Girls Who Print holds event at Labelexpo Europe 2025

Girls Who Print (GWP), a global professional network for women in the print and graphic communications industry, has held an event at The Pulse during Labelexpo Europe 2025. The event focused on meaningful discussions around skill-building for career advancement and practical tips to help women support long-term growth. 

The event was hosted by the organization's executive director, Deborah Corn, and managing director, Pat McGrew.  

Established in 2009, GWP is a global, nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting women across their careers in print and graphic communications. It is the largest independent network of women in the industry, featuring a membership program and platform that foster community, mentorship, and professional growth. Through education, events, mentorship and advocacy, GWP helps women build confidence, expand expertise and create opportunities across all segments of print, packaging and communications.  

Attendees at the Labelexpo Europe event learned about the GWP mission, followed by a presentation on why continuous learning and asking thoughtful questions are essential for women's career growth. Attendees walked away with practical advice, new connections and a clear sense of how Girls Who Print can support them and the industry.  

Corn highlighted skills and strategies that women could use to stay agile and ready for new opportunities. She emphasized the importance of asking questions and learning about new technologies and products to advance their careers and prepare for senior roles in the industry.  

McGrew, said: ‘Curiosity is the most important skill. Without it, you won’t explore other organizations, truly understand customers, or see possibilities in new roles. I think of it as curating curiosity. Even if it doesn’t come naturally, you can build it. In improv, performers are taught one word: and. Whenever you encounter something new, a product, an idea, a job, ask yourself, And? What does this mean for me? Why should I care?’ 

It is important that women have a place where they can get the skills they need for career development because they're not always chosen in the company to get those skills.  

‘So we want to make sure that women don't just come into the industry they thrive across their careers and we want to support that growth,’ Corn said. 

She adds that one of the biggest challenges is that unless women place themselves for a job position they would like to be in, often times they're passed over. ‘At Girls Who Print, we want to arm the women with the confidence to say, “I'm ready to take that stage. I'm ready to do that interview. I'm ready to be on the cover of that trade show magazine.”’ 

Corn adds that trade shows are a great place for asking questions about new technology, ideas and market insights to help develop industry knowledge for career advancement. Skill building is not just about keeping up but is also about moving ahead of the curve and learning with purpose. 

The duo also highlighted the importance of building confidence. 

‘It's everything we've been talking about. It's confidence, it's building your own self-respect. You can't get recognized for a leadership role if you don't have industry knowledge and you don't have self-respect. There are two biggest ingredients,’ McGrew says. 

‘Confidence means asking for what you need to do your best work. Quiet the voices that say you don’t deserve it or will be judged. Stand your ground,’ Corn added.