London, April 15th, 2009 – In partnership with the international cross-industry PrintCity Alliance, the UK Periodical Publishers Association (PPA) has produced an interactive and visually enhanced printed programme for the 37th FIPP World Magazine Congress. The Congress takes place in London on 4-6 May 2009 and is hosted by PPA on behalf of the International Federation of the Periodical Press (FIPP).
 
Throughout the three-day Congress, CEOs from across the globe will chart the future for the industry and celebrate the 'magic of magazines'. In keeping with this theme the Congress programme includes enhanced printing effects and interactive features to demonstrate to publishers how innovative print publications can heighten reader engagement and unlock revenue potential.
 
Some of the innovative methods used in the Congress programme include a triple gate fold cover, thermochromic and "Scratch and Sniff" effects and printed codes in the text offering immediate connection to internet sites via a mobile phone. In addition, the programme features a range of tactile and visual enhancements including UV protective coatings, Dayglo florescent inks, cold foil and soft touch effects, pearlescent coatings, hexachrome printing and the use of translucent paper printed on both sides for added dimension and interest.
 
Advancements in digital printing, smart inks, RFID and hybrid printed electronic media, together with the transformation of printing from an analogue-based craft to a digital technology industry, have enabled enriched conventional printing and other technologies to converge - offering an exciting future for the magazine industry. The World Magazine Congress programme, which has been produced with support from members of the PrintCity and PPA partnership, demonstrates just some of the ways paper can reposition itself as an innovative and integral part of a multi-platform strategy. PrintCity Alliance members and partners involved in this joint project with the PPA include: UPM, Sun Chemical, manroland, Leonhard Kurz, Merck, Hammesfahr, D&S – Alexander Dort, UpCode, Reproflex and Polestar, printing at its Polestar Wheatons site. All design work has been produced by Anderson Norton Design (AND).
 
Sarah Tunstall, PPA's Chief Operating Officer, added: "Print appeals to the senses in ways that cannot be reached by other media, offering endless combinations of colours, surface treatments, shapes, substrates and smells, all of which appeal to a reader's senses to create emotional value. Unlike digital media, printing is an infinitely variable, 3-dimensional medium that allows magazine publishers to differentiate their products - by size, touch, feel and perception - to suit a specific audience and purpose. This results in exciting and valuable possibilities for advertisers."
 
Terry Parry, UPM's Head of Technical Sales & Development, comments: "The PrintCity project team has expanded the envelope on what is possible with print, and demonstrated very effectively that the technical expertise within the Alliance can create exceptional results. The concept to produce a magical product that exploits what is possible has been met with a clear demonstration that technology is now available to display the true Power of Print.
 
Terry Parry concludes, "Print has the capacity to excite and highlight the haptic nature of paper in all its sensory forms, but more importantly it creates the catalyst for added value creation in future magazine print production."