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Simon Pless
Simon Pless has shaped the large-format printing industry for more than three decades. In 1989 he joined the family business Erler+Pless in Hamburg and took over the company step by step within five years. As owner, he led it through the shift from classic print to digital textile printing, aluminium frame systems, LED lightboxes and digital signage. As partner in Colorful in Porto, he helped build one of Europe's largest textile printing centres for the display industry.
After the merger of Erler+Pless and Kleinhempel into the Kleinhempel Group, Simon advises on merger and operational integration. He is President of GIGA, the Global Imaging and Graphic Association, and a judge for the FESPA Awards.
In his opening talk, he shares how family-owned businesses can stand out against large players and online printers: through technological innovation, close customer focus and the courage to rethink responsibility.