The following article was originally published by Wide-format Impressions. To read more of their content, subscribe to their newsletter, Wide-Format Impressions.
The PRINTING United Expo — September 10-12 in Las Vegas — is just around the corner, and attendees are eagerly preparing for days filled with learning, networking, and inspiration. As we approach the Expo, we're excited to present a series of Q&A interviews with attendees from diverse sectors. They'll share their reasons for attending the PRINTING United Expo, the knowledge they hope to gain, and what they're most looking forward to at the event.
MAGYK Printing
Sebastien Ianno, Owner
Fishers, IN
magykprinting.com
WFI: Can you give us a brief history or description of your company?
Ianno: It’s a love story that turned into a business.
Back in 2010, I flew to Las Vegas from my hometown, Belgium, for the DeafNation Expo. And there I met Micaela. Fast forward 12 years later after our brief encounter, Micaela and I reconnected through a series of video reels that I shared on social media about my bond with a wild magpie, whom I called Maggy and who became my daily visitor for two consecutive months. Our love grew and then we got married. I left Belgium and moved to Indiana, where Micaela is from, and now we have two beautiful children.
We wanted to start up a family business where we can serve business owners, especially those within our Deaf community. There aren't many deaf-owned printing service companies in our country, but there are rising numbers of deaf-owned businesses. We saw that gap as an opportunity to grab. So, my wife and I wasted no time and bought our first printer/cutter, the Roland DGA VersaStudio BN2-20. Being inspired by the magpie story that brought us together, we wanted to incorporate Maggy into our business name. The keywords we thought of were Maggy + magic + CMYK + ink and this is how MAGYK was born.
WFI: What motivated you to attend the Expo this year?
Ianno: Exhibitions and demos. We are looking to expand our business. Learning about valuable tactics in expanding our social reach and honing in on our clientage. We want to carve our niché in the printing industry through our ambition to deliver quality services with innovative technology and products. On a personal note, attending this Expo will be extra meaningful since it would be right where my wife and I first met 14 years ago.
WFI: If you’re a first-time attendee, what are you hoping to learn?
Ianno: As a first-time attendee and as a newer company, we are coming in with an open mind to learn and explore EVERYthing the printing industry has to offer. Secondly, we are hoping to connect and build mutual growth with other printing companies to develop referral partnerships.
WFI: Which products, brands, or services are you most looking forward to seeing at the Expo?
Ianno: Our printing services have been using primarily Roland DGA products. While we love their products and plan to stick with them, we are also curious to explore more options to add to our services. As a part of our business vision, we hope to see more eco-friendly products available and compatible with the technology that we already have.
WFI: How do you plan to maximize your time at the Expo?
Ianno: Like a highly revered buffet — Las Vegas style! Explore, seek, and indulge in all that the PRINTING United Expo has to offer.
WFI: How do you think attending the Expo will impact your business or career?
Ianno: In a word, blueprinting. There are various successful printing companies out there and thriving annually. As a small-scale business, we trust the Expo will expose our internal gaps and scale us to a larger scale with more reach. Along with expanding our buying circle for raw materials, we are hoping to increase our ROI at least threefold.
To read more Q&As with PRINTING United Expo attendees, visit the article: Are You Expo Bound?. To register to attend, please visit PrintingUnited.com.
Denise Gustavson is the Editorial Director for the Alliance Media Brands — which includes Printing Impressions, Packaging Impressions, In-plant Impressions, Wide-Format Impressions, Apparelist, NonProfitPRO, and the PRINTING United Journal — PRINTING United Alliance.