David Savastano, Editor11.13.20
It is amazing how much the world has changed in 2020. As I started work on the annual Year in Review article, I looked back on major news items during the year and was struck by how different everything is since mid-March.
Prior to the tragic COVID-19 pandemic, the printing industry was looking ahead to drupa 2020. Business was running as it usually did, with some disruptions but with a certain normalcy.
However, 2020 will always be remembered as the year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of lockdowns and concerns over health, people stayed home. Zoom meetings became the norm, and people started working from home more frequently. Practically all trade shows were canceled or postponed.
In terms of ink, governments designated the ink industry as an essential business, and companies remained open. Packaging inks were of particular interest, as restaurants and bars were closed, and when they finally opened, did so with capacity limitations.
After more than six months, we have had a chance to see how life during a pandemic may change the way we live our lives going forward. In the Year in Review article, which begins on page 15, I asked top executives from major ink companies what they think the impacts will be on business in the future. The answers are really interesting:
• Top industry leaders say they believe that business will remain more digital, as it is clear that people can work from home with the new tools that have been developed;
• Along those lines, virtual events - from product introductions and sales meetings to training and customer support – are seen as advantageous in terms of time and cost savings.
Industry leaders noted that the hunt for an effective vaccine is still ongoing and that once a vaccine is approved, the public will have to be confident about it. At some point, in-person meetings will return, but no one knows to what extent.
If anything, the ink industry and its people, like so many others, have proven resilient. Hopefully, at some point in the future, we can look back and talk about the post-COVID-19 era.
David Savastano
Ink World Editor
dsavastano@rodmanmedia.com
Prior to the tragic COVID-19 pandemic, the printing industry was looking ahead to drupa 2020. Business was running as it usually did, with some disruptions but with a certain normalcy.
However, 2020 will always be remembered as the year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of lockdowns and concerns over health, people stayed home. Zoom meetings became the norm, and people started working from home more frequently. Practically all trade shows were canceled or postponed.
In terms of ink, governments designated the ink industry as an essential business, and companies remained open. Packaging inks were of particular interest, as restaurants and bars were closed, and when they finally opened, did so with capacity limitations.
After more than six months, we have had a chance to see how life during a pandemic may change the way we live our lives going forward. In the Year in Review article, which begins on page 15, I asked top executives from major ink companies what they think the impacts will be on business in the future. The answers are really interesting:
• Top industry leaders say they believe that business will remain more digital, as it is clear that people can work from home with the new tools that have been developed;
• Along those lines, virtual events - from product introductions and sales meetings to training and customer support – are seen as advantageous in terms of time and cost savings.
Industry leaders noted that the hunt for an effective vaccine is still ongoing and that once a vaccine is approved, the public will have to be confident about it. At some point, in-person meetings will return, but no one knows to what extent.
If anything, the ink industry and its people, like so many others, have proven resilient. Hopefully, at some point in the future, we can look back and talk about the post-COVID-19 era.
David Savastano
Ink World Editor
dsavastano@rodmanmedia.com