Event Archive — 2023

Discover, Debate, and Decide the Colour of Tomorrow

In an increasingly monochromatic world, “The Future isn’t Black and White” is a talk that explores how colour has been a silent but powerful force that has shaped and defined culture throughout the ages.

Colour has always been used to not just signal influence and power but also affect everything from our consumer choices to our personal and cultural identity.

The talk argues how today we are approaching a ‘fading vibrancy’ of everything from consumer goods to cars to clothing and the undeniable trend towards muted and dull colour palettes in our everyday lives—and how the world around us seems to be losing its colour.  

The talk will delve into the profound influence of colour on us personally and how it impacts our creativity, mood and overall quality of life. It will showcase the personal nature of colour through G . F Smith’s own creative marketing over the last 60 years, through to the largest global colour study and search for ‘The World’s Favourite Colour’ by G . F Smith in 2017.  
G . F Smith will finish their journey through colour by launching a new colour survey in NYC to discover the ‘Colour of the Future’ — and why we urgently need a new perspective.  

Join us at Alt Group for a talk from Global Brand Director of G . F Smith, Benjamin Watkinson as he shares the results of the largest colour survey ever run, The Future of Colour. The discussion explores the influence colour has on culture, creativity and quality of life. 

Obsessed with the beauty and possibility of paper, G . F Smith is the UK’s largest specialist paper company and the dedicated supplier of creative papers to the creative industries. The company was founded in London in 1885 by George Frederick Smith and today operates in over 25 countries.   Colorplan, the company’s flagship product launched in 1936 and continues to be the creative paper of choice for the graphic industries – a position further secured with the launch of Colorplan Bespoke, which allows global brands to create their own specific shades.  

Ben Watkinson is the Global Brand Director of G . F Smith. Ben believes that central to G . F Smith’s standing is its genuine desire to help people achieve their creative ambitions, regardless of the scale of their project or starting point. He feels that the company’s continued focus on inspiring the creative world and sharing knowledge has fueled its burgeoning reputation as one of the leading forces in creative paper globally.