Page 7 - BOSS Today Issue 26

Conference
END OF

EMPIRE?

Specialist OP market researcher Martin Wilde gives a personal view of the
BOSS “Future Of The Office Products Industry” conference.

ounded in 1891, the St only three years away) but What more appropriate on some of the speakers.
FBride Foundation in the also in the Royal Family itself, (literal and metaphorical) Setting the scene for the day
heart of the City Of London is with the abdication crisis of backdrop, then, for the BOSS was Sean Starkey, Chairman of
clearly a place with a long and Edward VIII and the unforeseen Federation Future Of The Office BOSS and MD of Durable UK.
illustrious history. The rear wall accession of George VI. So the Products Industry conference? Starkey pointed out that the last
of its conference room boasts painting can now be seen as an Certainly, such is the 25 years in the OP industry has
a large painting – on loan unwitting representation of a seriousness of the challenges been all about adapting and
from the Queen’s Collection celebration of the ‘permanence’ facing the OP industry in the change management, but with
– entitled “The Heart Of The of the glory of the past and future that many MDs and CEOs over 400 UK OP companies in
Empire” by Frank O Salisbury, present, but with unforeseen from all parts of the supply financial difficulties at present,
painted in commemoration change, destruction and death chain were willing to take time we could not afford to ‘carry
of George V’s Silver Jubilee in just around the corner. out of their busy schedules to on regardless’. However, he
1935. The picture represents And yet, the picture also attend. reminded us that the biggest
the thanksgiving service held features two young girls In his introduction, BOSS CEO threat to the OP industry –
at nearby St Paul’s Cathedral dressed in pink, who grew up to Michael Gardner reminded us digitisation – was also a sales
and is a supremely confident become Queen Elizabeth II and that the industry is changing, opportunity, and that – taking
expression of tradition, Princess Margaret: the former and showed a Microsoft video advantage of ‘big data’ gleaned
permanence and power at the now celebrated as overseeing envisioning life in the office of from customers through
height of the British Empire. the successful change of the future. Notably, not one their fully transactional web
And yet within a year of this Britain and its monarchy which single sheet of paper or writing stores – OP dealers would be
event, King George V was dead enabled both to thrive in the instrument featured in the film. able to understand and meet
(indeed, he died as early as the modern age. The irony that the delegates customers’ needs
20th January 1936) and – as we It appears, then, that even were writing notes throughout EVO’s CEO Robert Baldrey
all know – his demise heralded the cusp of what seems to the day using pens and came next, posing 10 questions
unprecedented upheaval, not be imminent destruction can notebooks kindly supplied by to the industry, and providing
only in terms of the British contain the seeds of future Pilot and Hamelin Brands was some answers:
Empire (World War Two was change, hope and prosperity. not lost on the audience, nor

February/March 2015 | BOSS TODAY 7

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