http://gasc.org RSS feeds for GASC 60 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/14/GRAPH-EXPO-Proves-Relevancy-to-US-Print-Industry.aspx#Comments 0 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=55&ModuleID=403&ArticleID=14 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=14&PortalID=0&TabID=55 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/14/GRAPH-EXPO-Proves-Relevancy-to-US-Print-Industry.aspx It is difficult to compete with the excitement and plethora of announcements unveiled at DRUPA, but as a North American print show GRAPH EXPO remains the center of gravity as a meeting point for document printing equipment and supplies manufacturers. Overall the mood was quite buoyant, with most digital printing equipment manufacturers expecting a year-end slightly ahead of 2011 in terms of unit sales.  This is in sharp contrast to Europe, where all decisions on new capital investment appear frozen in time.  While we’ve anticipated this turning point for years, the virtual disappearance of offset presses on the tradeshow floor marked the end of an era. Gone are the loud mechanical clicking and clacking noises, the fumes from solvent cleaning rags, and the need for large amounts of floor space. Even the digital printing equipment suppliers brought little in the way of big iron—most are finding it more cost effective to fly well-qualified prospects to their sales headquarters rather than tying up resources in time and money needed to ship big equipment to the show floor. Like the 35mm film industry, we all see a transition in revenues from analog to digital production printing. The reality is that the expenditures on digital printing equipment and supplies have already surpassed expenditures on offset printing—despite the fact that offset print still generates 96%+ of all document pages printed. GRAPH EXPO was illustrative of the power and desire for digital printing among commercial printers. In short, it may be a smaller show footprint-wise but it remains the single most important meeting point in the commercial print industry. Marco Boer Fri, 19 Oct 2012 18:06:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:14 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/13/SEO-Spy-on-Your-Competition-for-Keywords.aspx#Comments 0 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=55&ModuleID=403&ArticleID=13 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=13&PortalID=0&TabID=55 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/13/SEO-Spy-on-Your-Competition-for-Keywords.aspx Have you ever wondered what keywords your competitors are using to get their search results? You can spy on your competition to see which keywords are most frequently used to access their (or any) website out there! This can be useful when assessing which keywords you’d like to include on your website to obtain better organic search results. One of the best free tools to use for this is Alexa. Here’s how it’s done: Go to http://www.alexa.com Type in a competitor’s website Click the Get Details button In the High Impact Search Queries section, click the View the complete Search Analytics link.   The top queries for search traffic, trends, and those all-important search terms and phrases are displayed and can be used to help you with keyword selection for your website. Want to learn even more about keyword research? Attend Winsome Websites: A Printers’ Guide for Getting YOUR Company Website Right, Tuesday, October 9, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm. Joe Marin, Sr. Instructor, Manager Training Programs, Printing Industries of America Joe Marin Mon, 01 Oct 2012 15:01:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:13 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/12/SEO-Finding-the-Right-Keywords-for-Your-Website.aspx#Comments 0 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=55&ModuleID=403&ArticleID=12 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=12&PortalID=0&TabID=55 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/12/SEO-Finding-the-Right-Keywords-for-Your-Website.aspx Making sure your website is actually found through organic search is a multi-layered process. Part of that process is selecting the right keywords. To select appropriate keywords, you have to think about what people trying to find you would type into Google, Bing, or Yahoo to make your website pop up in search results. Next, you need to review those keywords for potential traffic and search effectiveness. Here’s the step-by-step process: Think like your customers and potential customers. What are their needs, and what is it that you have to offer that satisfies those needs? Think of as many as you can, and make a list. Next, examine the list. From the list, brainstorm the search words and/or phrases they would they use to find your products and services. Write down as many of these search words and terms as possible. Now review the traffic potential using some free, online tools. Start with the Google AdWords Keyword Tool (you’ll need a Google account to have full access to the tool). The Keyword Tool shows all stats of how many people are searching for the keywords you enter. Type in your keywords, review the results, and check the related search terms to see if any of those may be applicable. The best keywords are high volume, low competition, and high value. When you’ve established which keywords are best, integrate them into your website.   Want to learn even more about selecting the best keywords for your website? Attend Winsome Websites: A Printers’ Guide for Getting YOUR Company Website Right, Tuesday, October 9, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm. Joe Marin, Sr. Instructor, Manager Training Programs, Printing Industries of America Joe Marin Fri, 28 Sep 2012 13:25:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:12 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/11/How-to-Elevate-Your-Selling-Game-to-the-Next-Level.aspx#Comments 0 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=55&ModuleID=403&ArticleID=11 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=11&PortalID=0&TabID=55 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/11/How-to-Elevate-Your-Selling-Game-to-the-Next-Level.aspx Tough times require not only a new way of thinking, but a new way of selling. The challenges facing salespeople and the printing companies they work for in this market are formidable. With that said, the size of the commercial printing market is still enormous and many print providers are thriving. Why Are Some Companies Thriving? For many in our industry, making the sale on every print job or program seems tougher.  Price pressure on profit margins is relentless.  Working harder, making more calls and executing the same sales strategies better is not a sustainable strategy in this economy. The key question is this; why are some printing companies and their salespeople still generating more sales and delivering high profit margins? The answer is that their salespeople have the confidence and skills to compete and their companies have strategies and programs to win. Sales Success Starts with Great Salespeople Our research within the printing industry shows that salespeople who are confident, creative and use a consultative selling process are most likely to succeed. To gain and build these traits requires knowledge of printing, effective sales skills and the ability to manage and control the sales process. Every successful sales program, that creates a competitive advantage for print providers starts with outstanding sales people. But even good salespeople will fail if they don’t have the right company tactics and strategies. How Great Sales Organizations Win I have had an opportunity to identify and work with companies that have sales organizations that have been able to capitalize on and create a competitive advantage. What they are doing is no mystery. The key principle for successful salespeople is not to stay stuck with the same approaches and tactics. Winning in sales is that you keep moving and adjusting to the situation. Many of the sales and marketing activities we have seen can be easily generated by most printing companies. We have found that successful salespeople and their companies are able to accomplish the following: Strengthen their value proposition by addressing what customers really care about Maximize sales performance with current customers by introducing them to innovative programs and new ideas Target the right new customers and markets by linking likely customers with your company strengths Handle the obvious cost objection and avoid the commodity printing price trap Deal creatively and expertly with competing media—and win! Make every opportunity count by creating a ‘marketing event’ on every sales call In most businesses, those who can adapt to change are in a great position to gain competitive advantage. In the printing industry today, we are experiencing game changing factors including technology and changing customer needs, which allow agile companies and salespeople to prosper. Those companies that can provide the greatest value will not only command higher prices but will gain additional business as well. At my Graph Expo 2012 seminar on Monday morning at 11AM on October 8, I will be discussing the 6 sales and marketing strategies that top salespeople and their companies are executing. After hearing about these time sensitive strategies, participants will want to get home and implement them immediately. Joe Rickard is a training leader and consultant who works with printing and technology companies in the graphic arts to improve their sales and operational effectiveness. He is the founder of Intellective Solutions, a provider of customized sales, operational and sales management training material and services. Contact Rickard at 845-753-6156, jrickard@intellectives.com or visit. www.intellectives.com Joe Rickard Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:42:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:11 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/10/Your-Website-Keep-it-or-Start-Over.aspx#Comments 0 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=55&ModuleID=403&ArticleID=10 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=10&PortalID=0&TabID=55 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/10/Your-Website-Keep-it-or-Start-Over.aspx When you’re assessing the effectiveness of your website, you have to determine if there are major differences between what you’re selling and what your customers actually want. Another consideration is if you’re trying to expand your business into new markets—you must determine if that message matches what your prospective customers want. In short, your website should “talk the talk” and “walk the walk,”—meaning it should convey the right message (the “talk” part) and technically do the things that you’re selling to your customers (the “walk” part). Should you work with your existing website or start over?  Ask yourself the following questions: Does your website convey the right message for your current and/or prospective customer base? Is your site optimized for mobile and table devices? Is your website easy to update and change? Is your website optimized for SEO? If you answered “no” to at least 2 of these, then you should probably look at starting over and re-building your website from scratch. Want to learn even more? Attend Winsome Websites: A Printers’ Guide for Getting YOUR Company Website Right, Tuesday, October 9, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm. Joe Marin, Sr. Instructor, Manager Training Programs, Printing Industries of America Joe Marin Tue, 25 Sep 2012 15:38:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:10 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/9/How-do-you-talk-marketing-with-your-customers-and-prospects.aspx#Comments 0 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=55&ModuleID=403&ArticleID=9 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=9&PortalID=0&TabID=55 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/9/How-do-you-talk-marketing-with-your-customers-and-prospects.aspx How do you talk “marketing” with your customers and prospects? I think the conversation should start with what they’re already doing or planning. I say that for two reasons. First, because you probably don’t consider yourself a marketing expert. Second, because the sale you ultimately have to make is about marketing more effectively. You can’t define “more effectively” until you establish some sort of a baseline, and that can only come from an understanding of what’s already in their minds. Beyond that, you probably can’t sell yourself as a marketing expert until you gain some real confidence. Fortunately, your current customers and prospects can teach you a lot about what works and what doesn’t work in marketing their businesses, and the lessons you help them learn are transferrable to other customers and prospects. Help them learn is a key concept. Most of the marketing in American business isn’t very sophisticated, and most of the marketers have only a vague idea if what they’re doing is working. You have the opportunity to probe with questions like: What exactly did you do? What response did you get? How did you follow up on those responses? On a scale of 1-10, how successful was the program? What do you think kept it from being (even) more successful? What did you learn from the experience? The idea here is to start a dialog that takes them to the next level of understanding, and you get to tag along and learn from their experience. I’ve been in lots of conversations where the salesperson led the customer to an epiphany, just through questions like these. And the more you do this, the more likely it is that you’ll have something to add to future conversations. Again, I’ve been in lots of conversations where the salesperson led the customer to a point where he or she could say: “I had a similar situation with another customer. Here’s what we did, and here’s the result we got.” Here’s another way to look at this. You have an opportunity to build your own case studies, and to learn from them in addition to using them as sales tools. There’s probably no better way to establish your expertise and gain confidence at the same time. So, don’t be afraid to talk “marketing” with your customers and prospects. Both you and they can learn from what they’ve done, and use that knowledge to market more effectively. David M. Fellman Thu, 20 Sep 2012 12:33:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:9 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8/Your-Next-Sales-Rep-Are-You-Looking-For-A-Hunter-A-Farmer-Or-A-Pediatrician.aspx#Comments 0 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=55&ModuleID=403&ArticleID=8 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=8&PortalID=0&TabID=55 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8/Your-Next-Sales-Rep-Are-You-Looking-For-A-Hunter-A-Farmer-Or-A-Pediatrician.aspx The Prime Directive for most businesses is to grow the business, and for a printing firm, there are only two ways to do that: gain new customers and/or sell more to your current customers. It’s generally acknowledged to be easier to do the latter, which I think provides evidence that you need someone with special skills and attitudes to do the former. I don’t have any factual data to prove this, but my consulting experience suggests that maybe 10% of all current printing salespeople have well-developed hunter skills and attitudes. Hunter skills include questioning, listening and negotiating. Hunter attitudes start with a very competitive nature, and a desire to avoid getting bogged down in details. Now, that should scare you, because the definition of a good salesperson for most printers would include being detail-oriented and working well with the production side of the business. You have to understand, though, that you don’t pay a hunter to get orders or to process them, you pay him/her to create a decision—the decision to give your company a chance. A pure hunter will do that, and your company will (hopefully) benefit from the lifetime value of that customer. The (hopefully) part reflects the distinct possibility that it won’t be a long and full lifetime if you expect a real hunter to farm that account too. Farmers The hunter/farmer analogy is not as clean as I would like it to be, because it’s based on the idea that hunters kill and farmers grow. A better analogy might be obstetricians and pediatricians; one is responsible for the birth of a relationship and the other is responsible for maintaining its health. The hunter/farmer terminology is pretty well accepted, though, so let’s continue to use it. Farmer skills include questioning, listening and negotiating, too, but there’s a significant difference in the application of those skills. For the hunter, questioning and listening are essential to finding weaknesses in the status quo, and negotiations are mostly about positioning a higher price as the solution to a problem, or possibly a better way of doing something. For the farmer, questioning and listening are more about getting the specs on every project right, and the justification for a higher price can be tied to proven performance. Farmer attitudes start with a commitment to customer satisfaction, and that should scare you a little bit too. As I tell salespeople in seminars, a large part of their job is to be the advocate of the customer to the company; in other words, the salesperson communicates the customer’s needs and wants to the company, and fights for the customer’s best interests. At other times, though, the job description shifts, and the salesperson has to be the advocate of the company to the customer; in other words, sometimes the bearer of bad news. I have never been one who believes in the idea that salespeople should be called something else, because of a stigma attached to the sales profession in our society. I do believe, though, that Account Manager is a very good title for a salesperson whose primary responsibility is customer maintenance rather than new customer development. I think the combination of representing the customer and representing the company is well-defined by the phrase managing the account. Where do organizational skills fit into all of this? From my perspective, strong organizational skills are a significant asset for a hunter but an absolute necessity for a farmer. To put that another way, I will tolerate some organizational deficiencies in a salesperson with a proven ability to develop new customers. I’ve found that you can’t tolerate the same lack of organization in an Account Manager, though, because the largely reactive nature of the position requires strong organization and prioritization skills. Missionaries My dictionary provides several definitions of the word missionary, one of which is: somebody who tries to persuade others to accept or join something. In our industry right now, there’s a pretty significant need/opportunity for missionaries who can sell innovative applications of our capabilities and technologies. From printing on new substrates to what I like to call extreme personalization, 21st Century printing capabilities have opened up vast new possibilities for business communications. The problem, though, is that these applications don’t sell themselves, so we need salespeople who can sell them. Missionary skills certainly include questioning, listening and negotiating, but they also include an intellectual component that not all hunters have. To put it bluntly, you have to be smart enough to understand both the technical aspects and the communications potential. And then you must have both the patience and the creativity to develop and sell a program, not just a relationship or a product. Missionary attitudes include that patience, and also a commitment to the concept of return on investment. A true printing missionary is almost always selling something that costs more than the status quo. That means his/her negotiation position will almost always be: “Yes it costs more, but it’ll work better and therefore be a better investment.” Your Sales Position     The point of all of this, of course, is that the person needs to be matched to the position. If you have a need for a hunter or a missionary, you won’t be happy with the performance of a person with farmer skills and attitudes. So how do you know what skills and attitudes a candidate possesses? First, all of your recruiting material should stress exactly what you’re looking for. Second, most of your interview and reference check questions should be about confirming these traits. Third, don’t ever hire a salesperson without first testing for the skills and attitudes the position requires. Come to my seminar at GRAPH EXPO—Sales Management Savvy: How to Hire, Motivate, and Compensate Top Performers on Monday, October 8 from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM—and I’ll explain all of this is greater detail. I know that you don’t want to make any mistakes with your next new hire, and I think I can also teach you something about how to improve the performance of your current sales team. David M. Fellman Thu, 13 Sep 2012 20:43:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:8 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/15/Photography-and-Printing-Continue-to-Converge-Where-do-you-go-to-learn-more.aspx#Comments 0 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=55&ModuleID=403&ArticleID=15 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=15&PortalID=0&TabID=55 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/15/Photography-and-Printing-Continue-to-Converge-Where-do-you-go-to-learn-more.aspx Over the last several years the Photographic Labs and Commercial Printers have seen a convergence of prints and pages as their industries have come together.  This growing and changing market of Photo-merchandise products requires knowledge of many new and diverse manufacturing devices and processes.  In the same timeframe, there has been a change in the landscape of tradeshow offerings that address these industries and this has been further complicated by the timing of the shows with the industry seasonality.  With these tradeshow changes many Photographic Labs and photo merchandise producing Print Service Providers now wonder, where do they go to learn the latest about these opportunities?  Where can they get expert advice on the business objectives that they need to understand?  Where can they get hands on experience with the solutions to the operational challenges they need to solve? One of the options for the Photo Industry is to attend GRAPH EXPO in Chicago in October.  GRAPH EXPO has always been an output show and one with more digital output exhibitors than any other show in the Americas.  These exhibitors will be showing solutions for everything, starting with workflows then on to printing with either, high speed inkjet, wide format, or electrophotographic presses, and on to finishing and binding of photo books.  My passion and experiences happen to be in the areas of Photography and Printing and this show is an opportunity for attendees to gain insight into the photo merchandise market and many other aspects of the industry.  There will be technical demonstrations of the processes for scanning; for consumables, supplies, and substrates; also for pre- and post-printing finishing equipment.  As the output technologies for the photo market have continued to shift, I have seen first-hand how executives have benefited from being at shows like GRAPH EXPO.  It is imperative for executives to hear how manufacturers, suppliers, analysts, peers, and platform speakers plan to meet their business objectives as they look to maximize their growth, mitigate risks and manage costs.  It is a great opportunity to have personal discussions to understand their specific initiatives, identify the challenges they face, and to outline the solutions they need to meet these business objectives.  It is rewarding when customers come out of these shows with a documented plan to accomplish their needed tasks, make the connections to execute the tasks, and create the relationships to follow through on the details. Some other great benefits of this show are being able to walk into a vendor’s booth and get hands on equipment demonstrations along with all the technical details involved with operating it.  GRAPH EXPO also happens to have many User Groups co-located with the event so there are also plenty of users to provide real world experience of exactly how the equipment performs in production environments.  The free exchange of experiences and information is invaluable to everyone who attends. I do hope that you get a chance to attend the 2012 GRAPH EXPO and take advantage of everything it has to offer. For more information visit Kodak.com/go/graphexpo Jeff Tabit, Cr. Photog, Worldwide Marketing Manager, Kodak Jeff Tabit Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:12:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:15 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/5/Why-In-Plants-and-Print-Centers-Corporate-Education-and-Government-Should-Attend-GRAPH-EXPO.aspx#Comments 4 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=55&ModuleID=403&ArticleID=5 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=5&PortalID=0&TabID=55 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/5/Why-In-Plants-and-Print-Centers-Corporate-Education-and-Government-Should-Attend-GRAPH-EXPO.aspx The Top 10 Reasons Why In-Plants & Print Centers Should Attend GRAPH EXPO GRAPH EXPO has reached out to in-plants and corporate, education and government print centers to find out what they want to see and hear at this year’s show.  In a truly collaborative effort, GASC together with the in-plant associations (IPMA, ACUP and Xplor), media partners (In-Plant Graphics, Print Media Center), exhibitors and vendors like Rochester Software Associates (RSA) and in-plants themselves have created a great show that will offer: The hottest technologies to see, understand and compare Networking – networking – networking with other in-plants and corporate print centers Hot trending education sessions by and for in-plants Best practices and industry data The Top 10 reasons Why In-Plants Should Attend GRAPH EXPO: In-Plant Track headliner of peer-chosen In-plant panel “Empowered In-plants: Tell-All Success Stories from the Field” with top in-plants in Higher Education, Government, Insurance, and Healthcare.  Monday, October 8, 10:30 AM -12:00 Noon. NEW education track especially for in-plant and corporate print centers in all verticals, developed, and in many cases, delivered by in-plants.  Sunday, October 7 – Tuesday, October 9. NEW –The InPlant Place!  An exclusive in-plant networking hub, open to ALL in-plant professionals during show hours on the show floor (Booth #3461); Sunday, October 7 – Wednesday, October 10. Sponsored by IPMA, The InPlant Place is your go-to show floor destination to share experiences, gain feedback, join in roundtable discussions, and participate in user groups—there’s  even time to pause and unwind during mid-morning coffee breaks and two evening receptions. Mid-Morning Coffee Breaks:  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 10:00 - 11:00 AM Cocktail Receptions:   Sunday & Tuesday, 5:00 - 6:00 PM NEW –CGCM/CMM Certification testingin the IPMA booth/networking hub (Booth #3461): Sunday 12:00 NOON -5:00 PM Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday 7:00 AM-12:00 Noon Apply by 9/30/12 to sit for one of several exams for the On-line Graphic Communications Manager (CGCM) and Mail Manager (CMM) certifications. Fourth annual FREE IPMA lunch & learn, Monday, October 8, 12:15-1:45 PM, Room S102 (Advance registration is required.)  "Connecting Customers with Print"* Moderated by Barb Pellow of InfoTrends, for three 15-minute sessions including: “Building Your Business with Web to Print” “Connecting with Your Customers Using QR Codes,” and  “Reaching your Customers through the Printed Piece.”    In-Plant Graphics– Meet the team responsible for reporting on and about YOUR industry! Xplor International Conference—preview the full morning of sessions on Monday, October 8 Rochester Software Associates’ inaugural WebCRD web to print Users Group Monday October 8, Room S102 after the IPMA lunch session from 2:00-3:30 PM, and daily in-booth networking, Sunday –Tuesday at 4:00, in booth 237 48 co-located events held throughout the show, including the GMC User Group and the Imaging Network Group Conference! And the BIGGEST reason to attend GRAPH EXPO?  It is the LARGEST Annual Digital Show in the Americas, with all major manufacturers and software vendors represented.   You won’t want to miss GRAPH EXPO 2012—watch for more details!  REGISTER NOW and start building your GRAPH EXPO Show Plan today!  By Elisha Kasinskas, Marketing Director, Rochester Software Associates, Inc Elisha Kasinskas Wed, 29 Aug 2012 15:32:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:5 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16/Package-Printers-Will-Find-Fantastic-Solutions-at-GRAPH-EXPO.aspx#Comments 0 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=55&ModuleID=403&ArticleID=16 http://gasc.org/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=16&PortalID=0&TabID=55 http://gasc.org/Home/tabid/55/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/16/Package-Printers-Will-Find-Fantastic-Solutions-at-GRAPH-EXPO.aspx It should come as no surprise that Graph Expo 2012 would have an unmatched array of innovative packaging solutions on display…and for good reason: Digital package printing will grow 15.7% annually, from $1.8B in 2009 to over $3.7B in 2014 (Freedonia) The market for digitally printed packaging/labels is expected to nearly triple in value to $6.8B by 2014 (Pira) By 2014 the retail value of package printing will comprise over 35% of the entire global printing market. (Pira) Looking at it another way, package printing is the ONLY print application that has not been negatively affected by the Internet. In fact, new interactive packaging actually leverages the Internet to enhance the brand experience. Having had an opportunity to work with some of the world’s largest packaging companies earlier this year in the US and Europe, in my opinion packaging is clearly an industry poised to leverage emerging digital printing and other innovative packaging technologies. Technology providers exhibiting at this year’s Graph Expo understand why Package Printing Magazine ranks GRAPH EXPO as the #1 show attended, so come prepared to see it all. Exhibitors with diverse digital and offset solutions for package printing will be on display, with Graph Expo having more digital printing technology than any other show of it’s type. Additionally, the knowledge track at Graph Expo is prepared by Cal Poly, one of the worlds top ranked packaging universities in both industrial design and graphic communication. There will be sessions that conduct a deep dive into the many areas packaging companies, and package printers need to know about. And last but not least, there will be a session entitled: Digital Printing Opportunities in Packaging—A 360-Degree View Brand Owners, Converters, and Technology Providers This session, co-hosted by Caslon and Cal Poly, will be a panel discussion that will explore the trends, opportunities and challenges in the packaging industry for major stakeholders including brand owners, packaging converters, and technology providers. In addition, recently conducted research by Caslon and Company on digital printing in the packaging market will be presented. The study, which included discussions with over 800 technology providers, converters, and brand managers, takes a deep look into digital printing opportunities among the major substrate types used in packaging: Labels Flexible Packaging Materials Folded paperboard Cartons Corrugated Carton packaging Caslon will also announce a major new industry service initiative creating a packaging consulting practice led by industry veteran Carl Joachim. In addition, Caslon has teamed with Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Institute to bring the latest in thought leadership in all areas of packaging design and manufacturing processes. Speakers / Panelists: Moderator and Caslon Research Overview Carl Joachim, Senior Partner, Caslon and Co Innovative Packaging Colleen Twomey, Assist Professor, Cal Poly State University Digital Printing Applications Gary Bernier, Strategic Business Development Labels & Packaging  - Hewlett Packard Packaging Converter Perspective Renzo Sparavier, Vice President Innovation and Marketing, Paperworks Industries When and Where: Oct. 9, 2012 at 11:30-12:30 McCormick Center Room S102 By: Carl Joachim Senior Partner, Caslon and Company Carl Joachim Mon, 27 Aug 2012 13:20:00 GMT f1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:16