Nearly fifty percent of all the companies in the sheetplant sector, plus a large number of display firms and merchants, were represented at Abbey’s ‘Impact of Change’ Roadshows which toured Manchester, London, Birmingham and Bristol during March, April and May.

The Roadshows, which were structured to identify the effects of changes brought about by shifts in the international market place, and by the inevitable impact of global economics, also focused on the changes that will impact on every business in the sheetplant sector over the next three years, and highlighted the challenges these will bring.

Dealing with key issues

Each Roadshow featured four audio visual presentations, each dealing in depth with key issues. Managing director Mark Shaw dealt with the ‘Changing face of Sheetfeeding’; divisional purchasing manager Dominic Eames spoke on ‘Changes in the paper supply chain’, Tom Serpell, who is the strategic marketing specialist with Obsidian Consulting, gave a broad ranging presentation on the Stern Report and Carbon Footprinting, and Terry Morgan, the divisional marketing development manager, detailed the enormous marketing advantages of Retail Ready Packaging.

“The level of interest, the size of audiences, and the rapid and extremely positive feedback is far greater than we had anticipated,” said John Blackburn, Abbey’s
sales and marketing director. “Something else we had not anticipated is the cascade effect of delegates talking to those of their colleagues who did not attend the shows. This is already stimulating a steady stream of requests for more information on some of the presentation topics.

“At the end of each show, Delegates were asked to complete a response card indicating their reaction to the content and significance of the presentation and the organisation of the event. The analysis of these showed an approval level rating that could prove difficult to improve upon.”