IPMA Conference Only Three Days Away

By Bob Neubauer

In just three days the world's largest meeting of in-plants will kick off in Denver. More than 140 managers are expected to converge for the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association’s annual conference.

In-plant managers mingle at last year's IPMA conference.

"The networking opportunities are limitless," enthuses John Sarantakos, from the University of Oklahoma. "The large number of in-plants attending will give us even greater access to more diverse information."

"I’m really looking forward to Tim Hendrix’s session on Technology for In-Plants: The Do’s, Don’ts, Pitfalls and Triumphs,” says Tammy Golden, who heads the State of Tennessee's in-plant. "Technology is an area that changes quickly and we have to keep educating ourselves to stay on top of it. Tim always has great insight and I look forward to hearing his point of view."

With the theme “Reaching New Heights,” a nod to Denver's mountainous locale, the conference will feature educational sessions and keynote presentations designed to give attendees new ideas to help transform their in-plants. Among the keynote presentations:

Joe Webb, Ph.D., will offer a “State of the Industry” executive summary.
Consultant Howie Fenton will reveal “New Strategies to Increase Your In-plant’s Performance.”
Michael D. Brown, former Under Secretary of Homeland Security, will discuss “Personal Resilience at Home and Work: Surviving the Crisis You Never Expected.”
Motivational speaker and author Steve Gilliland will challenge attendees to change in new and positive ways.

Of course, the conference is not all about education.

Taking a break to talk during the vendor fair at IPMA 2015 are (from left) Ken Schanuel (Catholic Health Association), Tammy Dunham (Nestlé Purina PetCare) and David Smith (Freese and Nichols).

“One of the aspects I enjoy about conference is the pre-conference outing and getting the opportunity to see the surrounding area, "says Richard Silver, of George Fox University. On Monday, those who arrive early are taking a group trip to Colorado Springs where they will tour the Garden of the Gods, ride the Pikes Peak Cog Railway and visit the Historic Manitou Springs.

"I am looking forward to seeing Colorado Springs and taking in the beauty of Garden of The Gods,” says Silver. He's not alone in his anticipation of Colorado's scenery.

"I’m looking forward first of all to breathing fresh mountain air and being in a less humid climate for the week," says Paul Bethel, from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana. Unfortunately that mountain air will be pretty hot next week, with temperatures in the 90s throughout the conference. (But it's a dry heat.)

"Additionally, I’m looking forward to having a few of my cohorts with me this year and introducing them to IPMA as a whole. That’s a first because I’m usually attending alone," continues Bethel. "I’m anxious to tour [the State of Colorado's in-plant] and get a first-hand look at how inkjet equipment has positioned them with production."

Watch for updates on the conference from IPG next week on Facebook and Twitter, and a full report once we return.

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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.