A Preview of the 2025 Wide-Format Summit

Now entering its fifth year, the annual Wide-Format Summit, presented jointly by PRINTING United Alliance and Wide-Format Impressions, has grown in both size and influence and as an event for which wide-format producers are clamoring to gain entry.

Built around this year’s theme, “Adapting to Change, Embracing Innovation,” the Summit presents a unique format that fosters connection and links producers with the manufacturers of the equipment and solutions they seek. Through high-end industry analysis, relevant case studies, and results-focused, one-on-one dialog, the Summit has proven itself to be a can't-miss industry event.

But the Wide-Format Summit is not for everyone. Attendees of each year’s event are carefully vetted to determine whether their companies are on a growth trajectory — that they are actively seeking to grow, perhaps by adding capacity, increasing capability, or boldly moving into new, more profitable application areas. It’s for companies on the move.

The value of the Summit is perhaps best described by Marco Boer, vice president at I.T. Strategies, and keynote speaker at this and previous Wide-Format Summit events: “As an attendee, you basically get an ‘executive MBA’ in an intense three days, about the state of the industry, about technology innovations that you can leverage in your business. And it’s an opportunity to mix with your peers in a way in an environment that’s, frankly, nonthreatening and open. There’s no better and more efficient way to invest three days of your life into really understanding what’s happening in your business.”

If your wide-format business is on a growth trajectory and you believe it could benefit from what Boer has described, then take the next step. To submit an application to this exclusive event, visit wideformatsummit.com, scan the QR code, or contact wfsinfo@napco.com.

On the Event Agenda

Over the course of three days, the Summit presents thought-provoking general sessions, on-point case studies, one-on-one meetings with sponsor companies, strong networking, and the opportunity to have some fun. General sessions are slated to include the following:

• Market Trends and Emerging Technologies: Marco Boer will open the event with a keynote on the growing influence of wide-format printing technology as it begins to encompass décor, apparel, and industrial printing applications, challenging the technology status quo in these spaces.
• Harnessing Technology for Profitability: A panel moderated by Denise Gustavson, editorial director of PRINTING United Alliance and co-chair of the Wide-Format Summit, will examine how advancements in technology are helping wide-format print service providers (PSPs) reduce costs, expand service capabilities, and make strategic investments to stay competitive.
• AI’s Role in Wide-Format Printing: As artificial intelligence (AI) transforms the industry, this forward-looking session will explore how AI can enhance production workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and improve decision-making in wide-format operations.
• Technology Investments for a Smarter Workflow: A panel moderated by Dan Marx, content director of Wide-Format Impressions and co-chair of the Wide-Format Summit, will examine how advancements in finishing technology, automation, and workflow optimization are driving efficiency and profitability for PSPs.
• Looking Ahead: Trends for the Next 12 Months: This interactive discussion will highlight what print executives are watching in the year ahead, from evolving customer demands to the next wave of industry innovation.

The 2025 Wide-Format Summit offers an unparalleled opportunity for attendees to seek and find new directions, new technologies, and new opportunities. The event provides attendees with a wealth of knowledge – from peers, sponsors, presenters, and subject matter experts on-hand – to help them get closer to their own critical decision points. Simply put, this event brings strong opportunity!

About the event, Gustavson shares the following: “Attending the Wide-Format Summit is like getting a front-row seat to the future of our industry. It’s where you get to step away from the daily grind, connect with industry peers, and have real, meaningful conversations about the challenges and opportunities shaping the wide-format space. The mix of expert-led sessions, case studies, and one-on-one meetings with solution providers makes it an invaluable experience. You’ll walk away not just with ideas, but with actionable strategies to take your business to the next level.”

And … We’ve Got This

Better yet, for qualified print executives approved to attend the Wide-Format Summit 2025, all expenses are covered. This includes airfare, airport transfers, hotel accommodations, and meals. This commitment underscores the Summit’s role as the premier event for executives dedicated to exploring innovation, efficiency, and business growth in the wide-format industry.

That said, the Summit is no boondoggle. Attendees are urged (and expected) to participate, to engage, to offer their knowledge, and to be there and be engaged the entire time. In doing so, they can access the greatest value of their investment of time.

Sponsors Play a Key Role

In addition to funding this unique event, Wide-Format Summit sponsors bring deep knowledge through case studies presented in a small-group format and roll-up-your-sleeves, detail-specific discussions during two robust segments in the 1:1 Meeting Zone, which gives sponsors and attendees the opportunity to have “face time” with each other. These solutions-focused meetings are designed to match solutions with needs, vendors, and customers.

About the essential role event sponsors play in the event, and the deep value they bring to the experience, Steve Duccilli, group vice president at PRINTING United Alliance, says, “Sponsors benefit from the networking and exchange of information as much as our hosted attendees do. Vendors gain invaluable insights on the challenges leading PSPs are facing, enabling them to better address their customers’ needs and steer future product development. Conversations at the Wide-Format Summit have a depth and openness that simply doesn’t happen at other events, or even in sales calls at a customer’s office.”

Compelling Reasons

There may be no better time to attend an event as deep and meaningful as the Wide-Format Summit. Technologies are changing, bringing greater flexibility and enhanced automation; turn times are short and margins continue to tighten. On top of that, competition continues to increase as PSPs from other segments seek different, profitable opportunities.

“Commercial printers have discovered, ‘wide-format,’” Boer says. “Of course, they haven’t just discovered it, but the reality is they’ve become enamored with the profits available from it. And if you follow that thought, it connects to the fact that competition is getting more intense. That then pushes the boundary for wide-format PSPs to go after new applications. I think market pressures are causing us to unleash new creativity using wide-format graphics machines.”

So, then, what is your company’s compelling reason to attend the 2025 Wide-Format Summit? Better workflow, enhanced or improved equipment, stronger paths to profitability? A stronger sense of how to position your business? For these reasons and others, the Summit can be your sounding board, your source of inspiration, your way to confirm your assumptions.

Apply to Attend!

To submit an application to this exclusive event, visit www.wideformatsummit.com, scan the QR code, or contact wfsinfo@napco.com.