This year, the 11th OPI European Forum will take place in central London, kicking off with an informal welcome dinner on 6 October. It’s one of many networking opportunities – always one of the highlights of an OPI forum, judging by delegate feedback – over the course of the event.
Whether it’s during informal chats or the carefully curated conference programme, attendees will learn how peers and industry experts are dealing with the fast evolution in our sector. And there’ll be plenty of practical takeaways that will enable them to make informed decisions about the future direction of their businesses.
Facing a new world
Among the highlights this year will be a State of the Industry debate moderated by OPI CEO Steve Hilleard. The panel of interviewees lined up is geographically varied and comprehensive in channel coverage. It comprises evo’s Andrew Gale, HP Inc’s Ruth Patterson, Lyreco’s Greg Liénard, Mondoffice’s Irma Garbella, Fellowes Brands’ Michel van Beek, Bi-silque’s Perpétua Malta and PBS Holding’s Richard Scharmann.
This session, as well as the keynote delivered beforehand by AI in Business CEO Katie King on the omnipresent importance of AI, will set the scene for many of the challenges – and opportunities – that leaders are facing in an increasingly automated world.
A first at an OPI event and something to really look forward to is a live edition of The RoundTable Rethink Podcast, hosted by former industry exec Paddy Donnelly, which takes on the topics of technology – AI included – business and current affairs. If past episodes are anything to go by, this promises to be an insightful – not to mention provocative and irreverent – hour that challenges traditional thinking and explores fresh perspectives on how to do business.
Get involved
Several of the themes explored in plenary sessions at the European Forum, such as the opportunities of YouTube as a marketing tool and those of the resilient, high-margin cleaning sector, will be revisited in the always-popular roundtables. It is in these smaller group debates that delegates have the chance to dig deeper and participate in a more hands-on way.
As OPI Director Janet Bell says: “This year’s European Forum offers something for everyone in our sector, no matter what country, channel, company or product segment they come from. There’s only one imperative: get involved.”
To book your place and stay up to date with the evolving line-up of speakers and topics covered, visit opi.net/ef2025
