ACUP+ 2025 Starts on Sunday
It’s been a while since the Association of College & University Printers conference took place in California – 18 years, in fact. But with a strong contingent of loyal California members, the association is making its long-awaited return to the Golden State next week. On Sunday evening, about 65 in-plant managers will gather in Costa Mesa, California, for the ACUP+ 2025 opening reception.
ACUP+ 2024 attendees at a session.
As usual, the conference will feature numerous keynotes, educational sessions, and roundtable discussions on a variety of topics of importance to higher-ed and K-12 in-plants, such as wide-format printing, production inkjet, mail presort, MIS storefronts, marketing, social media, sustainable printing, stickers, variable data, and much more. A pair of sessions will cover “Running the Business.” And a series of hands-on demos will immerse attendees in heat transfers, banner finishing, vehicle wraps, sublimation and window/wall/floor wraps.
Ken Macro
On Monday morning, Cal Poly’s Ken Macro will present an opening keynote with the intriguing title “Making Your In-plant GOAT: Using your great lore to maximize dank, lessen big yikes, and slay a lit community that is generationally inclusive.” On Tuesday, IPI Editor Bob Neubauer will kick off the day with his keynote on “The Future of In-plant Growth and Innovation,” which will debut data from the latest IPI research on equipment buying trends at in-plants.
ACUP+ 2024 attendees.
Throughout the conference, a vibrant vendor exhibit area will give attendees a chance to see some of the latest technologies. This year 37 vendors will set up displays.
On Wednesday, the group will tour the large in-plant at nearby Santa Ana Unified School District. Then that evening, the gala awards dinner will honor winners of the ACUP+ Awards. Also, a manager will be inducted into the ACUP+ Hall of Fame, and the ACUP+ Achiever of the Year Award will be presented.
But the best part of the conference will no doubt be the networking. Managers will be eager to talk face-to-face with their peers and share details about their in-plants’ struggles and accomplishments. The networking will start at the opening reception on Sunday, March 30 and continue throughout the event, which will culminate Thursday morning.
Oregon State University's Mike Varner sported a label vest during his session. at ACUP+ 2024 in Rochester, N.Y.
Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 180 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.
