Xeikon Café Exhibition and Conference, 20-23 March 2018 in Belgium, will feature a unique and engaging keynote address by Andrew Vorster, a passionate technologist who works with companies across all industries to help them discover how to harness the capabilities of technology in order to drive innovation in their business. The lively presentation will include many stories, anecdotes and real-life examples everyone will be able to relate to.
“Xeikon Café is all about educating and inspiring people to explore the new opportunities digital production has to offer, and the impact it can have on their business and customers,” explains Danny Mertens of Xeikon Café. “Whilst the Academy sessions and exhibition area address technical aspects and specific applications, the Conference section of the event aims to go beyond products and systems, and instead provoke discussion, new ideas and inspiration for introducing innovation. Andrew’s approach fits perfectly with our theme of Learn-Connect-Discover as he will talk about innovation from a broader, industry-neutral perspective.”
“Igniting Innovation Initiatives”
Andrew brings more than 30 years of experience driving innovation across a wide range of industries, building a reputation as a passionate technologist, innovator and disruptor. In his keynote speech, he will address the question what is holding companies back from being innovative, and how they can overcome this to create a culture of innovation in their organisation.
“Very few people are able to embrace, let alone initiate, change,” says Vorster. “They like stability and what is familiar – it’s human nature. This is no different in business: the majority of businesses shy away from the unknown, as it brings with it uncertainty about the future. Very often, it is not until some major event occurs, such as an important customer switching to a different supplier because they had something new to offer, that action is taken. But why wait until that happens? Fear can be a positive driving force, too, so instead of dwelling on the fear of the unknown, why not focus instead on the fear of missing out and embrace new ideas?”
“Innovation is not the same as invention,” Vorster continues. “You do not have to re-invent the wheel in order to be innovative, but you can try to find new ways of applying what is already out there. There is so much exciting technology available in the label and packaging industry today, with endless possibilities for personalization, for example. Look at ways of tapping into this huge potential by thinking about how it can be used to make someone’s life easier – your customer’s, your supplier’s or your employee’s. What is vital is that everyone in the company gets involved; innovation does not happen just at board level, it should ripple through the entire organisation in order to create a true culture of innovation.”
Packaging: The 5th ‘P’
In 1967, Philip Kotler introduced the concept of the four ‘P’s of marketing, which still stands today: Product, Price, Place, Promotion. Andrew Vorster addressed this concept in his dissertation in 1988 by adding ‘Packaging’ into the mix. “Packaging has always struck me as having a huge influence on brand image and identity,” he says. “It plays an extremely important role in creating and reinforcing a brand image. A high-quality package will be associated with a high-quality product, and it doesn’t matter if that is on the supermarket shelf, or at home when taking delivery of an online order – ‘unboxing’ something exciting you have received has even become a YouTube phenomenon. With all the opportunities digital production offers, there is no better time than right now to be in this industry and harness the potential for innovation in your own business.”