Printfinity the buzz for Wellington

This year’s Single Width Users’ Group Conference will host over 130 delegates and sponsors and a range of informative speakers. The event, with the title Printfinity and Beyond, will take place at Wellington’s Copthorne Hotel on August 3-4. Dan Blackbourn, chairman of Swug New Zealand, says, “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. “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.†Delegates will also tour of the Fairfax Media Printing Petone site, hosted by plant manager Ricky Baker, who they will receive a full rundown on the $22m investment initiated by Fairfax in September 2014. This saw a Geoman press imported from the Fairfax Media site at Tullamarine in Melbourne site, then upgraded to now include four double-width towers; two folders; four reelstands; QI automated registration and cut-off; and an Interbus loop communication system upgrade. Baker says, “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. “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 Promotes Lizzy Tankard or Aimee Watkin on 04 237 0482. Further information can be sourced at www.swug.co.nz or via Dan Blackbourn 021 770 804.