ssociation of College and University Printers Cancels Conference

For 44 solid years, university in-plant managers have met annually for one of the most successful and anticipated in-plant events of them all: the Association of College and University Printers conference. It has routinely drawn 125-150 managers from as far away as Australia.

But tough economic times have compelled many universities to institute travel bans this year. Many of ACUP's most ardent fans—including several of this year's hosts—were prohibited from attending. So severe has been the drop-off in registration this year that, after much discussion, ACUP hosts have decided to postpone the event indefinitely.

This unprecedented decision followed several weeks of communications with past attendees, to gauge the possibility of additional registrations in the weeks ahead. This boosted registration somewhat, but not enough.

ACUP President Richard Griffin, of Central Piedmont Community College, had been willing to hold a scaled-down event for a much smaller group. But he had made revenue and room commitments to the hotel in Myrtle Beach, S.C., which could not be met with the smaller attendance. Also, some sponsoring vendors had become reluctant to participate in a downsized event.

"To deliver an ACUP like the ACUP we're all accustomed to costs money, and the money wasn't there," Griffin e-mailed the hundreds of heartbroken ACUP fans around the world. Support for Griffin and his co-hosts has been strong, however, and discussion of ACUP 2010 is already underway.

For a look back at the action-packed ACUPs of years past, check out these videos:

ACUP Conference Cancelled