Based on comments overheard in the breaks, the conference-room vibe during sessions, and the questions raised, here’s PKN’s snapshot of the topics and issues that caused most discussion and engagement at the AIP National Conference held in Melbourne last week.
1. To grow our manufacturing industry, we need a collaborative problem-solving mindset: collaboration is key to industry survival, between brand owners and suppliers, and within the supply chain itself.
2. Training and educating people in packaging is vital to attracting and retaining young talent.
3. Saving food (preventing food waste/loss) needs to move higher on the packaging designer’s brief/agenda.
4. While improving recycling rates and material recyclability remains a goal, don’t lose sight of the overriding importance of designing packaging that is sustainable in itself, protecting and preserving the value already inherent in the supply chain.
5. Asia offers a huge opportunity – Australian and New Zealand products have a reputation for being safe and of high quality. Investment in innovation will underpin our success in being a supplier of choice to the burgeoning Asian market.
6. When it comes to exporting to Asia, brand protection, proving product provenance and building consumer trust are priorities.
7. Packaging should be seen not only as vehicle for brand promotion on shelf, but as a platform to a deeper, more engaging experience for the consumer in the digital realm.
8. In a world where the internet is in everyone’s pocket, the pace of technological change will only quicken. Automation and the Internet of Things is radically reshaping the factory floor.
9. “Be prepared to change and be prepared that the pace of change will not necessarily be dictated by you” – Alex Commins, VP & GM of Graphic Packaging International.
10. Practise your storytelling for better communication in business: managers need to get better at using stories to be understood and remembered, and to increase employee buy-in to business strategy.
