It's In-plant Awareness Month
If you were waiting for a reason to promote your in-plant, here it is: February is In-plant Awareness Month, an annual event created by the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association (IPMA). The idea is to recognize and celebrate the special contributions of in-house design, printing, mailing and distribution professionals.
The University of Texas, Austin, held a showcase event in a university ballroom one year for In-plant Awareness Month.
In-plants all around the country will be promoting the value they provide to their parent organizations this month. Here are some ideas to try in your operation:
- Create signs or banners announcing In-plant Awareness Week and position them where people will see them.
- Invite upper management or customers to an open house at your in-plant. Don't forget to serve food.
- Offer online or in-person “how-to” seminars for customers.
- Post an in-plant related status once a week on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
- Hold a drawing each day of the week and encourage customers to enter online.
- Display your competitive pricing.
- Create signs throughout your organization to show your savings compared to outside vendors.
- Post a video on YouTube (e.g., virtual tour of your in-plant, meet the team, etc.)
- Put thank-you notes in boxes of finished work.
Don’t forget to show appreciation to your own staff this month too. Leave each staff member a personalized note of appreciation, suggests IPMA, or host a free lunch. Whatever you do, send us some pictures so we can show others how you promoted your in-plant.
For more ideas on how to celebrate In-plant Awareness Month, visit the IPMA website.
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.
