Category: The innovation blog

The art of presentation

Ever made a presentation and felt that you didn’t, to lapse into Louis Walsh X Factor parlance, really nail it? Who hasn’t? Tom Peters has given more presentations than most of us and has been kind enough to share...

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What your ‘about us’ page says about you

Tawnya Starr is the president of an American company called PrinterPresence that makes money by helping printers improve their websites. So when she says too many printers apply to a “do it cheap” mentality online, she is hardly a disinterested party. Unfortunately, she also happens to be absolutely right. Her stats suggest that 76% of print customers look online before spending  – and that’s why she recommends that printing websites enable buyers to design, personalise, proof and place their order without having to make a phone call.

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How to kill innovation

Many bosses say they want innovation, Harvard Business School professor Rosabeth Moss Kantor observes, but “operate by a set of hidden principles designed to prevent innovations from surfacing or succeeding.” You can find her nine ways to kill innovation using the link below, but three struck me as particularly pertinent.

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What would Einstein do?

“If I had an hour to save the world,” Albert Einstein once observed, “I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute finding solutions.” And yet, as Stephen Shapiro points out in the European Business Review , most businesses, as they strive to be innovative, do the exact opposite – and fail spectacularly. Shapiro cites the example of a UK bank which did the traditional thing that companies do when they want to innovate but don’t know why or how – asked staff for suggestions to improve the business. 

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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.