Print Buyers Find an Oasis in Florida

AMELIA ISLAND, FL—With daytime temperatures in the 70s and clear skies throughout the Print Oasis Print Buyers Conference and Exhibit, held here February 9th to 12th at the Plantation Resort, the Sunshine State lived up to its name. So did the quality of educational sessions and networking opportunities available to the 400 people attending the seventh annual conference geared toward print buyers, production professionals and specifiers.

Hosted by Suzanne Morgan, founder of Print Buyers Online.com and Print Communications Professionals International (PCPI), this year’s event featured a special environmental sustainability track for the first time. Special presenters included Scott Paul from Greenpeace USA, Katie Miller of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and Derek Smith, a noted consultant and environmental expert. The traditional “Paper Show” was also held one of the evenings, allowing attendees to learn more about various grades, including certified sustainable and recycled papers.

Other featured presenters included marketing experts and authors Steven Lance and Paul Kurnit, who co-hosted sessions devoted to branding and controlling content. Mark Hoog, a children’s author and former pilot, presented a moving keynote address about personal growth and leadership development inspired, in part, by the loss of his close friend who captained Flight 93 on September 11th. And Doris Brown gave a presentation on Pantone Inc.’s new Goe color system.