Forum DIGGING BELOW THE SURFACE WITH INDUSTRY MOLE


Comments please to industrymole@imagereportsmag.co.uk


And so the British economy has fallen into a technical recession. Or, to use Mole Senior’s terminology, a recession. In some ways, the gloom seems a bit overdone. Our GDP shrank by 0.1% in the third quarter of 2023 and by 0.3% in the final quarter. Given the frequency with which these estimates now change, it would come as no great shock if the figure for July-September 2023 was revised upward. Even if it was just upgraded to no growth, we would no longer be in a recession (which is technically defined as two successive quarters of a fall in GDP). The more disturbing statistic, as the


‘Financial Times’ noted, is what has happened to GDP per capita in the UK which, by the end of 2023, was 4.5% below what it had been before the cost-of-living crisis, equivalent to a loss of nearly £1,500 per household. That certainly tallies with what we’ve been hearing from our local customers, especially those in retail.


I nipped into Salisbury the other day, one of the most expensive cities to buy a house in England and, in 45 minutes in the centre, I counted a dozen empty shops which, as an individual and someone who supplies a lot of signage, was a depressing sight. That said, Mole Graphics is ticking over. Most of the experts think our economy has now bottomed out, although a growth in GDP of 0.6%, which the IMF predicts, is hardly cause for celebration. At times like this, I always remember the wise words of a management consultant who my father, in a rare bout of largesse, hired to cast an eye over Mole Graphics. Unsure whether to invest, acquire or diversify, in a similar time of economic uncertainty, he asked the consultant for advice and was told: “Keep your powder dry”. That is exactly what we plan to do for the rest of 2024, barring any sudden - and utterly unexpected - good tidings. I’ll sign off with a joke a local shop owner told me the other day: “What do you call Bob the Builder in a recession? Bob.”


FESPA GLOBAL When?


19-22 March, 2024 Where?


RAI Exhibition Centre, Amsterdam Cost? From 80 Euro without a promo code


DRUPA When?


28 May-7June, 2024 Where?


Messe Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf Cost?


From 60 Euro online and from 85 Euro on site


WRAP FEST When?


3-4 October, 2024 Where?


Silverstone Race Circuit


Cost? Various- see event website


THE PRINT SHOW When? 17-19 September, 2024


Where? NEC, Birmingham


Cost? Free


Who will be there? This continues to be ‘the’ show for the large-format print sector and will no doubt host all the key suppliers as well as myriad interesting less well-known ones.


Who will be there? It’s worth checking the exhibitor list to see if the companies you’re homing in on will be there, but it’s fair to say that you can expect most of the major players from all parts of the print industry to get involved.


Who will be there?


Expect a wide range of suppliers of vinyls and other relevant media, print and finishing kit, software etc. on the show floor - and of course see the wrappers in action.


Who will be there?


A range of suppliers from across the print spectrum.


Should you go? Yes


Should you go?


Definitely worth the trip, even if it’s just to keep abreast of what’s out there in the industry as a whole.


Should you go? Yes, if you are interested in vehicle wrapping.


Should you go? Usually worth a look-see.


24 | April/May 2024


EVENTS


Rating 9/10


Rating 8/10


Rating 9/10


Rating 5/10


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28