Diversification Opportunities Abound At 2003 GRAPH EXPO

CHICAGO—Printers will get the chance to explore in-depth how adding mailing and fulfillment equipment, as well as wide-format ink-jet imaging, can improve their companies' bottom lines at the upcoming 2003 GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO, September 28 to October 1 here at McCormick Place South.

New to this year's show is a mailing and fulfillment exhibit area. The Graphic Arts Show Co. (GASC), the event's producer, decided to add the new exhibit because of the growing demand by printers' customers for mailing and fulfillment capabilities. A recent study conducted by the National Association for Printing Leadership for its "State-of-the-Industry Report" showed that nearly 70 percent of respondents plan to offer fulfillment and/or mailing services in the coming 12 to 18 months. And with margins running in the 4 percent to 6 percent range, this service can be much more than a "value-add" for most printers and converters.

Show attendees will also be able to take advantage of a series of seminars on mailing and fulfillment services as part of GRAPH EXPO's traditional educational offering.

The wide-format ink-jet imaging pavilion has also returned for the 2003 show. The pavilion was added to the show for the first time in 2002, in response to attendees' requests for new growth market segments. This year's pavilion will be more than double the size of the 2002 version, and will include both rollfed and flatbed printers, laminating and finishing equipment, and a host of RIPs, software and ink options for visitors to experience and compare.

While mailing/fulfillment and wide-format ink-jet printing will be featured, attendees will also find much to hold their attention amongst the exhibition's over 400 exhibitors occupying more than 360,000 square feet of exhibit space—the largest event in the Americas.

While most visitors could spend all day on the show floor, GRAPH EXPO's educational seminar series should not be missed. The 65-session educational program will feature three free general sessions, four special brunch presentations, as well as numerous seminars and workshops, on topics including business management, sales and marketing, technology implementation and growth opportunities for today's print-based businesses.

In addition, the 2003 edition of Executive Outlook—a full-day technology and business conference aimed at top management executives—will again be presented at McCormick Place on September 27, the day before GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO opens.

William Lamparter, president of PrintCom Consulting, will chair the all-day conference. "Profiting With the Right Technology—Struggling Without It—A Print Manager's Survival Kit" was selected as the theme to emphasize the fact that profitable survival is dependent upon the proper use of the technologies that can effectively produce products being demanded by quality-conscious, deadline-sensitive print buyers.

Additional details about GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO are available at www.graphexpo.com or by calling the GASC at (703) 264-7200.