FM Future presents the relaunch of EcoPrint, a sustainability event that took place in 2012, reimagining the concept as a summit with an expo area.
In 2012, Frazer Chesterman and Marcus Timson, now of FM Future, launched the original EcoPrint event in a converted rail station in Berlin, attracting around 1000 people from across Europe. In the intervening decade, sustainability has gone beyond a ‘nice to have’ talking point to become the defining issue of our age, with retailers, brands, and other organisations committed to ambitious net zero targets, and yet there is insufficient correspondence in the print supply chain. This has prompted FM Future to build on the foundation of the first event and create an EcoPrint movement that encourages the community to ‘Be the Change’.
The flagship Geneva event agenda is taking shape, and input from the growing EcoPrint community will play an essential role in bringing a valuable, actionable content programme to life. An EcoPrint Advisory Council has been formed, with businesses across print and packaging segments invited to participate and lend their voices to the crucial conversation.
Reduce the environmental impact
PVC-free wide-format materials provider Kavalan will serve as a headline sponsor of the Geneva event. Nova Abbott, Chief Marketing Officer, Kavalan, comments: “Sustainability is about preserving the future for all of us and the print industry is certainly one of many sectors having a big negative impact on the planet through its waste and emissions. As a business we have a mission to significantly reduce the environmental impact of signage materials by replacing high impact products such as PVC and textile signage with low impact materials: this is where EcoPrint aligns perfectly with our mission.
“Kavalan continues to lead the market in terms of the manufacture of environmentally positive signage, banner, POP and out of home advertising materials, and as such we believe being a part of the EcoPrint Summit is absolutely vital.” Isabella de Wolf, Sustainable Business Officer, helloprint, adds: “Collaboration is key to succeed in the field of sustainability; let’s open the discussion and find practical, yet innovative solutions together for the future of print!”.
Marcus Timson, co-founder, EcoPrint, comments: “In 2012, EcoPrint delivered on its promise for inspiring, high-quality thought leadership, but there is no doubt that it was ahead of its time. We feel that 2023 is the perfect opportunity to relaunch the event, particularly as we are also in the midst of an energy crisis that is placing even more impetus on deploying technology for improved efficiency in production, a key benefit of improved sustainable operations.
“We are urging organisations in the world of print and packaging to collaborate with us wherever they are in their sustainable journey. EcoPrint will support businesses to meet future challenges in a way that helps the planet, people and profit.”
