Category: Industry Mole

Do we matter?

Comedian Rufus Hound said 2016 was the answer to the question: what’s the worst that can happen? It can feel like that. The words ‘President Trump’ still sit oddly on the tongue. Every time I see him, I wonder, as somebody said of John Major, “If you were a self-made man, would you make yourself like that?” Presumably, the Pentagon people aren’t dumb enough to give him the real nuclear codes.

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Doing alright, thank you

I don’t want to be the next Steve Jobs, Richard Branson or Alan Sugar. Just thought I’d put that out there because, after attending a seminar the other day, I learned something – but what I learned was the exact opposite of the lesson the seminar was supposed to teach us.

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Sticking to the knitting

What would your ideal finance director be like? It’s not a question I ever asked myself until the other day when I got a PDF on the topic from one of those double-barrelled super accountants.

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Thriving in chaos

In my younger, more impressionable days, I was an avid reader of books that promised to tell me how I could manage my business better. I was a particular fan – and this will date me – of Tom Peters, the outspoken American business guru and author of such bestsellers as ‘In Search Of Excellence’, ‘Liberation Management’ and ‘Thriving On Chaos’.

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Let me tell you a story…

News of the fire spread through Drupa’s exhibition halls like, well, wildfire really. Turned out it was not in the exhibition centre itself – so none of the 300,000 visitors tramping through the halls in search of enlightenment, excitement or a coffee were in any danger – but in a building full of migrants nearby.

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22-24 FEB, 2026
Sign & Digital UK

Where?

Hall 6, NEC, Birmingham

Cost?

Free to members of the sign making and digital print trade.

What is it?

Running for more than 35 years, Sign & Digital UK is a central part of the industry’s calendar, providing an annual launch pad for all that is new, and an economic stimulus for the industry. The show gives the opportunity to meet in person, see and compare equipment and kit from the major industry suppliers, and the chance to source new suppliers and gather new ideas to enhance and drive your business forward.

23 FEB, 2026
The Sign Industry Awards

Where?

National Conference Centre, Birmingham.

Cost?

An individual ticket is £289, whereas a table of 10 is £2,800.

What is it?

The Sign Industry Awards, presented by Sign Update and Sign & Digital UK, celebrate excellence in the visual communications sector by honouring past achievements, present innovations, and future advancements. These awards recognise outstanding suppliers, sign makers, and individual traders in sign making, digital printing, and visual communications. With over 35 years of industry service, SDUK and Sign Update ensure that everyone in the industry has a voice, highlighting and rewarding the best in the field.