Print Solutions July 2006
New Ideas, New Tributes, New Sights to See
This Year’s Expo and Conference promise an exciting mix of
both new and old.
By LaShell Stratton
Those who venture to the Windy City to attend the 2006 Print Solutions Expo and
Conference, Oct. 3-5, will discover quite a few new things this year. In
addition to seeing equipment in action on the show floor, a keynote speech by
former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and over 34 hours of open forum
roundtable discussions at Idea Exchange Centers, attendees now have a new way
to enjoy themselves: The Print Excellence and Knowledge (PEAK) Awards Banquet
scheduled for opening night.
And the Envelope Please…
The 2nd Annual PEAK Awards competition was held this year to acknowledge
companies that not only met customers’ printing needs through creativity in design, manufacturing, fulfillment and
other services, but also solved problems for end users or improved their
clients’ business. In June, three print industry judges reviewed 220 entries in 34
categories ranging from affixed products to commercial printing to e-commerce.
Award winners will be honored at the banquet on Oct. 3, preceded by the opening
cocktail reception sponsored by Glatfelter.
The awards dinner features entertainment by Ken Block, one of the most versatile
comic impressionists in showbiz, and his band. Block performs in venues as
varied as theatres, cruise ships, corporate events and showrooms, and can do
impressions spanning 50 years of singers, comedians, politicians and show
business luminaries.
To enjoy the awards banquet, Print Solutions 2006 attendees must register for
the conference in addition to the Expo at
www.printsolutionsshow.com/registration.cfm. By registering for the conference,
attendees receive a 2-day package that includes not only the PEAK Awards
Banquet but also education sessions, the opening reception, and the Breakfast
of Leaders.
Witness On-site Demonstrations
For the first time at the Print Solutions Expo, floor space will be set aside
for live demonstrations of equipment. Manufacturers and suppliers as varied as Service
Tectonics, FME, Kodak and TPS Group will have integrated label affixers,
EasyMailer mail processing systems, and many other pieces of equipment
operating for attendees.
The equipment demonstrations will provide inventive solutions to certain
vertical markets. Si Nguyen, product marketing manager at Duplo U.S.A. Corp.,
Santa Ana, Calif., says his company plans to bring a prototype of the V-415 Jet
Binder
“which is a sheet bursting, gluing machine for the checks and forms industry.” Nguyen says the Jet Binder allows checks to be glued in batches rather than
stapled. The Jet Binder also has the capability of stacking at the speed of
8400 forms per hour and creating 300 sheet booklets of 31
⁄2 by 5-inch checks. “This is designed specifically for the Check 21 solutions,” Nguyen says.
Listen to a Big-Name Speaker
Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House, will be the keynote speaker during
the general session on Oct. 5. Gingrich is a senior fellow at the American
Enterprise Institute, a conservative Washington-based think tank, and is widely
recognized for pioneering the
“Contract with America,” a strategy that led to the Republican sweep of mid-term elections in 1994.
At the Expo, the political luminary will share his take on the current political
climate in our nation’s capital and he will also share six standards that he feels U.S. leaders must
meet in order to effect real change in the country. Gingrich’s speech is expected to be a big draw at the Expo.
“You may love Newt Gingrich or hate him, but he’s a big name, he’s a celebrity, and he’s new to our show,” says DMIA Board Member Mike Fisher, CDC, president and CEO of PrintConcepts,
Allentown, Pa.
“We think this alone is reason to come to your association’s show this year. We’ve had many great motivational type speakers in the past, but again, the
association felt it was important to try something new. We hope everyone will
come hear this speech.”
Network at Idea Exchange Centers
There will be many new sights and sounds at the 2006 Print Solutions Expo and
Conference, but what some attendees may find particularly interesting are the
new opportunities to network at Idea Exchange Centers. The show floor will
feature free-form, roundtable style discussions at booths led by experts. The
topics are widely varied from how to improve manufacturer and distributor
partner relationships to how to market your business for less than $1,000.
“Networking is always on the top of the benefit list for DMIA companies,” Fisher says. “This year’s show takes that benefit a step further with our Idea Exchange Centers. This is
a new way of organizing a place where you decide the topic, and you talk about
what’s important to you with your colleagues and peers. These centers will be
available throughout the show floor, so you won’t have to leave the excitement to enjoy valuable networking with your peers.”
LaShell Stratton is assistant editor at Print Solutions magazine. Email your
comments to lstratton@PSDA.org.
