Westcoast recently held its fourth Win with Westcoast event at Nobu, London. This year, for the first time, the event included a dedicated print-focused track. Michelle Ryder reports.
Print and AV Director Ryan Mitchell and Sales Director Henry Beech opened the event which they said was designed to provide guests with a fresh perspective and valuable connections. Mitchell pointed out that Westcoast’s foundations were built on print over 40 years ago and that print still remains front and centre for the organisation.
“We continue to invest in print, enhance our solutions stack and build out services,” he said. This commitment was echoed by MPS Sales Manager Nik Modi, who added: “Print is our priority.” A support partner for the channel Westcoast does much more than simply supply technology, it also delivers a suite of end-to-end solutions and services from pre-deployment configurations, onsite installations, maintenance contracts, mobile device management and finance, to extended warranty and service and AI consultancy.
Solutions and Services Specialist Nathan Cole, spoke about the distie’s continued investment in solutions and services and outlined some of the core in-house value-add services available to resellers, such as bill and hold, physical and technical staging, pre-provisioning and asset tagging.
“We want you to win more business together. Westcoast is a support partner for the channel, we can do a full solution for you and build it the way you want us to,” he explained. Mitchell added: “You focus on device sales and we can pick up things on the service side on your behalf.”
Unified approach
Neil Sawyer, Senior Vice President, Northern Europe at HP was one of three vendors who presented at the event. He spoke about how HP and Westcoast’s four-decade long partnership has evolved over time, the company’s broader offering beyond print, and emphasised its partner-first commitment. “You have the reach HP doesn’t,” he said, stating that HP wants to be easy to do business with and stressing the importance of its partnership with Westcoast, citing the distributor’s ability to deliver frictionless engagement and scale in particular.
Sawyer pointed out that security remains a cornerstone of HP’s value proposition. With all IP developed in the UK, HP’s print and compute technologies are the most secure in the world. He explained that the conversation has shifted beyond costper- page printing. Today’s customers are focused on how document management, secure devices and AI-powered workflows can enhance employee experience and business efficiency.
Sawyer spoke about how a unified ‘One HP’ approach delivers complete, connected solutions and explained its strategy is rooted in empowering IT decision-makers with integrated software solutions, including its Workforce Experience Management platform, which monitors and improves workplace productivity across all HP‑connected devices.
His message was clear: HP is not just selling products, but building long-term, trust-based relationships with partners to help redefine work through AI and digital transformation. Sawyer closed with a reminder of HP’s legacy, founded in 1939, the company helped establish Silicon Valley. “We want to work with you, our partners, to deliver change and reliability for your customers.”
Powering your business with AI
Craig Hodgson, AI Delivery Lead at Fidra Analytics and Larry Smith BDM Sales Manager at Westcoast, provided an overview of Westcoast’s AI services. The duo stressed that AI services are built around solving business challenges, not pushing technology. The focus is on helping partners to identify value streams, within their own or their customers’ business – areas where AI and analytics can unlock efficiencies, improve customer experience, and sharpen competitive edge.
Whether it’s sales conversion insights, predictive maintenance or stock optimisation, the goal is to turn data into actionable intelligence. Hodgson explained that the journey begins with an AI Readiness package, a 10-day engagement to assess use cases and feasibility. Promising ideas then move into a Proof of Value phase, where a minimum viable AI product is developed and tested. From there, partners can scale solutions with ongoing support.
Importantly, each phase is fixed-term, fixed-price and vendor-agnostic. In closing, Smith encouraged partners to explore AI within their own operations to streamline workflows, automate tasks and enhance service delivery. He also said that Westcoast has developed a workshop for partners looking to resell and monetise AI. Reliable, effortless and sustainable Lexmark’s Vice President EMEA Sales, Danny Molhoek explored what sets Lexmark printers and MFPs apart, describing the technology as reliable, effortless and sustainable.
Molhoek pointed out Lexmark’s strong sustainability credentials including the fact it has achieved Platinum status by Ecovadis for four years in a row. He stressed the company’s focus on sustainable design as well as its advanced remanufacturing processes. Lexmark devices contain industry-leading levels of postconsumer recycled (PCR) content, are engineered for durability and reliability, and designed to last for seven+ years.
He also explained how partners will benefit from Lexmark’s acquisition by Xerox, emphasising the advantages of greater scale, deeper expertise and increased resources. In particular he highlighted why Lexmark is the ideal partner for international companies seeking multi-country MPS contracts. Sustainable, energy-efficient printing Epson’s Dan Wogan presented a compelling case for sustainable, energy-efficient printing. He said that as an indirect sales organisation, Epson provides partners with an opportunity to differentiate around sustainability.
Wogan spoke about the potential for partners to educate customers on the commercial impact of sustainability leveraging Epson’s Optimisation Tool. He also highlighted the advantages of heat-free technology, in particular, the fact devices use 80% less energy, incorporate high yield cartridges and have no warm-up time. Attendees also heard from Greg Van Der Gaast, a former hacker turned cybersecurity advisor, who provided a wake-up call on the risks behind innovation. Van Der Gaast then joined Henry Beech, Ryan Mitchell, Dan Wogan, HP’s Rob Taylor and Danny Molhoek for an insightful panel discussion looking ahead to 2026 and beyond.
The event closed with an incredible show from illusionist Fergus Flanagan, proving innovation can be magical. Panel discussion The panel discussion centred on several strategic themes including consolidation, diversification, collaboration and sustainability. Consolidation continues to reshape the market, with major players acquiring smaller resellers, leading to a projected reduction in channel participants by 2026.
Westcoast’s acquisition by ALSO was highlighted as a strategic move that expands regional capabilities and supports cross-border service delivery, especially important in the post-Brexit landscape. Diversification emerged as a survival imperative. As acquiring net-new business becomes more difficult, many resellers are expanding beyond print into areas like cybersecurity, AI, and IT services to offset plateauing print revenues.
Collaboration was highlighted as a growth lever, with cross-selling and shared services enabling deeper customer engagement. Despite the shift toward services, most agreed that print still accounts for the majority of reseller revenue. While digital workflows and IT services are growing, the transition has been slow. Many resellers still rely on longterm print leases and asset sweating to maintain margins. However, those failing to adapt, risk being left behind. Sustainability was another focal point alongside cybersecurity concerns. In summary, strategic alignment, transparency and adaptability will be critical for resellers navigating a rapidly transforming market.
