PODi Adds Packaging as a Core Application; 2013 AppForum to Feature Packaging Track

ROCHESTER, NY—Oct. 4, 2012—PODi, the digital printing initiative, has announced that packaging has been added as a new core application. It will be launching a series of initiatives to grow the market for digital print in this exciting market. All PODi members will benefit from the planned stream of deliverables and opportunities focusing on trends in innovative packaging, including:

• Participation on PODi's Packaging Advisory Board
• Case studies and best practices for packaging
• Primary market research to understand emerging key opportunities
• Access to packaging-specific sales training

PODi is a global, member-supported organization, established to drive demand for new applications and to help members build successful digital print businesses. “What has become clear as digital printing technologies have advanced,” says Rab Govil, president of PODi, “is that packaging is the next growth frontier for digital printing. Our membership has been vocal about their need to understand how to benefit from the impact digital is having on all forms of packaging.”

According to a recent study conducted by Caslon & Co., packaging is forecasted to be a significant growth segment not only for digital printers, but also for flexographic and offset printers capable of addressing new interactive packaging applications.

In addition, the annual PODi AppForum conference, scheduled to be held in Las Vegas from January 28-30, 2013, will feature a separate packaging track that will address key issues such as:

• Industry segmentation
  * Package types, brand categories, retail channels
• Digital printing opportunities
  * Labels, folding cartons, flexibles, rigid cartons
• The converters dilemma
  * More SKU’s, shorter runs, declining profits, commodity sales
• Interactive packaging
  * QR Codes, printed electronics, augmented reality

The AppForum conference attracts hundreds of digital print's leading innovators, and features educational sessions on business strategy and sales, becoming a marketing service provider, cross-media integration, new technologies and applications, collateral management, workflow automation and more. http://www.AppForum.org

About PODi
PODi is a global, vendor neutral industry initiative with hundreds of member companies, including Executive Board members EFI, HP and Xerox. The organization drives demand for marketing applications powered by digital print & helps members build successful digital print businesses.

Source: PODi.