PIA/GATF Converge Conference — It’s Time to Converge
IN ORDER to remain competitive and profitable, graphic communications providers must travel beyond just putting ink on paper—expanding their services to variable data, the Web and cross-media.
The first annual PIA/GATF “Converge: Variable Data, Web Services and Cross-Media Conference” will be held September 20-23 in Phoenix. Three tracks containing fundamental, advanced, and sales and marketing sessions, make this conference suitable for companies just beginning to redefine their digital services, as well as veteran practitioners. This special section has been designed to highlight some of the key conference topics and speakers.
The Converge Conference is a combination of PIA/GATF’s Workflow and Variable Data and Personalization conferences—all in one event. Integrating the two into one program provides benefit to companies working at integrating Web services and personalized printing into a unified, hybrid workflow.
The first two days of the conference will explore the world of Web services, its associated workflow issues and includes a special cross-media track. These sessions will kick off with a keynote by Craig Schanbacher, interactive director/consultant for James Tower Inc., an Internet marketing firm. He will discuss how to become a successful cross-media services provider.
The second half of the conference will focus on variable data and personalized imagery. It will jump-start with the Digital Print Council’s and Clemson University’s research results on digital print scuffing and response rates, respectively. Keynote speaker Arthur Middleton Hughes, vice president and solutions architect at KnowledgeBase Marketing, will also discuss how to unleash the power of database marketing.
For more information on attending the event, visit www.piagatf- converge.com; call conference manager Jeanette Tuttle-Hamer at (800) 910-4283, ext. 712; or e-mail jtuttle-hamer@piagatf.org. PI
Converge Conference sponsors include: Adobe Systems, Canon, CREO, Fujifilm Graphics Systems, Heidelberg, Hewlett-Packard, IKON Office Solutions, Kodak, MindFire Inc., Océ North America, Pace Systems Group, Printable Technologies, Printing Impressions, PrintSoft Americas, Responsive Solutions, Xeikon America, Xerox Corp. and XMPie.
