In-plant Events

Despite the economic downturn, many printers made the trip to New York to see the latest in on-demand printing technologies. by Bob Neubauer With print sales predicted to be relatively flat in 2002, it was encouraging to see the exhibit floors of the ninth annual On Demand Conference fairly busy with attendees. According to conference organizers, nearly 19,000 "industry professionals from around the world" were in attendance. Though the number of exhibitors (150+) was down from last year (200), the event still drew a number of in-plants to New York's Jacob Javits Center, to do some serious looking—and even purchasing. Still, all was

Disaster recovery was one of the hottest topics at Xplor this year, for understandable reasons. More than 5,700 people from around the world headed to Orlando, Fla., recently to attend the Xplor 2001 Global Electronic Document Systems Conference & Exhibit. Held at the Orange County Convention Center, the 22nd annual Xplor conference drew document and printing professionals, industry consultants and nearly 150 exhibitors. "Despite world events and economic challenges, the electronic document industry will move forward in positive and exciting new ways," noted James Shand, commercial director of edotech Limited, and Xplor International chairman of the board. Directions And Visions In one

About 60 in-plant managers from college and university in-plants around the country headed south for the 26th annual SUPDMC conference. by David Tisdale University and college printing centers are facing changing technology demands and the need for more skilled workers in the industry. Those were among topics examined at the 26th annual Southeastern University Printing and Duplicating Managers Conference (SUPDMC), held recently at the Grand Casino, in Gulfport, Miss. About 60 participants from across the country took part in the event, which was hosted by the University of Southern Mississippi. The conference was kicked off with a poolside opening reception featuring a steel

by Bob Neubauer After watching the twin towers of the World Trade Center crash to the earth two days ago, I'm finding it a little difficult to write with enthusiasm about the "big news" of Print 01. The tragedy just overshadows it all. I flew back from the trade show in Chicago just a day and a half before New York and Washington were attacked, so I watched the terror unfold from a TV screen in our Philadelphia office. Many Print 01 attendees and vendors, however, were forced to confront the grim news from their hotel rooms, far from home, and were subsequently trapped

Print 01 featured numerous innovations in prepress, offset and bindery technologies. Find out all about them in part two of our show report. &002;by Bob Neubauer Walking the show floor at Print 01 was a printer's dream. Presses were churning out color posters, software was being demonstrated on large screens for small crowds, books were being folded, stitched and trimmed—wherever you looked, something was happening. Though the September 11 attacks brought the show to a halt, show management said about 66,300 people attended overall. Vendors reported a number of sales. Heidelberg's NexPress subsidiary sold more than 70 NexPress 2100 presses, part of

At a recent IPG roundtable in Chicago, representatives of some of the Top 70 in-plants compared notes and shared ideas in a lively exchange. by Bob Neubauer It was a landmark event. Print managers from corporate giants like Allstate and Boeing mingled with representatives from leading universities. The supervisors of the Ohio and Washington state printing operations chatted with managers of the top insurance company in-plants, like Blue Cross, Safeco and Cigna. For the first time, the leaders of some of the country's largest in-plants sat together in one room to share their views. In-Plant Graphics organized this meeting during the recent

In-plants are being challenged by the Internet, outsourcing and other forces. At IPMA 2001, managers got lots of advice on how to cope. by Bob Neubauer Years ago, monthly chapter meetings were the most important way for IPMA members to exchange information. But times have changed; people are busier, and they have less time for meetings. So the International Publishing Management Association started looking for new ways to provide value to its members. At the recent IPMA 2001 conference, attendees found out what the association had in mind. International President Carol Doffing-Kraft outlined a major upgrade to IPMA's services that includes

Though tragedy cast a pall over the show's final days, most of Print 01 was filled with exciting product introductions and surprising merger news. by Bob Neubauer Even the biggest industry news at Print 01 was overshadowed by the horrific destruction of the World Trade Center, which stunned attendees as they prepared for the sixth day of the show. The resulting shock and cancelled travel plans drastically slowed trade show traffic on the show's final three days. Many vendors even abandoned their booths. Prior to that tragic Tuesday, the largest graphic arts trade show of the year had been a place of

Louisiana offered government printers a warm welcome as they gathered for the 25th year to trade tips and ideas. by Bob Neubauer Despite coming less than three weeks after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the National State Publishing Association's 25th annual conference went on without a hitch last month. Held in Baton Rouge, La., the conference drew 54 government attendees from 33 states. United States Public Printer Michael DiMario was also in attendance. With American flags at every table, a color guard leading the Pledge of Allegiance, and renditions of the "National Anthem" and "God Bless America" to kick things off, the

Some exhibitors dropped out. Many attendees didn't show. With PRINT 01 and another Seybold still to come, many are speculating about their fates. The reviews for Seybold Boston 2001 are in—and the news isn't good. The talk of the 2001 show wasn't about new products or emerging technologies. Instead, the exhibition's low attendance seemed to be foremost on everyone's mind. Several exhibitors, complained about the scarcity of attendees in their booths and in the show aisles. But attendees weren't the only ones in short supply. Exhibitors were also among the missing. Some companies, like the now-defunct Printbid.com, are simply gone from the scene. Others,