ACUP+ Conference Starts Sunday, Celebrating 60 Years

By Bob Neubauer

When organizers met in 1964 to form the Association of College & University Printers (ACUP), none of those first-timers had any idea what they were starting. After 60 years, the group is still going strong.

A roundtable discussion at the ACUP+ 2023 conference in Lincoln, Nebraska.

On Sunday ACUP+ is meeting once again, this time in Rochester, New York. At the opening reception that night, more than 80 attendees from 52 institutions from all over the U.S., Canada, and even the U.K. will assemble — including 30 first-time attendees. This is a 41% attendance increase over ACUP+ 2024, in Lincoln, Nebraska.

IPI Editor Bob Neubauer, who has attended ACUP+ since 1995, will kick off the historic conference on Monday with a look back at the history of ACUP featuring tales from early ACUP conferences, photos and videos from past gatherings, and even a few voices from yesteryear. He’ll also give the Tuesday morning keynote, providing an in-depth look at trends among higher-end in-plants, based on new IPI survey data.

ACUP+ 2023 attendees discuss wide-format substrates.

From there the jam-packed schedule includes sessions on vital topics such as wide-format printing, variable data, garment printing, workspace expansion/relocation, sticker production, vehicle wraps, printing for the athletic department, and much more. (Get a detailed look at the session topics here.) There will also be ample time to tour the vendor hall, where 30 companies will show their wares. And on Wednesday, the group will tour Rochester Institute of Technology’s printing operation.

At ACUP+ 2023, Jeff Todd (Oregon State University) talks with Nathan Thole (Iowa State University) and Gary Warren (Fayetteville State University) after a session.

The conference will offer numerous opportunities for managers to meet one another, network and share industry insights. On Wednesday evening, the gala awards dinner will honor 36 winners of ACUP Awards. Also, one manager will be inducted into the ACUP+ Hall of Fame, and the ACUP+ Achiever of the Year Award will be presented.

Watch a recap of ACUP+ 2023 in Lincoln, Nebraska, here:

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Bob Neubauer Author's page

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.