We are very proud to announce that we have been selected as a finalist for European Association of the Year 2020! The awards ceremony, organised by the Association of Association Executives, is due to be held in Lisbon, Portugal on 8 December.

By all accounts 2020 has been a challenging year. Even without a global pandemic, 2019-20 was scheduled to be a busy year for Intergraf’s small team. We warmly welcome this recognition of our work and look forward to the awards ceremony.

“I am very happy that the value of Intergraf’s work has been recognised by the AAE” said Beatrice Klose, Secretary General of Intergraf. “Intergraf has supported the European printing industry for almost a century, and we remain dedicated to providing the best representation possible for our important sector. Thank you to Intergraf staff and members, without whom this achievement would not have been possible. This nomination is for everyone who has supported our activities over the years.”

What Intergraf achieved in 2019-20
We began 2020 by celebrating Intergraf’s 90th anniversary. From its beginnings, the printing industry has played a vital role in promoting education, democratic debate, social inclusion, culture, representation, and civic engagement in Europe. Digitalisation has transformed almost every aspect of life, but our high-tech sector has met this challenge and continues to provide creative, much-needed products that enrich people’s lives. Since 1930, Intergraf has provided a platform through which collaboration between printers can flourish. During the formative transformations of the past 90 years, Intergraf has also changed and evolved – including beginning 2019 with a brand-new logo, corporate identity and website to better reflect our ever-evolving sector.

Part of this change includes focusing on more EU policy topics than ever. Print plays a vital role in Europe’s circular and digital transitions, so it is crucial that our voice is heard in discussions about our digital and ecological future. Following the 2019 European elections, this work has been even more critical due to new legislative priorities and a busier policy agenda. We remain active on EU policy issues relating to competitiveness, the environment, digitisation and social affairs, as well as regularly promoting the interests of printers to European Commission officials and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

Another way we raise our voice on important issues is through European platforms and campaigns such as Keep Me Posted EU (www.keepmepostedeu.org), Two Sides (www.twosides.info) and The Future of Reading (www.intergraf.eu/image/the-future-of-reading). These campaigns are important not just from the perspective of the printing industry; they also promote issues like consumer rights, social fairness, inclusion, sustainability, and education outcomes. Keep Me Posted EU has been a particularly successful European-level campaign, securing the support of 60 MEPs, as well as various NGOs, consumer organisations, trade unions, and other industry associations.

Another key focus of our work this year has been on young people in the printing industry. 2020 saw the launch of the Print Your Future project, co-coordinated by Intergraf, which focuses on attracting a new generation to the sector. We also received many fantastic entries to our Young Talent Award 2020, with entrants submitting essays about “How to improve the image of the European printing industry”. Plus, we are a European Social Partner, working on skills-related issues in Social Dialogue. We want to promote investment in the future of print.

We communicate about our activities via various communications channels. We also provide detailed statistics and market information. Our annual Intergraf Economic Report collects the latest information on graphic industry trends in Europe. In 2019-20, we also produced a European Printed Packaging Trends Market Report, and a Commercial Print and Catalogues Market Report.

As well as all of this, Intergraf organises many international events. 2019 saw the 30th edition of the Intergraf Currency+Identity conference and exhibition (www.intergrafconference.com) take place – one of the world’s leading events for the security printing community. With 490 exhibition booths, 68 speakers and 850 delegates, the event was a great success, with 89.9% of participants planning to attend again. The European Affairs team also organised several successful events, including our annual General Assembly (London 2019 and virtual 2020), Print Matters for the Future Conference (London 2019), Directors Conference (Bordeaux 2020), and Shaping the Future of Print: Commercial Print Conference (Brussels 2020).

Intergraf’s security printing certifications (ISO 14298 and CWA 15374) have also been very successful in 2019-20; we now have over 150 certifications in 55 countries, with 20 applications in the process of being assessed.

To supplement our European work, Intergraf is active at global level, holding the secretariat of the World Print and Communication Forum (WPCF), the leading collaborative platform for the world’s major transnational and national printing associations.

International & European Association Awards 2020
The Association of Association Executives’ International & European Association Awards 2020 recognises excellence in different award categories with the aim of promoting the sharing of best practices and success. Intergraf has been shortlisted as a finalist in the European Association of the Year category alongside 4 other nominees. The ceremony is due to take place in Cascais, Lisbon, Portugal during the Associations World Congress on 8 December 2020.