Virtual IPMA Meeting A Success

The In-Plant Printing and Mailing Association (IPMA) held its first online chapter meeting on Tuesday, and it was a big success. Though it was organized by the Portland, Ore., chapter, participants spanned the country, joining in from Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Indiana and other places.

“This is really a historic first for the IPMA,” proclaimed Dana Bauer, of Fred Meyer’s Portland-based in-plant.

The meeting was facilitated by Ricoh’s Production Printing Business Group (PPBG), with Greg Cholmondeley serving as host. Participants phoned in and also logged in to be able to watch PowerPoint presentations.

Mike Loyd, a Ricoh program marketing manager, gave a presentation encouraging managers to identify and borrow good ideas from other managers. He also advised in-plants not to be shy about asking their vendors for help.

Jean-Luc Devis, director of the Washington State Department of Printing, discussed the importance of educating customers and noted that successful marketing must create excitement, provide new information and motivate the customer to take action. He recommended getting invited to customers’ departmental staff meetings and explaining how the in-plant can help them meet their goals.

Also during the Webinar, IPMA members discussed future meeting plans and shared their experiences with various shop management systems.