Back in May, Digital Ink CEO, Christopher Minn, took to the stage at FESPA’s highly anticipated Personalisation Experience in Berlin – a dedicated conference track focused on what’s next for tailored customer experiences, smart workflows, and scalable creativity in the print space.
His talk? “AI without fear: How to embrace AI across every team and workflow in your business.” And it wasn’t about ChatGPT gimmicks or synthetic Barbie doll selfies either.
It was a straight-talking, hype-free walkthrough of how to help your team adopt AI in a way that actually makes sense – for people, for processes, and for profit.
Chris spoke about his experience in both the Middle East and Europe, starting with the AI Lab at FESPA Middle East in Dubai earlier this year – and how that session sparked a deeper commitment to helping print businesses get real about what AI means right now.
“AI isn’t a threat. It’s a toolkit. It’s your co-pilot. The trick is to find that 1% improvement in every part of your business and make it stick.”
Chris’s message landed especially well with business owners, team leads, and automation veterans in the audience – because it acknowledged both the opportunities and the resistance.
🧠 Start small, not scary Don’t overwhelm your team with AI rollouts. Start with what you already use. Most modern SaaS tools have AI features built in. Play. Experiment. Build confidence.
📊 Track the impact Whether you’re in marketing, sales, or operations, find your 1%. How much time are you saving? Are errors down? Is output up? That’s your proof.
🧓 Bridge the generational gap There’s still real fear out there, especially for non-technical team members. Leadership means slowing down, building confidence, and training people in a language they actually understand.
🤝 Human + machine = scale The future of print is powered by smart humans using smart tools. From personalised campaigns to predictive maintenance, it’s already happening. We just need to talk about it more honestly.
One thing Chris did brilliantly on stage was highlight real-world examples from vendors and partners that are already embedding AI into the print ecosystem – often behind the scenes.
🛠️ Enfocus Described as the “Swiss Army knife” of automation, they’ve been integrating AI principles into their platform for over a decade.
✂️ ELITRON Robotic Cutting Intelligence 15+ years of cutting and finishing innovation, now enhancing automation and intelligent decision-making with AI.
📬 MindFire, Inc. Inc. Helping bridge the skills gap with tailored AI adoption training, especially for older generations who’ve been underserved by tech adoption models.
🎯 XMPie, A CareAR Company, EFI, Canon, Printbox, Enterprise Personalized Products Software All made their mark on the FESPA stage and continue to push boundaries in smart print, customer experience, and scalable personalisation.
Events like the Personalisation Experience are more than just speaker slots and panel discussions – they’re a signal that the print industry is waking up to real innovation.
Yes, there’s hype.
But there’s also heart.
And if we want to keep growing – as teams, as brands, as an industry – we need more spaces to talk honestly about AI. Not as a threat, but as an enabler. Not as a headline, but as a habit.
Chris’s talk showed that you don’t need a PhD in machine learning to make AI work for your business.
You just need curiosity, empathy, and the willingness to start.
🌐 More from FESPA’s Personalisation Experience: https://www.fespa.com/en/news-media/category/personalisation-experience
