In-plant Events

In-plant managers gathered recently near Oklahoma City to compare notes and improve their leadership skills. by Bob Neubauer For the second year in a row, the Central Oklahoma chapter of the International Publishing Management Association (IPMA) hosted a fall regional conference for managers interested in fine-tuning their management skills and broadening their industry knowledge. The two-day event drew 25 people to Norman, Okla., just south of Oklahoma City. The cold rain outside was more than offset by the warm camaraderie among attendees. Chapter President John Hurt, of Oklahoma Gas and Electric, gave a friendly welcome to the group before introducing the

Don't get me wrong: I love getting out of the office, talking with in-plant managers and seeing the latest equipment at trade shows. But all that time away sure makes it tough to catch up once I return. In recent weeks I've been to three different events and met with more than 100 in-plant managers. We had some great discussions, and I got a number of excellent story ideas. It all started with the annual National State Publishing Association conference. I drove up to Connecticut to spend four days with the directors of some of the largest state government in-plants. (I was

Higher-than-expected turnout made Graph Expo 2002 an exciting four days for both vendors and attendees. By Mike Llewellyn &012;and Bob Neubauer Graph Expo was back in action last month in Chicago, and from the look of the 380,000-square-foot show floor, the printing industry may soon spring back, as well. Close to 38,000 people attended the show, including buyers representing over 9,600 companies. After last year's big-ticket event, Print '01, was brought to a halt by the September 11 terrorist attacks, it was reassuring to see crowded exhibit areas and overflowing equipment demos this year. David Poulos, director of communications for the event's organizer,

In-plant managers from around the country headed south for the 43rd International Publishing Management Association conference. by Bob Neubauer Atlanta got even hotter recently when the the country's largest gathering of in-plant managers dropped into town. The International Publishing Management Association's annual conference drew scores of managers from around the country to Georgia's capital for four days of education and fraternization. Though attendance was down this year compared with 2001's Oregon conference, enthusiasm was as high as ever. The numerous social gatherings during the conference had a much more intimate feeling than usual, inspiring managers to forge new friendships. Because IPMA 2002 took

Hosted by LSU, ACUP 2002 was not only a great source of technical information and networking opportunities, it was a lot of Southern fun. by Bob Neubauer With Louisiana State University as its host, ACUP 2002 was destined to be a hot affair. And true to expectations, LSU cooked up a conference spiced with just the right mix of education and fun. Drawing an impressive 171 participants from 123 institutions down to bayou country, the Association of College and University Printers' 38th annual conference was a smashing success. The event was organized by Mike Loyd, LSU's director of Procurement Auxiliary Services, and IPG's

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

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