Leading representatives from the specialist print industry in five Southern European countries will meet in Porto for the 11th FESPA Southern European Congress, which takes place on 11-12 November at the HF Ipanema Porto Hotel in Portugal.

The two-day event, organised by five FESPA member associations (France, Italia, España, Portugal and Greece), provides an opportunity for members of the Southern European community to compare strategies with industry peers. Owners, CEOs, managers, suppliers and technology experts from the screen, digital, textile and signage sectors are expected to attend.

Paulo Dourado, Communications Director at APIGRAF, says: ‘Portugal is proud to host the Southern European Congress in Porto. Our markets face many similar challenges – from AI and sustainability to attracting talent. Ultimately, we are stronger when we discuss and tackle these challenges together.’

The programme kicks off on November 11th with a ‘Speed-Networking’ session, bringing together print companies, suppliers and associations for structured introductions. This is followed by a market overview entitled ‘Big Picture: The Southern European Print Industry’. Next, Helder Martins and Luis Loureiro from SISTRADE will present ‘Artificial Intelligence in the Print and Packaging Industry’, followed by a session by Walter Bano entitled ‘Fotoba: Automation, Sustainability and Cost Reduction in Large Format Post-Press’.

On the second day, leaders from the five participating associations will share ‘Best Practices for Innovation’ on how companies are adapting to current requirements. The speakers include: Jorge Nogueira, CEO of Sign; Ander Soriano, General Manager of ESTUDIOS DURERO; Sébastien Trautmann, President of Groupe Oxysign; Chris Trochoutsos, IT Director and R&D Project Manager at Pressious Arvanitidis; and Nikolaos Ferous, Managing Director of FERCON Consultancy.

FESPA

FESPA is an association of trade associations founded in 1962, and organises exhibitions and conferences for the screen and digital printing industries. FESPA’s objectives are to promote screen printing and digital imaging, and to facilitate the exchange of knowledge about screen and digital printing worldwide among its members to support the expansion of their businesses and to keep them informed about the latest developments in the rapidly growing industries.