BPIF teams up with PIA in drive to unite global printing industry

With its alliance with the Printing Industries of America (PIA) the BPIF has obtained for its members access to the vast array of technical and business knowledge that exists on the PIA’s technical website – GAIN (the Graphic Arts Information Network).

BPIF members will be able to log on and register for all the benefits of the GAIN website including:

• Access to the members only area of the website which includes:
     o Business and technical solutions including the GATF hotline and access to the GraphicBrain.com search engine
     o GATF World bi-monthly magazine with articles on current and emerging technologies (including back issues) 
     o Market updates from around the world
• Member prices on a vast range of technical and business publications

Access will be through the BPIF’s Technology Warehouse website which already contains much valuable technical information from a UK perspective. The link will be operative in the autumn of 2007 and members will have individual access to the information from then.

BPIF director of strategy Mike Hopkins said, ‘We have a very good relationship with the PIA and have been talking to them for some time now about this link up. We think that there is some very good value to be had from current and archive information available through this link and we will be encouraging our members to take full advantage.’

This alliance is also part of the BPIF’s work to create a representative and powerful world printing alliance which can truly unite the world’s printing and graphics industry and address those issues that can only be addressed at that level.  ‘A global industry needs a global organization to represent and drive it,’ said Michael Johnson, chief executive, BPIF. ‘We had some very productive discussions with our colleagues from 22 countries around the world (including Mr Yu Yongzhan, president of the Chinese Printing Technology Association and former vice minister of the administration of press & publications and Michael Makin, president and CEO of the Printing Industries of America) at the recent Intergraf General Assembly in Helsinki.  From this base we intend to be part of the team that builds that organization dedicated to promoting the printing industry and protecting its interests at a global level.’ 

Bob Hodgson, president of Intergraf, welcomed the development. ‘Co-operation between national associations is encouraging and will allow us all to meet the challenges of the global print market and exchange views on common issues.’