It’s been a record year for Infigo in many ways.
We’ve attended more events than ever before, announced many exciting new partnerships with industry-leading organisations and expanded both our UK and Moldova teams. And that’s on top of the countless new integrations, improvements and updates we’ve added to our platform – but we’re not done yet.
In this article, we reflect on just some of the key milestones from 2023, as we look ahead to another bumper year of record-breaking activities.
Partnering with The Printing Charity
As the national charity for our industry, and a fellow IPIA member, The Printing Charity provides a range of practical, emotional and financial support. This includes a free 24/7/365 helpline, offering practical and emotional support, including access to telephone, face-to-face and virtual counselling.
We have historically provided ongoing support to a variety of charities and causes close to our hearts, but to be approached by one specifically aimed at supporting people within our industry, made our partnership an easy decision.
Partnering with Four Pees
We officially partnered with implementation experts Four Pees. The partnership means our software stack is available and supported across France and the Benelux region of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Infigo has a long history of pushing technological boundaries to inspire our customers, and this partnership allowed us to implement our software in new territories delivered by local experts, communicating in native languages.
ZaiCon Conference Frankfurt
Infigo Founder & CEO, Douglas Gibson and Head of Global Marketing, Chris Minn, were invited by our friends at Zaikio to attend the ZaiCon Conference 2023, at the Design Offices, Frankfurt Wiesenhütten, Germany, for a busy day of networking and learning more about the Zaikio vision for the print industry.
Chris Minn said; “Through our partnership with Zaikio, we at Infigo reaffirm our commitment not merely to sell web-to-print software but to provide superior workflow solutions.”
Partnering with HYBRID Software / Packaging Innovations & Empack Birmingham
We continued our busy start to the year by announcing a partnership with global automation specialist, HYBRID Software. Having worked on client projects together, and also as members of influential label trade organisations FINAT in Europe, and TLMI in the US and Canada, it was clear that we had a lot of common ground.
Infigo and HYBRID promised to attend a range of in-person and virtual events over the year – the first being Packaging Innovations & Empack. Visitors to our stand at the NEC Birmingham discovered some of the top-line benefits of implementing a fully automated workflow.
Named as Best Workplaces™ for Wellbeing
We were officially named as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Wellbeing. This was the second award Infigo had received from UK’s Best Workplaces™, after being named as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ in Tech in 2022.
Our employees mentioned a range of wellbeing policies and practices that contributed to the coveted accolade. This included everything from a dog-friendly office to virtual team exercise challenges, as well as supporting flexible working and more hands-on support when staff needed it.
Infigo Marketing Manager UK & EU, James Reffold, said; “I can truly say first-hand that Julie and the team at Infigo have personally supported me through some really tough times, both mentally and physically.
“As I’m sure that many others can relate, the pandemic caused a number of different challenges and hurdles, to which we have all struggled to a certain extent, but I am incredibly grateful and proud to say that I work for such a supportive company, through the hard times, and the good.”
We join the FINAT community
Infigo demonstrated our commitment to helping European label market modernise digital processes by joining the FINAT community.
Through the membership, we aim to share our strategic knowledge and technical insight to help modernise the European label industry, and assist FINAT’s members in optimising digital processes.
Antonia Fagan, Partnership Growth Manager at Infigo, said: “Having worked for Infigo for 7 years, we are seeing more demand for e-commerce solutions from the label industry than ever before. This is for several reasons.
“Growth in a number of sectors, from pharmaceuticals driven by an ageing population, to demand for luxury goods in developing economies is contributing to overall growth. But we’re also seeing an explosion in microbusinesses, whether that’s street food stalls or handmade gifts.
“Label converters therefore need to be able to profitably produce smaller batches of labels at the same cost as they would larger batches. By enabling customers to design and order labels themselves and reducing manual touch points by integrating and automating systems, it makes the entire experience more customer friendly and significantly cuts overheads.”
Annual company event
We think it’s important every year to bring our colleagues from the various locations across business together in one place; from our teams in Moldova, our colleagues in Germany, Spain and India, as well as our UK workforce, too.
Held from the Roffey Park Institute in West Sussex, UK – we used this time to discuss our accomplishments over the previous 12 months, plan for the year ahead, share some of our various team achievements, as well as agree many of the improvements and ideas to come in 2023.
Personalisation Experience Munich
Our team of web-to-print experts demonstrated how brands and agencies can create emotional engagement, at scale, at the first-ever Personalisation Experience conference, held at the Messe Munich, Germany.
The event, which was part of FESPA’s Global Print Expo 2023 and European Sign Expo 2023, featured 100+ exhibitors and 50+ influencers, all showcasing their services and sharing their expertise on how personalisation can be used in print to great marketing effect.
Dscoop Edge St. Louis
We brought the Infigo dream team to Missouri USA, demonstrating the power of web-to-print at this year’s Dscoop Edge.
The event, held at America’s Center in downtown St. Louis, was one of North America’s most popular trade events of the year, particularly with basketball legend, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, delivering the keynote speech.
Douglas said on the event; “It’s no secret that Dscoop Edge is one of our favourite events of the year. So it was great to be back this year in Missouri.”
Graphics Canada Expo
Graphics Canada Expo was an event to remember – forever raising the bar for trade show demonstrations. With a range of partners, we created an automated end-to-end turnkey print factory experience at Graphics Canada’s 60th anniversary expo, held at the Toronto International Centre.
In an industry first, and a year in the making, a total of six innovative tech partners from the Web Connect+ community exhibited at the same trade stand; Significans Automation, Enfocus, Motionalysis, Elitron and Ronik, with Infigo providing the storefront entry-point where you could design your own packaging product, send it through to production planning, digital printing and finishing.
Marc Raad, President of Significans Automation Inc, said: “With advances in artificial intelligence accelerating at pace, it’s unsurprising that printers struggle to keep up with the latest developments in print production.
“The cherry on the cake was not only exhibiting the first demonstration of its kind, but officially taking up the largest booth at the expo (at over 100 ft long!).”
Automate Print London
We co-hosted the Automate Print user event, in collaboration with Infigo partners printIQ, Enfocus and Esko, at the Kia Oval, London, to demonstrate a smart, integrated end-to-end workflow.
The event was tailored especially with print industry professionals in mind, focusing on the major industry trends, such as sustainability, personalisation, efficiency, and utilising a digital strategy to grow your revenue.
Named as best place to work for women
We were delighted to be recognised as one of the Best Workplaces™ for Women 2023.
The accreditation was based on anonymous feedback from the women of Infigo, submitted to Best Workplaces™, reporting on how well-represented they are in both the workforce and senior positions.
This was the third award Infigo had received from Great Place to Work®. In December 2022 we were named as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ in Tech, and in February 2023 we were recognised as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces™ for Wellbeing.
Julie Minn, COO & Head of HR for Infigo, said: “We’re delighted to be recognised as a leading employer in providing equal opportunities for ALL our staff. We have always strived to create a culture that fosters open communication and opportunity across the business.
Partnering with CERM
In August we announced our biggest label innovation and partnership to date. The partnership between Infigo and CERM promised (and delivered) the industry’s first end-to-end labels solution, helping converters capitalise on the growing print e-commerce market.
The integration; Connect: CERM, brought together Infigo’s e-commerce and personalisation prowess with CERM’s estimating, workflow and job management expertise – providing a complete package for label converters.
Partnering with Fujifilm
While most were enjoying their summer holidays, we were busy forming yet another partnership with an industry powerhouse. The partnership enabled Fujifilm to provide their customers with an extensive web-to-print offering, alongside the groundbreaking Jet Press FP790, Fujifilm’s inkjet press for flexible packaging.
Officially announced at Labelexpo Europe in Brussels (one of the largest events in the global label and packaging sector) the following month, the collaboration provided customers with a comprehensive and versatile suite of solutions and services.
Infigo Head of Global Sales, Paul Bromley, said on the partnership; “The collaboration between Infigo and Fujifilm represents a bold step towards redefining the future of print and marketing technology. By combining our respective strengths, we will provide a tailored range of solutions that enable printers to streamline processes, reduce costs and reduce their carbon footprint. All of which offers businesses the flexibility to create, manage, and deliver dynamic print and marketing materials.”
Labelexpo Europe Brussels
Held from the Brussels Expo Centre in Belgium, one of the largest exhibition centres in Europe, we demonstrated how easy it is for label converters to set up e-commerce storefronts and attract online business with the new Connect: CERM integration.
Infigo were also selected as the official HP web-to-print partner, as they demonstrated an entirely automated workflow. Powered by one of our trademark storefronts and led by HP (co-hosted with A B Graphic International, HYBRID Software and CERM), attendees saw first-hand how a personalised Tony’s Beer label is produced, from start to finish, all with minimal human interaction.
Tiziano Albanese, EMEA GEC L&P Manager for HP said on the demonstration: “1500 personalised beer labels during the show, from web-to-label every day. Mission-possible thanks to the great partnerships between HP, Infigo, HYBRID Software, AB Graphics International, CERM, and GMG.”
PRINTING United Atlanta
Our web-to-print experts were again on-hand to show printers and converters how they too can take advantage of highly profitable market sectors, as we revealed some of our latest innovations at this year’s PRINTING United Expo in Georgia, USA.
During the event, held at the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, attendees discovered how they too could potentially be taking orders, and shipping them around the globe, all in time for Christmas.
And with Santa due to head out on his sleigh just 10 weeks later, the big-man himself found the time to make an appearance – as he donated Christmas gifts on our behalf, for Atlanta-based children’s charity, Kids @ The Block. These were was gratefully accepted by Republican member of the Georgia House of Representatives, Soo Hong.
TLMI Annual Meeting Colorado
Douglas Gibson was in attendance at the TLMI Annual Meeting, held from Colorado Springs, CO.
Not only was Douglas brought up to speed by hearing about updates on the TLMI strategy and operations, but also took the opportunity to spend quality networking time with other TLMI members.
Partnering with EngView Systems
Another month, another ground-breaking partnership. We were delighted to team up with global CAD/CAM software experts, EngView Systems, which enabled us to offer cutting-edge parametric computer-aided design (CAD), through our new (and yet to be officially named) parametric designer tool.
Through the integration, clients can easily create bespoke packaging, and with more than 1500 parametric designs for folding carton, corrugated board, grey board and PVC. The tool includes a library of full parametrised ECMA and FEFCO codes.
Michael Zauner, Chief Technology Officer for Infigo said there were a number of reasons that EngView were a natural partner for the web-to-print innovator.
He said: “Obviously they have a fantastic offering, which is at the forefront of CAD. However, for us, it’s as much about the people and the culture and values of the providers we work with. Not only are EngView a great bunch of people but they are incredibly dynamic. They were as willing as we were to get started on the project, which meant we could get start development immediately.”
4-day working week
We again established ourselves as one of the most innovative global companies, by officially announcing a 4-day working week.
Following a successful trial, the compressed week became a permanent move, and was the latest initiative to show that a 4-day week, implemented alongside flexible working practices, can lead to better work-life balance, lower stress levels, increased productivity, and reduced environmental impact.
Douglas said on the initiative; “Not only has the last year been the most successful yet in terms of revenue, but the research shows our team are happier, healthier and more productive. And it’s been a great recruitment tool, that helps us attract the best talent. Who wouldn’t want to work for a company that gives you a three-day weekend, every weekend?!”
Digital Packaging Summit Florida
Douglas took to the skies again, this time headed to the Sunshine State, with Infigo Technical Operations Director, Alex Bowell. Their mission was to reveal some of our latest web-to-print innovations for the labels and packaging market, as sponsors of the exclusive Digital Packaging Summit, hosted by our friends at PRINTING United Alliance.
The icing on the cake was receiving the Digital Packaging Summit Award for Best Showcase Presentation for our label’s presentation, which detailed our new Connect: CERM integration, with guest speaker and Director of Global Business Development at CERM, Steffen Haaga.
Mimaki MicroFactory Roadshow Los Angeles
Last but not least, marketing head honcho, Chris Minn, headed to California to demonstrate the power of personalisation at the Mimaki MicroFactory Roadshow in Los Angeles, USA.
As official sponsors of the one-day print conference, held from the Golden State, Chris chaired an engaging discussion on enhancing the printing industry’s workflow with web-to-print technology, as well as exploring how printers can implement an Amazon-style purchasing experience.
So, what have we got up our sleeves for 2024?
Well, the majority of that is under lock and key. But we can promise you that the event diary is already booking up fast, and our team of print development ninjas have been working hard on delivering even more exciting improvements and integrations well into the New Year.
So, if you haven’t already, sign-up to our newsletter (from the bottom of our homepage), so you don’t miss out on the latest print automation trends or book a free no-obligation demonstration with an Infigo web-to-print expert, and find out how you can create new revenue streams, making 2024 a year to remember 🎉
