One day before PRINT 13 opened, the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL) inducted 15 industry leaders into the Soderstrom Society, named for the late Walter E. Soderstrom, one of the founders of NAPL. The Soderstrom award recognizes the contributions of industry leaders, including printing firm owners, equipment manufacturers, consultants, and educators.
As printers gear up for Graph Expo, this look back at the On Demand show provides an excellent preview of what to expect in Chicago.
THIS YEAR’S AIIM/On Demand Conference & Expo certainly had some obstacles to overcome in its first year at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. With the Boston Marathon running on the show’s opening day, hotel rooms were at a premium. Then a storm assaulted the city, discouraging some from driving in. And as if that weren’t enough, the show had to compete with other industry events, such as the Association of College and University Printers conference, taking place at the same time in San Francisco, and the PrintFest trade show, which kicked off later that week in Long Beach, Calif. Despite all
A glimpse of the excitement and bustle of Graph Expo, with interviews of some of the in-plant managers in attendance.
In-plant managers got a chance to see the technologies they've been reading about at the recent Graph Expo show. For the many in-plant managers in attendance, the recent Graph Expo and Converting Expo 2004 show in Chicago was a graphic arts fantasy land. "I felt like a kid in a candy store," observes Mike Renn, of Mellon Corporate Publishing, in Philadelphia. "I went to take a look at the latest direct-to-plate systems and software management packages and came away with numerous options." Attendance this year was pretty healthy, he adds: "I had to wedge myself between bodies to check out the latest gear." Other managers agreed. "I
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,
Competition among the major digital color printing vendors is tougher than ever. In-plants, as luck would have it, are caught in the crossfire. by Mike Llewellyn FOR ANY large organization, if they're saying 'I need this job now,' they're going to want to send it to an in-plant," declares Abby Abhyankar, vice president for integrated marketing at Xerox. "In-plants represent short runs with fast response times and no compromises on quality." That's not news to in-plant managers, whose job it is to make sure their shops offer the highest speed at the lowest price. But it is making headlines at companies like
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
Digital color printing has improved tremendously in recent years. It's time for in-plants to focus on the benefits it can offer them. DON'T LOOK now, but digital color printing is poised to become the darling of the in-plant world. Faster, cheaper and more reliable than ever—and boasting improved print quality—digital color printing is finally living up to the hype it once received. Despite all the hoopla, however, one of the biggest strikes against it, marketing reps will tell you, has long been lack of awareness in the marketplace. And then along came Heidelberg. Ever since Drupa, where the offset king announced that
Graph Expo marked the debut appearance of many of the technologies unveiled at Drupa. After seeing so many new technologies displayed at the massive Drupa trade show in Düsseldorf, Germany, trade journalists found few surprises at the recent Graph Expo show in Chicago. But it was for printers, not journalists, that McCormick Place opened its doors—and they were certainly impressed. "I thought the show was very complete, with more than enough new things to see and want," remarked Don Davis, associate director of LSU Graphic Services, in Baton Rouge, La. He went to the show to look at prepress and computer-to-plate (CTP) equipment and
