Welcome to the June/July issue of Inprint. We are half way through the year and what a year it’s been so far! The COVID-19 vaccine continues to be rolled out and with the reopening of hospitality and rules being more relaxed, we are increasingly heading in a positive direction. Our industry has proved its resilience, which is something to be proud of. 

As the Government’s roadmap develops, we are also starting to see offices reopen and people returning to the workplace. For some this is welcome and exciting, but for others it can bring anxiety. So we look at ways to help you cope if you are feeling nervous about returning to work on page 4, and remind you that you’re not alone if you are feeling this way.  

Training the future generation of print continues to be a priority, and you can find an update on all things BPIF Training on page 10, including how you can get involved in a traineeship and help equip the future generation of our industry. 

The BPIF Marketing department provides an update on activities on page 11, including our new Monthly Read and the launch of our new HR and H&S platform, which provides you with a suite of tools enabling you to ensure that you are compliant with the latest legislation. We have various events and training courses coming up that you can view in our events calendar on page 28. 

This issue also features our Members’ Day, which is taking place virtually on Wednesday 7 July. It is set to be a truly inspiring day, focusing on your business’s most important asset – its people. We would love to see as many of you there as possible to celebrate our industry and to experience a sense of togetherness. You can find out more about Members’ Day on page 18. 

After sadly having to postpone last year, our British Book Design and Production Awards are back for 2021, and we are calling for entries! Further information on how to enter and on the Awards evening itself can be found on page 20. We also introduce to you the new Chairman of our BPIF Books Special Interest Group – Rupert Smith of Halstan - on page 15. 

The events of this year so far and what’s to come are reflected through our member stories on page 26, and I would like to thank all of our members who got involved and shared their news. There’s a great deal to look forward to over the next six months.

As always, I hope you find this issue useful. 

Happy reading.