and was the first to introduce imposition using computers. Just imagine how many things have changed since then? Technology, customers, speed, CPU-power, Memory, and Julie Watson's career plan changed in 2008 when her father suddenly passed away at drupa in 2008. First, her mother, Joanne Watson, took over the leadership. Five years ago, Julie Watson became CEO of Ultimate Technographic - the company by some better known for their flag-ship software Impostrip. In this Conversation with Editor Morten B. Reitoft, Julie Watson shares her views on technology and why speed continues to be an essential factor in efficient workflow/automation. INKISH has months ahead of this interview filmed two Ultimate TechnoGraphics customers Print On Demand from Cape Town, South Africa, and Sendmoments from Germany. Print On Demand https://inkish.tv/inkish-video/pod/ Sendmoments https://inkish.tv/inkish-video/sendmoments/

Jim Rosenthal has attended almost EVERY EFI Connect, and in this chat, with editor Morten B. Reitoft he gives many great reasons for why you should also attend. Jim Rosenthal is the President of PDC Graphics in Pennsylvania and delivers a mix of data-driven print using EFI technology. Jim Rosenthal also says that he has got good friends at EFI Connect that he considers family friends - and of course, he is going again in January - Let's Connect!

Can you get to know people in just 20 minutes and virtually? I interviewed Nathaniel Grant, who owns a printing company in Sterling, Virginia - and we genuinely had a good laugh. I got a pretty good understanding of his company. This film is part of our promotion of the upcoming EFI Connect event in Las Vegas from January 17th-21st. Take a listen to Nathaniel Grant and maybe you also decide to go to Vegas in January - and if you do - let's connect!

Mark Hinder is a well-known character in the European printing industry, and his work with Ricoh Europe is an old passion that comes through with Ricoh. In this talk with editor Morten B. Reitoft, Mark Hinder explains Edge and how it makes sense for customers to use Ricoh as a partner on what most would consider a consultancy business. Enjoy!

German language with English subtitles Thomas Heininger is the CEO of MBO and is responsible for developing MBO as a company and integrating it into Komori after the company was sold. According to Heininger, the company cultures are aligned, and the financial strength of Komori delivers a lot of value to the companies and the future development of new products. Thomas Heininger is very open-minded in the conversations with INKISH editor Morten B. Reitoft, but check it out yourself!

Vanguard’s CEO Dave Cich is a true leader. In this INKISH CONVERSATION Dave describes how he builds his teams and describes his plans for a global sales force. With the acquisition by Durst, Dave explains how their global reach will empower this effort. We also see a very human side to what comprises a leader. LinkedIn Profile

Our CONVERSATION with 4over’s CEO Shaheen Javadizadeh revealed some of the new blood entering the very traditional print industry. As the United States’ premier online trade printer, and technological ecommerce leader, 4over investment owners had the vision to bring in a leader with a high tech and financial background. Find out Shaheen’s vision for print’s future. LinkedIn Profile

Many companies grow through mergers and acquisitions - but Kongsberg is an example of the opposite since Kongsberg became its entity after a peaceful separation from Esko. In this Conversations editor, Morten B. Reitoft talks with President & CEO Stuart Fox. Teamwork, innovative technology, and a strong belief in the future are just a few of the takeaways! LinkedIn Profile

The VIGC Hackathon is an annual event organized by VIGC and EY. The purpose is to develop ideas for future solutions in a fun and competitive environment. In less than 48 hours, an idea changes from just an idea into something presented to a jury and an audience. This year's Hackathon had twelve teams presenting exciting ideas - some more innovative and exciting than others - but the jury unanimously agreed on this year's 2nd place - yes, we also agreed on number one and number three :-) The Shiprz project was developed by Miki Rubin and Wouter Meeuwisse - and subsidized shipping costs by adding personalized advertising on shipping labels. In this interview you can learn much more - so please enjoy!

The VIGC Hackathon is an annual event organized by VIGC and EY. The purpose is to develop ideas for future solutions in a fun and competitive environment. In less than 48 hours, an idea changes from just an idea into something that can be presented to a jury and an audience. This year's Hackathon had twelve teams presenting exciting ideas - some more innovative and exciting than others - but the jury unanimously agreed on this year's winner. The winner is Julie Dumoulin with her Opinry. Opinry is a solution to help judge designs before being implemented into products - to ensure consistency and sellability! In this interview, we talk to the winner - and I am sure you will see passion and dedication to the very idea of being a young entrepreneur as well as a young woman that we believe can take Opinry to market. Enjoy! LinkedIn Profile

Conversations are among our most popular formats on INKISH, and in this episode, the member of the manroland sheetfed board Bernhard Schaaf takes time to share his insights with Robert Godwin. LinkedIn Profile

Three years ago, CEO and Founder Peter Vogt took the chance and established his company LabelHub. In this interview, Peter Vogt tells about the journey identifying the need for easy re-ordering of labels - due to the changes in demand from more often and short-runs, to minimize hands-on. LabelHub is a SaaS solution that enables label printers and their customers to manage a greater part of the production faster and smoother. Enjoy! LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petervogtdk/

John Panton is a leading capacity in the South African printing industry, and his company ColorFlow Solutions help hundreds of printing companies manage colors. In this interview, John Panton gives you a short background and why color management, even in a digital print space, is necessary. Enjoy! LinkedIn Profile

Rita Estevinha Silva is a 21-years young woman living in Portugal. She is studying design and has been an intern in a printing company in a small town for the past nine months. Rita Estevinha Silva sees herself and other 21-years in the role of 'constructing' the future. Now Rita Estevinha Silva is a voice here on INKISH. Rita Estevinha Silva won the Young Talents Award a couple of weeks ago - and the win came as a surprise. In this INKISH episode, you can learn more - not only about the winning but an actual Gen-Z talking. Editor Morten B. Reitoft will do a follow-up article as so many people talk about Millenials and Gen-Z. Still, nobody listens or gives the younger generations media space when the opportunity is there. The Young Talents Award attracted numerous people, but unfortunately, for the great idea, Intergraf has no audience; nobody enters into the necessary dialog. You can read more about (and be careful not to wear shoes, as this is a toe-wrecking example of bad campaign and communication) at . LinkedIn Profile Rita Estevinha Silva: Link to report:

Ali Ridha Jaffar is the VP of Syncoms Group in the UK. The company is a commercial printing company, but Jaffar has also become a recognized presenter at numerous EFI Storefront presentations. The great thing about listening to a customer talking about any software is the passion. It's also to understand that there are steep learning curves with all solutions - and as Ali Ridha Jaffar says in this interview, it's not about setting up the prices and the designs and the flow, but how your web presence can get you even more successful. Ali Ridha Jaffar's LinkedIn profile.

Imagine how difficult it is to get ink to stick to a metal surface! Imagine how difficult it is with water-based ink - and voila, here is OPM-Europa and the LabelSaver solution. Or, to be more correct, almost there. The R&D is finished, and the first machines are assembled and soon ready for water-based inkjet printing on round surfaces like cans, bottles, plastics, glass, and metal. In this interview, owner and General Manager Dursun Acun share the journey with you - we find it inspiring. Once again, a vendor shows how the Memjet technology can be utilized in a new application. Enjoy! Find Dursun Acun's LinkedIn profile here.

Marco Calcagni has worked with OMET for a long time, and in this 'Conversations' with editor Morten B. Reitoft, he, among other things, talks about the 'defining moment' for OMET. "When our competitors go one way, we go the other way," on why OMET is a success in the flexible/packaging business. OMET, just weeks before our visit, moved to a new build facility with more space for continuing growth - all in all, an inspiring visit in North Italy! LinkedIn Profile Marco Calcagni: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-calcagni-28bb5b31/

PRINTING United Expo was cancelled a few days ago - sad but somehow expected. In this interview, editor Morten B. Reitoft sits down with President Mark Subers to learn why the decision was taken, Subers' view on the future of PRINTING United, tradeshows in general, and other very important and exciting topics. The consequences for the industry with the many cancelled tradeshows aren't at the current time clear, mainly because the buying cycles are LONG in our industry. But listen to the conversation, and as usual, enjoy! LinkedIn Profile: Mark Subers