From the Editor A Hot Time in Canada
Who knew Canada could be so hot? When I flew up to Ontario last month to attend the College and University Print Management Association of Canada (CUPMAC) conference, I thought I would be getting away from the oppressive heat then plaguing the East Coast. But wouldn't you know, Canada was having a heat wave of its own. Even after driving into the woods two hours northeast of Toronto, the stickiness stuck with me.
Despite this slight discomfort, though, the friendliness of the CUPMAC attendees and the beauty of the lakeside resort where we gathered made me forget the weather. (I even overlooked the fact that my luggage got temporarily misplaced by the airline, requiring some poor courier to make the two-hour drive from Toronto late that night to bring it to me.)
My main purpose for attending CUPMAC was to give a couple of presentations to the group. I offered them some background on the U.S. in-plant market, based on IPG market research, gave them ideas for expanding their in-plants with additional types of work and suggested a range of ways they could market their in-plants to increase business.
I didn't just go there to talk, though. I also attended CUPMAC to learn from your Canadian colleagues—and I found them to be a pretty savvy group. Several gave me new business ideas I hadn't previously considered. Others were already marketing their services using some of the methods I had suggested.
The trip brought me into contact with a slew of universities I had never heard of. (Who knew there was a Nipissing University? Or a Malaspina College?) References to "loonies" (one dollar coins) and the Newfoundland "screech-in" (Google it) threw me a little bit, and I never knew what the temperature actually was (35 degrees sounds cold to me). But I enjoyed the company.
One thing differentiating CUPMAC from ACUP, it's American cousin, was the underlying sense of Canadian identity that surfaced in conversations and even some sessions; when the group endeavored to create a CUPMAC mission statement, most examples proudly stressed the Canadian roots of the organization. Still, CUPMAC members left this American feeling more than welcome (and perhaps even a little jealous of their beautiful scenery and tasty beer).
Next year the group plans to convene in Newfoundland in July—perhaps a tempting summer excursion for some U.S. university in-plants (and magazine editors).
