Though many conferences have taken place in-person this spring, the College and University Print Management Association of Canada (CUPMAC) opted to hold one more virtual conference this year, since most members were not able to travel. That conference has been taking place this week, with the final sessions happening today. (Register here.)
The event’s opening Keynote Speaker was IPI Editor Bob Neubauer, who shared the results from a new IPI research report and talked about the impact of COVID on in-plants. Yesterday’s motivational speaker, Darci Lang, delivered a powerful message of positivity. And today, CUPMAC members will hear from Consultant Howie Fenton with his observations and advice.
Each day features a networking session with a different theme, allowing managers from all over Canada (and one from Scotland) to share ideas. In yesterday’s session on marketing, CUPMAC President Philip Poelmans, director of Media Production Services at McMaster University, noted that he had assembled a marketing team to promote his in-plant. The team has done e-blasts focusing on individual product offerings, such as window/wall/floor graphics. This was followed by a printed piece that was slipped into the box with each print job.
Managers talked about how important it is to market to new faculty and staff who otherwise would order their printing off campus. They discussed making the in-plant part of the new staff onboarding process.
CUPMAC plans to hold its next conference in person in 2023.
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.