A 24-hour celebration without borders, International Print Day (IPD) will throw open its virtual doors to the global community on Wednesday, October 19th – and everyone is invited. IPD’s organizers encourage anyone with an interest in the original communication delivery device better to join the planet’s largest conversation about print in all its forms, hosted by regional advocates with the aim of creating greater visibility for this fast-moving technology space. The collaborative event will begin at 6pm ET on October 18th (11pm GMT, 9am AEST) and finish 24 hours later.
From students and artists to printers and their supply chain, IPD offers the opportunity for any interested party to share their work, their favorite print or simply share a moment with fellow enthusiasts. At its simplest, anybody with a Twitter account can join the hashtag #IPD16, interacting with interested parties around the world to share their printed work, their favourite piece of print or information about their activities in the print world. Last year, this hashtag alone generated an impressive 27-million timeline deliveries in just under 24 hours.
IPD’s theme is born from the community and this year it’s ‘#PrintSmart’, providing another way for stakeholders to interact. “Print is a fascinating technology with a proud history and a vibrant future,” says Deborah Corn, Principal at Print Media Centr and the driving force behind the day. “Print Smart reflects our confident, creative industry’s desire to solve problems using print and share our ways of doing so. We’re expecting to see printers but also designers, marketers and entrepreneurs connecting throughout the day sharing samples and stories of great print – plus ideas, suggestions and opportunities to collaborate.”
One such collaboration is via the established #PrintChat, taking place at 4pm ET (9pm GMT) on October 19th. This community endeavor attracts influencers from across the sector, discussing products and services, multi-channel marketing and dreams for a future of print. On this occasion it will represent the pinnacle of a visionary day of smart, print-related sharing.
Corn sees IPD as a way for individual print houses, too, to engage with their local community. “There are no limits to what can happen on International Print Day,” she states, noting that there are advocates guiding the chat in Australia, Europe and the Americas to create a non-stop activity that is tipped to trend globally. “If you’ve been thinking of inviting customers or local students in to see your shop, why not do it? It’s the perfect excuse to blend fun with being informative and there are no boundaries as to what you can do.”
Anyone can host a Print Hotspot, with whatever degree of formality they choose. A Hotspot can be registered with info@internationalprintday.org so that the organizing team can help promote it as an official activity. However, Corn encourages those with creative ideas to put their thinking caps on.
“In the past, a printer convinced their local mayor to declare the day International Print Day, while last year, the United States Capitol Building recognized it by sharing pictures of their printed admission tickets,” she recalls. “Just like with print itself, the creativity is endless. So, be as inventive as possible and let’s get print and its possibilities trending around the world.”
For more information, please visit www.internationalprintday.org, where additional details about the format and content of the day can be found. Novice social media users can also find links to introductory videos by Print Media Centr ahead of time to shore up their knowledge.
About International Print Day
