SMP Reflects on FESPA 2026 Success

The Strategic Mailing Partnership (SMP) joined thousands of print, mail and communications professionals in Barcelona for FESPA 2026, one of the industry’s largest international exhibitions and conferences.

Bringing together professionals from across the global print, signage, textile, corrugated, vinyl and visual communications sectors, FESPA provided a valuable platform for innovation, collaboration and networking. The event showcased emerging technologies, encouraged the exchange of ideas, and created opportunities to strengthen business relationships across the print and communications supply chain.

Representing the SMP throughout the week, board members Phil Ricketts (Royal Mail Marketreach), Ben Briggs (Join the Dots), Gemma Mitchell (Paragon Dagenham), Rob Flannery and Lucy Swanston (Nutshell Creative) took to the FESPA education stage to share insights on sustainability, effectiveness, creativity and the future role of mail within the marketing mix – while engaging with industry leaders from across Europe and beyond.

Opportunity and Connection

For Ben Briggs, Managing Director at Join the Dots, the event highlighted the need to continue educating marketers and agencies on the realities of modern mail.

Speaking during a panel session on sustainability in mail, Ben noted that the divide between perception and evidence remains significant, with many outdated assumptions continuing to shape decision-making: “The split between perception and evidence is roughly 50/50, and it comes down to two things: education and short-termism.”

Ben argued that mail is often unfairly dismissed when marketers focus on channel-level performance rather than wider business objectives, despite growing evidence demonstrating its effectiveness and engagement.

He also highlighted a key theme that resonated throughout the sustainability discussions: “The most sustainable campaign is one that was worth sending in the first place.”

Reflecting on the wider event, Ben was struck by both the scale of attendance and the industry’s appetite for innovation: “Around 30,000 visitors descended on Barcelona for FESPA, all focused on one thing: using technology to improve print communications.”

Beyond the exhibition floor, Ben said the opportunity to connect with peers across the supply chain was equally valuable: “Being in a room with likeminded professionals from across the entire supply chain, having proper conversations, debating ideas and spending time with fellow SMP board members and the wider UK print community was a powerful reminder of how connected and collaborative this industry can be.”

An energetic outlook

Gemma Mitchell, Managing Director at Paragon Dagenham, shared a similarly positive experience, describing FESPA as a reminder of both the strength of the medium and the opportunity that still exists to educate marketers outside the industry: “I came to Barcelona as a speaker and panellist. I left with more energy for this industry than I arrived with.”

During her session, The Value of Mail: The Power of Physical in a Digital World, Gemma explored how mail continues to deliver attention, trust and commercial effectiveness in an increasingly fragmented media landscape. One of the strongest messages to emerge from both her presentation and the sustainability panel was the close relationship between effectiveness and environmental responsibility: “The most unsustainable piece of mail is one that should never have been sent. Don’t send for sending’s sake.”

While encouraged by the enthusiasm within the sector, Gemma also challenged the industry to take its message beyond its own audiences: “We are a brilliant industry at talking to ourselves.”

She added that the challenge now is ensuring marketing directors, media buyers and procurement professionals are exposed to the same evidence and insights being discussed within the print community.

Focused on Innovation

Rob Flannery, Sales and Marketing Manager at Nutshell Creative, observed that sustainability and technological advancement were visible across the exhibition floor, from the conference programme to the latest equipment and automation solutions on display: “Sustainability was not a side conversation at FESPA 2026. It was everywhere. There is a real harmony now between AI, automation and robotics, with kit becoming more intelligent and output benefitting as a result.”

Reflecting on the atmosphere of the event, Rob described it as: “Optimistic, progressive and quietly defiant. It felt like print is in a moment of reinvention, where craft, responsibility and innovation are all moving together.”

For Lucy Swanston, SMP Chair and Managing Director of Nutshell Creative, one of the standout aspects of FESPA was the opportunity to connect with industry peers, exchange ideas and build meaningful relationships, commenting: “There’s definitely something about the buzz at FESPA that reminds you why events like this matter.”

While digital communication plays an important role in modern business, Lucy believes face-to-face engagement continues to create opportunities that simply cannot be replicated online: “Nothing quite replaces getting actual humans in a room together to build trust, spark ideas and have those random conversations you never planned for.”

As conversations across the event explored sustainability, AI, automation, creativity and customer engagement, FESPA 2026 demonstrated that print continues to evolve and adapt to meet changing market demands.

For the SMP, FESPA 2026 served as a powerful reminder that while technology continues to transform the communications landscape, the future of print and mail will be shaped by the

industry’s ability to innovate, collaborate and challenge outdated perceptions. The conversations started in Barcelona will continue long after the exhibition doors have closed.

-ENDS-

Picture Captions:

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SMP board members represented the Strategic Mailing Partnership at FESPA 2026 in Barcelona, sharing insights on sustainability, effectiveness, innovation and the future of mail with an international audience

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FESPA 2026 brought together around 30,000 visitors from across the global print and communications sector, providing a platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing and showcasing the latest technological innovations shaping the future of the industry

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The SMP joined industry leaders from across Europe and beyond at FESPA 2026, where discussions focused on sustainability, automation, AI, customer engagement and the evolving role of print and mail in modern communications

For further information, images or interviews, please contact: Brendan Perring, info@thestrategicmailingpartnership.co.uk, 0796 962 8839

Notes to Editors     

About the Strategic Mailing Partnership     

First established in 2008, the Strategic Mailing Partnership (SMP) is a professional body that represents and protects the interests of printers and mailing houses across the UK.    

Supported by Royal Mail, the SMP is free to join and exists to raise standards in the mailing industry and promote better mail for all – from the senders and receivers, but more importantly, the manufacturers and mailing agents operating behind the scenes.    

The Strategic Mailing Partnership is made up of four focus areas: Operational, Sales and Marketing, Education and Sustainability.   

The SMP is the largest group in the UK of mail and print suppliers and service providers. Its members belong to the only known specialist supply chain network in post in Europe. The SMP is currently made up of over 800 members from mailing houses across the UK. 

Latest news, membership sign-up and the SMP’s history is available on its website by visiting: www.thestrategicmailingpartnership.co.uk.