2012 GAMAA Industry Overseas Internship Grant recipient Peter Barnet has returned from his 24 day tour of the US.
Barnet says he used the $15,000 GAMAA Grant to “broaden my experience and look outside my own backyard, make new connections and discover what innovative practices are being used to drive sales in the US, one of the biggest and most competitive print markets”.
Barnet’s tour of the US included attending the Direct Marketing Association (DMA12) show in Las Vegas, meeting with a number of visionary digital printing firms and attending an intense weekend workshop with marketing wizard Seth Godin, Barnet’s marketing mentor.
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| Peter Barnet and Seth Godwin |
At DMA12 the VP of Marketing for AMEX impacted Barnet with the statement - “you can’t innovate in your spare time. You need to create a team and focus on it”. Barnet says this “resonated strongly with me as my role at Bambra Press is very much about innovation”.
Bambra has formed an innovation team which comprises members of staff. Barnet says, “Seth Godin reminded me, ‘Don’t let being perfect get in the way of a good idea’ and that’s the approach we are aiming to take.”
He says Godin’s workshop was a true highlight. The workshop attracted people from all over the world, and from various industries. “It was a fantastic opportunity to speak to people from different cultures and situations and to find common ground on change and innovation”.
“Seth was inspiring. He says we are in the Connection Economy, where we’ve never been more connected and never more disconnected. Everyone is working in silos. In this environment you need to build trust and connect with people. This is the opportunity for everyone no matter what the industry is. We need to create a business in a market where there are fewer players and avoid the race to the bottom based on price.”
“The US Print Industry doesn’t have all the answers, but there are businesses doing some great work creating tools for multi-channel communications. I’ve come away with a host of ideas that I’ll be sharing with the GAMAA members next year,” Barnet concludes.
Adrian Fleming, GAMAA President, says “the GAMAA members are looking forward to hearing in detail about Peter’s experiences and the outcomes from the Grant tour. The focus of the GAMAA Grant is to explore new ideas that will inspire and to share these outcomes with the wider industry for a sustainable future”.
Applications for the 2013 GAMAA Industry Overseas Internship Grant close on 15th March, 2013 and the successful applicant will be advised by 1st May, 2013. Please visit the GAMAA website for more information – www.gamaa.net.au - or call GAMAA on (02) 9869 0010.
Graphic Arts Merchant Association of Australia
www.gamaa.net.au
