Canon launches pan-European ‘Business Leap’ Competition to inspire innovation and boost business performance through digital print
Tags: Canon / Canon imageRUNNER / Trade Fairs 2010
• Canon is launching a competition that involves the submission of a formal business plan via its Ipex 2010 microsite
• Total prize value will exceed 100,000 Euros with the first prize being a fully configured, light production Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE C9070 PRO digital press
• Canon is setting out to support digital print companies as they look to achieve long-term financial security through innovation and robust forward planning
Further demonstrating its ongoing commitment to the professional print industry, Canon Europe, world leader in digital imaging solutions, today announces the launch of its pan-European ‘Business Leap’ Competition.
With Canon’s third Insight report today (Please see relevant press release dated 9 February 2010) revealing that many print service providers would not have survived the downturn without a digital printing capability, it is hoped that the competition will both stimulate printers to consider new ways to develop their businesses (or start new ones) and provide guidance in the creation of a comprehensive business plan, a key requirement when seeking access to finance.
Open to anyone aged over 18 and resident in Western Europe*, the competition invites all printers, together with entrepreneurs seeking an opportunity to join the industry, to submit a formal business plan for a commercial venture that involves digital printing. The plans will be scrutinised and reduced to a shortlist of finalists, who will then be individually interviewed by a panel of independent business consultants and a winner and two runners-up selected.
The first prize will be a fully configured, light production Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE C9070 PRO digital press, which the winner will be able to retain for three years. The second prize will be a 44 inch Canon imagePROGRAF large format solution, which again the winner will be able to retain for three years. . The third prize comes in the form of bespoke business consultancy, which the first two prize winners will also receive. The total value of the prizes will be in excess of 100,000 Euros. The competition will run from the end of March to the end of July 2010 and the winners will be presented with their prizes at an awards ceremony in Paris in October 2010.
David Preskett, Director of Professional Print, Canon Europe, explains the rationale behind the competition: “With most of the key territories in Europe still enduring the recession, it’s clear that, to secure their long-term commercial future, printers need to think about their businesses in a new way and take a more entrepreneurial approach towards customers and customer needs. The industry has changed and we are encouraging our customer to adapt to this change – to make a leap into the future of print. We’re therefore launching the Canon ‘Business Leap’ Competition to offer guidance in the preparation of a creative and comprehensive business case. At the same time, we’re giving entrants the opportunity to win a top-of-the-range light production digital press, a Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE C9070 PRO, together with practical business consultancy from independent experts.
“In running the competition,” continues Preskett, “Canon is setting out to help printers develop profitable businesses for the longer term, while giving entrants the chance to turn their business ideas into a commercial reality. I’d therefore urge any printer who is looking to move into digital printing or any entrepreneur looking to break into this industry to submit an entry!”
Any qualifying person who wishes to enter the Canon Business Leap Competition must register their details on the Canon Ipex 2010 microsite at www.canon-europe.com/ipex which will be live from 31 March 2010. They will then be able to download an entry form, which should be completed and emailed, together with any supporting documentation the entrant believes will strengthen their case, to BusinessLeap@canon-europe.com
The terms and conditions of the competition and a guide to completing the entry form will also be available via the Canon Ipex 2010 microsite and any entrant requiring clarification on a point may also email their question to Canon at BusinessLeap@canon-europe.com. The decision of the judges is final and Canon will not enter into any correspondence with any entrant over the outcome of the competition.
*A full list of the participating countries will be published at www.canon-europe.com/ipex
About Canon Europe
Canon Europe is the regional sales and marketing operation for Canon Inc., represented in 120 countries and employing over 11,000 people across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Founded in 1937 with the specific goal of making the best quality camera available to customers, Canon’s tireless passion for the Power of Image has since extended its technology into many other markets and has established it as a world leader in both consumer and business imaging solutions. Its solutions comprise products, ranging from digital compact and SLR cameras, through broadcast lenses and portable X-ray machines, to multi-function and production printers, all supported by a range of value added services.
Canon invests heavily in R&D to deliver the richest and most innovative products and services to satisfy customers’ creative needs. From amateur photographers to professional print companies, Canon enables each customer to realise their own passion for image.
Canon believes that considering the interests of society and the environment is an integral part of good business practice. This is embodied in its corporate philosophy Kyosei – ‘To live and work together for the common good’.
Further information about Canon Europe is available at: www.canon-europe.com
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