In-plant Events

More than 90 people converged on Purdue University recently for the 36th annual Big Ten Printing & Copyright Conference. By Bob Neubauer For the second year in a row the Big Ten Printing & Copyright Conference took place in Hoosier territory, this time at Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Ind. The first cold snap of the year didn't deter more than 90 in-plant and copyright managers from getting together for the 36th annual event. The mood was set when Purdue President Dr. Martin Jischke told the assemblage, "Printing and copyright play important rolls in the future of this university." That statement was followed by

Government in-plants from around the country gathered in Des Moines to learn from each other and develop their digital strategies. By Bob Neubauer Perhaps the highlight of the recent National State Publishing Association (NSPA) conference—the part that may have hit home hardest for the 27 government attendees—was when fellow NSPA member Raúl Guevara took the floor with an energetic presentation detailing how his department's strategic business plan saved $839,133 for the Kansas Department of Transportation. By analyzing his operation's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, and calculating its savings, Guevara, bureau chief of KDOT's Bureau of Support Services, strengthened and improved his department. "We

More than 38,000 people attended this year's expo. Here's a glimpse of what they saw. By Bob Neubauer Integration was the big theme of this year's Graph Expo and Converting Expo. Individual manufacturers like Heidelberg and MAN Roland showcased computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) technologies connecting prepress, press and finishing. And vendor partnerships, both small and multi-faceted, foreshadowed future integration between multiple vendors' systems. Notably, at a large press conference touting the Networked Graphic Production initiative, 27 companies proclaimed their commitment to defining, developing, testing and delivering JDF-based integration between their systems. They plan to define a standardized set of interfaces to create plug-and-play solutions

Salt Lake City was the place to be for in-plant managers recently. The IPMA conference drew hundreds of them to Utah's capital. (Additional photos) By Bob Neubauer To thrive in today's business world, in-plants have to think in new ways and be willing to change. This is something the 260 attendees of the recent International Publishing Management Association conference know all too well. It was repeated at sessions throughout the four-day event, dubbed "Xtreme Success." This year's gathering took place in Salt Lake City, where temperatures in the 90s provided a very warm welcome to the group. With increased attendance this

A beautiful beachside location and the chance to mingle with university printing peers lured more than 80 in-plant managers to ACUP 2003. By Bob Neubauer It was hard to avoid catching some of Keith Walker's overflowing enthusiasm at the recent Association of College and University Printers' (ACUP) conference down in Wrightsville Beach, N.C. Walker, assistant director of Printing Services at Wake Forest University's School of Medicine, had spent the better part of two years planning ACUP 2003—and he spent much of the four-day conference making sure everything went right. At times he seemed to be everywhere at once. But despite the stress, his

An unexpected Spring snowstorm and a down economy couldn't keep attendees from crowding the 10th annual On Demand show. By Bob Neubauer and Mike Llewellyn Despite a surprise spring snowfall that blanketed New York City and weakened first-day attendance, the 10th annual On Demand Digital Printing & Publishing Conference went on as usual early last month. The exhibit hall at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center seemed much larger this year, due in part to On Demand's co-location with the AIIM Conference & Exposition. As a result, there were 438 exhibitors, compared with 150+ at last year's show. By the event's second day,

At the recent IPG Conference and Expo in the Big Apple, in-plant managers wanted fresh ideas for dealing with tough times. by Mike Llewellyn CHANGE WAS on everyone's mind at the recent In-Plant Graphics Conference and Expo. Whether that meant breaking into digital technology or rolling with the punches in a down economy, most in-plant managers in attendance wanted to know what they should do differently to stay ahead of the curve. The turnout was solid at the debut of the IPG Conference in midtown Manhattan last month. Held in conjunction with the established BookTech show, it featured an exhibition of more than

Early last month, In-Plant Graphics hosted its first educational conference and exposition, in conjunction with our company's successful BookTech conference, now in its seventh year. I traveled to New York for the event and moderated several panel discussions. I enjoyed the opportunity to sit and talk with so many in-plant managers, both from the New York area and from out of state. Two in-plant representatives even flew in from the University of California-Davis. One of them, Alan Bump, told me his in-plant has added several Heidelberg 9110s and some bindery gear in the past year. On the first day of the conference, I had

Attendees at SUPDMC enjoyed great weather and even better companionship. by Jean-Luc Devis About 40 attendees from 27 various educational institutions got together in sunny Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., recently for the 27th annual Southeastern University Printing and Duplicating Managers Conference (SUPDMC). Colleagues from North Dakota and Minnesota escaped the snowfall in their respective states to enjoy 90-degree weather in southern Florida. This year's SUPDMC was organized and hosted by Bill Buckler, director of Printing and Graphic Arts at Broward Community College. Conferences are an excellent opportunity to meet with old and new colleagues, discuss common challenges and explore ways of

With cutbacks everywhere, government in-plants must operate more efficiently. Managers met recently to share their ideas. by Bob Neubauer Government in-plants are travelling a rough road these days. At the recent National State Publishing Association conference, words like "financially strapped" and "hiring freeze" spilled frequently from the mouths of attendees. Yet just as often, discussions centered on solutions to these difficulties, ways to bring in more revenue with new services, and ideas for doing more with fewer employees. This positive outlook and eagerness to overcome obstacles is one of the defining characteristics of the NSPA, and a key reason the association is still going