| Asia is moving West, FESPA is moving East 17.10.2011 |
 By Neil Felton, Managing Director, FESPANot so long ago, I read an interesting blog by Andrea Ragnetti for The Huffington Post. The writer observes that Asia's influence extends far beyond the impact of its booming economies. Commenting that "Asia is moving West", he points out that Western culture is increasingly permeated by Asian attitudes to health and wellbeing, design and aesthetics, food and fashion, art and film. Meanwhile Asian investors are making significant inroads in Western capitals, and of course many businesses in Europe and North America are looking to forge stronger links with partners in Asia to safeguard their future and expand their markets. I agree with Ragnetti when he says that the West can be guilty of considering Asia simply as a low-cost manufacturing or customer support centre, failing to acknowledge that Asia is often at the 'bleeding age' of technology and service development. So, my own excitement and anticipation of what FESPA Asia 2011 has in store is mounting. One of the most rewarding aspects of working for FESPA is the knowledge that we represent a global community of print service providers. It's our organisational mission to share knowledge and best practice within that community, and - having met many Asian print service providers in recent months – I can confidently say that they have much to teach their counterparts in other regions. Asians have a special ethos of service and customer care that can be held up as an example to any Western business. The Asian focus on achieving balance and harmony translates naturally into mutually rewarding and respectful relationships and a concern for the holistic impact of business. To hear my Thai colleague Chaiyaboon Kulsiriswadi talk at our FESPA Asia Summit about the parallels between Thai water culture and his environmental policies was a salutary reminder that sustainability is more than just a tick in the box for a CSR manager – it is a matter of community. The printers I have talked to in Asia balance their respect for tradition with a healthy disregard for time-worn processes or business models that no longer meet customer needs. They innovate where it matters, taking considered risks and reaping the rewards. In Asia, it seems, innovation is in the blood. In less than two weeks, hundreds of printers from across Asia will come to FESPA Asia 2011 at Suntec Singapore to experience the latest innovations in screen, digital and textile print, and to participate in a world class conference where they can learn from print's leading lights, including many Asian innovators. It will be a dynamic forum for print professionals from every continent to share their experiences, challenges and ambitions, and I look forward to being part of this real cultural and knowledge exchange. In our particular case, to paraphrase Ragnetti, 'FESPA is moving East', but I am sure that we will all learn just as much as we teach, and that the influence and reward will be wholly mutual. See you in Singapore! |
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