Anticipation Builds for “Printfinity”

Anticipation Builds for “Printfinity”

A strong attendance of over 130 delegates and sponsors are due to be engaged by an unprecedented range of informative speakers at this year’s sixteenth Single Width Users’ Group (SWUG) Conference.

Just over two weeks out from the event, which is being held at Wellington’s Copthorne Hotel on August 3-4, “Printfinity and Beyond” is generating a buzz in the industry, says SWUG chairperson Dan Blackbourn.

“The expected attendance maintains the consistent trend established over recent years and reflects the popularity of the successful template we’ve evolved for the conference,” says Mr Blackbourn.

“We have more informative presentations than ever before this year covering topics that have not been previously addressed. In addition to keynote speaker Phil Lawrence’s address on the plant issues of poor power quality, we have Nicky Trevithick speaking on the risks associated with drugs and alcohol in the workplace and Karen Lyttle (in replacement for Charli Crocker) delivering an insightful address on health and safety matters.

“In what is a genuinely glittering list of presentations, we also have an extremely informative men’s health session as well as Chris Smallwood outlining how the use of infrared/thermal imaging technology is ‘only limited by your imagination’, among many other highlights.

“Furthermore, great entertainment is lined up for both the Awards Night and the following informal evening event -- these celebrations of the quality awards, the Apprentice of the Year and networking evening set to provide superior entertainment to any previous conference.”

Another notable highlight of the event will be the presentation and tour of the Fairfax Media Printing Petone site provided by plant manager Ricky Baker.

Mr Baker says attendees will receive a full rundown on the $22 million investment initiated by Fairfax in September 2014, which saw a Geoman press imported from the Fairfax Media Tullamarine (Melbourne) site and then upgraded to now include the following features:

•four double-width towers

•two folders

•four reelstands

•QI automated registration and cut-off

•Interbus loop communication system upgrade

“The investment and upgrade -- which necessitated us having to increase the height of the Petone building by four metres to accommodate the new press -- fully reflects Fairfax’s faith in the printed product and our print division,” says Mr Baker.

“Additionally, we upgraded the electrical transformers to increase their power and invested in a total revamp of the publication room that included the introduction of Ferag online quarter-folding and automated online poly-bagging of individual copies.

“Our previous press was a hybrid which had been repeatedly upgraded over the years and the publication room also had an old system. Both were no longer supported by manufacturers -- it was hard to get spare parts -- and we also had health and safety issues around machine guarding protocols.

“The upgrade has provided us with greater flexibility and diversity in the marketplace -- we can now print two jobs at the same time -- as well as the capability to deliver a quality product with quicker turnarounds and the capacity to output production at high speeds.

“I’m confident attendees of the SWUG conference will gain a wealth of information about our journey that may well inform their own future business decisions.”

The SWUG committee wishes to extend its appreciation to the generous sponsors of the conference, whose united support makes the event possible.

Bookings should be directed to Promote Ltd’s Lizzy Tankard or Aimee Watkin 04 237 0482.

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