Graph Expo 2008 — No Reason to Stay Home
POETS HAVE long waxed lyrical about spring and its signifying of renewal in life, with birds joyfully singing amid blooming flowers on warm, sunny days, and pixies dropping magic dust everywhere.
Well, it says here that a strong case can be made for the fall season. The days increasingly become intoxicatingly cool. Leaves change colors, turning the countryside into an artist’s canvas. And Green Bay football fans are reminded of the loss of Brett Favre to the New York Jets.
Add one reason to recognize fall as “the season”—Graph Expo.
You need to get away from the plant for a few days. It’s a cheap working vacation—spend a few days in the Windy City, eat at some great restaurants (Shaw’s Crab House rules, raves Media Ink.’s Mark Bonacorso), and come in the Saturday before and catch the Blackhawks play the defending Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings. Like music? There’s the House of Blues and Excalibur, not to mention countless jazz and blues clubs. The list of entertainment options is endless. Anyone who can’t enjoy themselves in Chicago clearly hasn’t left their hotel lobby.
Not necessarily planning to buy anything? That shouldn’t deter you. There are many reasons to hit McCormick Place South when the annual print show comes to town October 26-29. Far too many reasons to list, in fact, but if you need a few to motivate you, here’s a sampler:
|Forget the Passport: Back in late May/early June, the largest graphic arts exhibition in the world filled numerous halls in Germany, as it does every four years. But here’s the rub regarding the quadrennial print festival: U.S. printers weren’t there, or at least most weren’t in attendance. The fact that the U.S. dollar remains weak against the euro and that international airfares have skyrocketed are two good reasons not to travel overseas. But now we’re talking about Chicago, an exhibition hall where it doesn’t take a week or more to see everything.
|The Düsseldorf Bounce: The base argument behind the bounce from Drupa is the re-
unveiling of several new products that were first showcased in Germany. The guess here is that many of the newer, exciting products won’t be shipping until after the first of next year, anyway. So come and kick the tires.
“If you look at Drupa, it’s a technology and concept incubator,” notes Bill Lamparter, president of PrintCom Consulting Group in Charlotte, NC. “Printers that comprise PIA profit leaders habitually attend Graph Expo. They have the right technology, and that’s where they learn about it,” he adds.
As Chris Price, vice president of the Graphic Arts Show Co. (which manages Graph Expo), shared with several printers, there is value in attending—even for those who planned to leave the checkbook at home. “Exhibitors are taking a much more consultative approach,” he says. “They can help show you where you can grow revenues, provide cost-cutting ideas and talk about applications you can sell to your customers.”
| Shifting Gears: Long before a contract is signed, printers need to arrive at a philosophical conclusion regarding the decision to enter new markets and, thus, unfamiliar technologies. Will I be able to sell enough variable digital output to my customers? Is mailing and fulfillment as easy as it seems? Do I have the human collateral to pull this off and, if not, what’s my investment for new hires and additional training?
It’s OK to daydream, for example, about getting into RFID, but it’d be more productive to visit booth 4087 and experience “New Frontiers in RFID & Printed Electronics.” McCormick Place South is a wonderful opportunity to embark on the discovery phase of your long-term business plans.
According to consultant Clint Bolte, software releases should be a major attraction next month in Chicago. “Last year, there were 18 proven Web-to-print software vendors at Graph Expo. At Drupa, it approached three dozen,” he says. “This year, I think we’ll see two dozen at Graph Expo. There are lots of software suppliers showing neat stuff.”
Bolte, the principal of C. Clint Bolte & Associates in Chambersburg, PA, notes that another area that is piquing interest is wide-format printing. One application he saw in Germany was the use of building wraps used to cover scaffolding while construction or refurbishment is in process. The textile wraps portray the image of what the building will look like upon completion.
“The wide-format market is ignoring the [weak] economy; it’s just roaring,” Bolte contends.
Not everyone will be window shopping in Chicago. Those attendees armed with purchase plans are reminded that the government’s economic stimulus package includes provisions for bonus depreciation on capex acquisitions purchased and installed by December 31 of this year.
“There’s no question that will help and be a Graph Expo stimulus,” Lamparter notes. “But you still need to have the wherewithal to buy the stuff. The credit crunch will make lenders exceedingly cautious.”
With Graph Expo being the prime exhibition to see new ink-jet technology in North America and some buzz holdover from Drupa, Dennis Mason, president of Mason Consulting, is optimistic of a strong showing at the turnstiles.
“I’m expecting a very good Graph Expo in terms of attendance. Even though people get information from the Internet, nothing beats touching the equipment and hearing it run.”
Graph Expo is built to serve the ever-widening base of the printer definition: package and specialty printers, book manufacturers, quick printers, in-plant operations, mailing and fulfillment providers, enterprise printers, wide-format shops. . .even creative professionals are being targeted at the show. With 600 exhibitors occupying 450,000 square feet of space, and 70 seminars covering nine educational categories, the Graphic Arts Show Co. seems to have all the bases covered.
Among this year’s highlights:
| JDF Works Print Shop Live! CIP4 will construct a live printing operation that will allow attendees to start their own print job and follow it through production—online job customization, order management, scheduling, prepress, imposition, printing and finishing—to the final product.
| Future Print. New Frontiers in RFID & Printed Electronics. This presentation will feature live demos, free training and tutorials, educational and networking opportunities.
| XPS Land Showcase. The latest Microsoft XPS products from Drupa will be touted, including the live floor production of several publications.
| Wide-Format Pavilion. The latest innovations and trends will be highlighted, including bigger and faster flatbed printers, along with popular applications for textile banners.
| Mailing & Fulfillment Center. More than 70 exhibitors encompassing nearly 40,000 square feet of space will help hash out the latest innovations.
In addition to the 70 seminars within nine educational categories, Graph Expo is offering three free panel discussions that specifically target quick printers, in-plant operations and transpromo enterprises.
Finally, an annual staple of Graph Expo technology is the daylong, table-setting Executive Outlook 2008. The 13th annual preshow conference, titled “Where Technology Meets the Marketplace: Tomorrow’s Trends in Technology—Today,” will be held October 25 from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The program will be presented by leading printers, suppliers and consultants who will provide a comprehensive look at what you can expect to see the minute you walk through the show turnstiles. PI
The four newest inductees into the Printing Impressions/RIT Printing Industry Hall of Fame will be feted during the annual Gold Ink Awards and Hall of Fame Banquet. The event takes place Monday evening, October 27, during Graph Expo 2008. Joining the distinguished ranks of the men and women who have positively impacted their companies and the industry at large are:
• Jim Andersen, president and CEO, IWCO Direct
• Ralph Johnson, president and CEO, Lake County Press
• Michael Keene, president and CEO, The John Roberts Co.
• James Mayes, CEO, ColorCraft of Virginia
Publishing Executive magazine, Printing Impressions’ sister publication, will honor three print production executives. Those recipients were not confirmed as of press time. Also, roughly 500 gold, silver, bronze and pewter Gold Ink Awards winners in nearly 50 categories will be recognized throughout the evening.
Advance registration for the gala event is required. For more information on attending, contact Mike Cooper at (215) 238-5434 or e-mail mcooper@napco.com.
