At the start of the summer we announced our podium prices. A promotion in line with a pretty important sporting event taking place at the time that we’re not supposed to mention. The offer covers our entire line of printers and included freebies finance deals... the usual.

The offer was due to end on 15th August, a few days after the closing ceremony and that would be it for the summer. But then we got thinking, this isn’t the closing ceremony – not for GB anyway! In a week or so we welcome the Paralympics, a sporting event which started in the UK and has come home for the biggest event in its history.

There has been a fair amount of outcry over the Olympic (whoops, I said it) v Paralympics relationship. They are supposed to be one and equal but the nature of the UK’s attitude suggests otherwise.

This thought process started for me when I first received my Olympic tickets, they were printed on a high quality card, nicely printed and it was an ‘important delivery’ which I got quite excited about. I then received my Paralympics tickets in the post the next day or so after. An experience which wasn’t so exciting. The quality of the tickets was severely inferior, the accompanying information severely lacking, even down to the envelope they were sent in. All in all... pretty disappointing.

By the time the closing ceremony came about nearly all the paralympic tickets had sold-out, a huge achievement proving that the interest, enthusiasm and popularity was there. However, again the treatment is so different.


- The BBC is going from 24 hr coverage of the Olympics to passing the baton to Channel 4. (For which channel 4 have done a superb effort, be sure to YouTube the TV ads if you haven’t seen them yet).

- The transport network has not been accommodated for. There was so much doubt and chaos in the lead up to the Olympics, in the end the transport was fine but with no focus being given to the Paralympics even though the events are sell outs this could be a bit of an issue I feel.

- Royal Mail did a fantastic job of championing our gold medallist Olympians, with special edition stamps and gold post-boxes. To then announce that the gold medallist paralympians were to be given a group stamp for every 10 medallists. Fortunately due to public pressure there has been a u-turn and each gold medallist to be given their own stamp and gold post-box in an equal respect to the Olympians.

- Olympic rings have even started to come down across the country. The signage and displays will not be the same.


There is so much more to this, and it’s just a bit disappointing.

So, to reflect our enthusiasm for the Paralympics we at printMAX are extending our podium prices. Yes, it’s additional marketing and yes, it’s great to extend an offer but it’s also the right thing to do.