Successful Southern Conference

In its largest gathering in years, the Southeastern University Printing and Digital Managers Conference (SUPDMC) drew 36 managers this year from 31 different in-plants. They met in Orange Beach, Ala., for three days of educational sessions, vendor exhibits and peer networking time. The event also included a tour of the printing and mailing facilities at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, overseen by Director Nelson Singelton.

The 39th annual SUPDMC opened with keynote speaker Christopher Rausch, who gave a rousing talk titled “The KICKASS Guide to Stellar Leadership & Team Building.” He outlined ways to be a good leader, like making sure you feel good about yourself and what you are doing before you can expect your team to follow and excel. It is always best to let your team members know what you expect of them, he said, and reward them when they meet and exceed those expectations.

Be willing to fight for the things you feel are needed to make your team successful, Rausch advised. It will show the team you have its back. This same advice is also good when dealing with your boss, he added. Make sure you know what is expected of you and your team, and if you are not sure, meet with your boss and find out.
The next speaker was Ken Macro, department chair of the Graphic and Communications Department at California Polytechnic State University, who discussed industry trends like integrated augmented reality and 3D printing. The first involves integrating animation into printed material by using a smart phone or tablet and a corresponding app to make images printed on paper come alive, with video or animations seen through a smart device.

Macro also recommended that all in-plants think about 3D printing and find a niche for it. Even getting a lower-end model and printing 3D miniatures just to create traffic would be worthwhile, he said.

Three in-plant managers gave presentations detailing what they are doing to keep their operations relevant.

• Ed Arning, of Middle Tennessee State University, talked about the retail center he set up in the student union, which has created a new revenue stream beyond ink on paper.
• John Sarantakos, of the University of Oklahoma, noted that in-plants must be willing to change to meet campus needs. Make sure you are engaged with your customers, he said, and listen to what they are requesting. Be creative in finding ways to meet those needs. (See story on page 24.)
• Catherine Chambers, who recently moved from Virginia Tech to Alfred State University, gave two presentations, one on merging mail and print operations and another on managing customer and employee expectations. Merging print and mail allows for quicker through times from the start of a print project to getting it into the mail stream, but ever-changing USPS regulations and cross training employees can add complexity, she said.
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  Chambers also outlined the characteristics of the four generations that exist in today’s work force, noting the differences in how each might deal with others, as well as their work ethics and loyalty. She suggested pairing different generations for mentoring and said there is less conflict if these pairings are separated by one generation.

In another session, Consultant Vic Barkin discussed the benefits of FSC chain-of-custody certification for in-plants. Then Lisa Cross, of InfoTrends, presented a thorough array of research data on in-plant trends.

The dates for next year’s SUPDMC were announced during Tuesday’s lunch. The 40th annual conference will take place October 18-22 in St. Augustine, Fla.