In-plant Conferences: Consolidate and Thrive

By John Sarantakos

A Vote of Support

I lend my total support to John for writing this difficult and sincere note to the in-plant industry. It is a very difficult issue. Both John and I have deep ties to ACUP in particular and several other groups he mentions. Some of the friendships I value most have been made through my professional ties forged at annual conferences.

But as John notes, the landscape has changed. And I don't think it is ever going to change back to the way it was. In years past, we used to be able to have multiple in-plant conferences throughout the year without really competing for attendees and vendor support. There seemed to be enough of both to go around. Not anymore.

My fear for future in-plant conferences is that we are all going to go down together if we continue competing for these decreasing and limited resources. What I mean is we will end up with a bunch of annual conferences but each with pitiful attendance and no vendor support. No one wins in that scenario. It takes a lot of attendees and vendor support to pull off a truly successful conference, one that offers a rich array of educational and social opportunities.

I hope anyone reading our plea understands that it is made out of a life-long concern for our industry. Please consider this whole conference issue thoughtfully and objectively. And whether you agree with us or not, I still hope to see all of you at an in-plant conference in the future.

Rick Wise
University of Missouri

I BELIEVE that all in-plant conferences should be cancelled, except one. How's that for a conversation starter?

This is not some rash idea I cooked up last night. I have thought about this for several years and have discussed it with some of my contemporaries. With that said, it is important to understand that I have attended almost every in-plant conference at one time or another. I have had fun and learned something at each one. I believe that everyone would agree that annual conferences are something to look forward to and provide a needed relief from our hectic, meager existence as an in-plant printer.

As the incoming president of the In-Plant Printing and Mailing Association (IPMA), you might think my comments are partisan in nature, and maybe they are. They are not intended to be. I have always prided myself as being fair and open minded. So I guess we will see.

I wrote the following comments prior to Bob Neubauer's column in last months' IPG. While I agree in general with his statements, I don't believe he went far enough. The in-plant printing market is large enough to command significant attention. I believe we need to consolidate our position and take full advantage of our buying power.

What I will suggest in this column will shock and probably dismay many of my friends, and honestly I mean no disrespect. I suggest this course of action for several reasons. First and most important is that we must maximize our travel expenditures to attend those events that provide the most benefits. My problem with the system as it exists is there are too many meetings: ACUP, IPMA, TACUP, SUPDMC, NGPA, Big 10, Big 12—it is just crazy. This fact came to our attention in dramatic fashion this year when ACUP was cancelled. It was no one's fault, it just happened. The HardCopy higher-ed listserv was filled with stories of budget cuts and travel restrictions.

The economy has hit all of us at some level. We all know it will turn around at some point. Hopefully that will be sooner than later. So when it does turn around, the question is "Will our budgets be restored and all travel restriction lifted?" Of course they won't. Relaxed maybe, but never restored.

If travel funds are scarce, why would you choose to attend a meeting with only a few regional attendees? You already know most of the people attending and are somewhat familiar with their operations. Where is the benefit? Wouldn't it be more beneficial to travel a further distance where you could meet with a broad range of managers and gather new ideas and connections?

The Vendor Perspective

Secondly, we must stop bleeding our vendors dry on the smaller and segment-specific meetings. I have heard directly from several vendors that the small meetings have very little value to them and that they participate because they believe they must.

What if our vendors could consolidate their marketing funds and provide greater support and larger product displays for a vendor fair? I would be hard pressed to believe that additional/new vendors would choose to pass on the opportunity to show their wares to a larger number of attendees. The idea of lower registration fees and the ability to see more equipment and technology certainly appeals to me. Wouldn't that be a better fit for each of our needs?

The argument I continue to hear revolves around the idea of meeting only with organizations that service similar industry segments (i.e. higher-ed, insurance, manufacturing, government, etc.) Maybe that was valid at one time, but today it just doesn't carry water. I contend that the problems that a state printer has are the same problems an insurance printer has. We all face tighter budgets, and the do-more-with-less mentality. We all struggle with technology and the need to invest. We all battle to find qualified staff. We all have customers with unrealistic expectations (plus they use a computer that has InDesign on it, so they are "printing experts" to boot).

So how are we different? Well the answer is that we are not different. So why do the higher-education folks steadfastly hold onto their conferences? Why do the state printers believe they need to meet separately? Tradition maybe? I like tradition. My wife tells me I have traditionphobia, which is of course, the fear of breaking traditions.

Increasing Our Tent Size

What it really comes down to is who has got the big tent? PIA/GATF has a big tent. They support printers of all sorts. Unfortunately for us it is mainly commercial printers they support, our main competition. IPMA is the only organization that services all segments of the in-plant market, provides a full range of member services, hosts a large annual conference—and you only have to be an in-plant printer to be a member.

I have (or had, following this letter) many friends that lived and died for their annual meetings. I looked forward to them myself. Problem is, the times have changed. The scrutiny that each of us is subject to has increased. The sluggish economy has only accelerated our bosses' need to find waste and inefficiency. I guess I am saying it is time to step up and really look at what is being offered. Where is the greatest value and support provided?

IPMA has all the services and connections we need. I would strongly encourage you to investigate the organization (www.ipma.org). You can contact me directly, and I would be more than willing to discuss the organization.

In conclusion, I will state that I didn't write this because I'm an IPMA board member. I am a traditionalist of the highest order. I have been to all the meetings, and for me it just seems foolish for our industry not to consolidate our resources and band together for the benefit of us all. IPG

John Sarantakos is administrator of University of Oklahoma Printing & Mailing Services and president-elect of the In-Plant Printing and Mailing Association. You can contact him at: sarantakos@ou.edu