Automation, Insight, and the Path Forward: Day Two of 2025 Wide-Format Summit

The second day of the 2025 Wide-Format Summit presented by PRINTING United Alliance and Wide-Format Impressions, at the J.W. Marriott Turnberry Resort Spa in Aventura, Florida, opened with a strong focus on automation.

Wide-Format Automation in Focus

The day's first general session presentation, presented by Lisa Cross, principal analyst with Alliance Research, presented data gleaned from three recent research studies to present an illuminated view into whether (or how) wide-format companies are automating their processes.

Lisa Cross, principal analyst with Napco Research

Cross discussed the benefits and challenges of automation in wide format printing. Key points of Cross’s presentation included the role automation plays in boosting productivity (75%), meeting customer demand (71%), and staff satisfaction (56%).

Despite the stated importance of automation among wide-format producers (84% say it is essential for competitiveness), only 49% of respondents reported having significant automation in place. For those seeking success in automation, Cross emphasized the need for strong leadership and strategic alignment to effectively leverage automation.

She added that some of the most common barriers to success in automation are workflow complexity and systems integration. "Lots of times," she said, "we automate one part of our organization and not the others, and then we go to update another part of the organization, we find that systems aren't always competitive."

Streamlining Wide-Format Processes

From left: Kevin Breckenridge, Ian Scott, Dan Marx

Following Cross's presentation, Dan Marx, content director of Wide-format Impressions, took to the stage for his panel, "Streamlining Wide-Format Production." Marx was joined by Ian Scott, COO of Convergent Print Group, and Kevin Breckenridge, large-format manager for Data Communications Management. The three discussed the challenges they're currently facing in the industry, like color proofing and matching for wide-format printing, difficulty in automating finishing processes, labor costs, and how the evolution of automation software has helped reach the goals of faster work, waste elimination, and profit maximization.

Addressing Attendee Questions

Marco Boer, VP at I.T. Strategies, took the stage for a second time during the events to address a series of ten key "burning questions" submitted prior to the event.

Marco Boer, VP of I.T. Strategies

The fast-moving presentation included Boer's take on artificial intelligence and how it will affect the wide-format space, automation and robotics, the ongoing emergence of the decor printing opportunity, and how levels of quality may provide opportunity to take on more work from certain customers.

Addressing wide-format equipment trends, Boer says he sees producers keeping their systems for longer periods. "We used to say that the average piece of white format of equipment would last somewhere around eight years," he shared. "That's now stretching into nine or even 10 years, because the equipment is more reliable, right? We've gotten smarter over the last 30 years. The only thing that we're finding is that we're adding upgrades to things."

This is the second year Boer has answered audience-submitted questions, and last year's presentation resulted in the ten-part Mondays with Marco series.

Additional Summit Benefits

The day was also punctuated by a series of case studies presented by summit sponsors and the event's unique one-to-one meetings, which allow deep, valuable exchange between sponsors and attendees. The day concluded with a boisterous "casino night" filled with voices, music, and fortunes of fake money.