Variable Data Printing: From A to Z
THIS SPECIAL editorial section was produced to tie in with the upcoming sixth annual PIA/GATF Variable Data and Personalization Conference, to be held November 3 to 6 in Phoenix. The event will feature two dozen sessions to help companies leverage variable data for success. Attendees will hear riveting case studies and participate in sessions selected directly by prospective attendees during online voting earlier this year.
As one attendee said last year, “This is the type of conference that puts all the variables of variable printing into one comprehensive program. I learned more at this conference than I ever expected.”
Sessions for decision makers include “Building a New Digital Business Paradigm,” “Teaching Your Offset Sales Force to Sell Digital,” “Complementary Value-Added Services,” and “How to Make Customers Understand My Company Is Much More Than Just Printing.”
Those new to variable data will benefit from sessions on “Understanding Customer Needs,” “Selecting the Right Software,” “Offering Data Management” and “Show Me the Money—The Keys to Profitability.”
A track specifically designed for organizations rushing to embrace the complex cross-media world will address the topics of “Metrics that Prove Results,” “Advanced Database Management,” “Multimedia Workflows That Work” and “Sophisticated Campaign Creative Tools.”
The conference kicks off with a keynote by Steve Cone, author of the book, “Steal These Ideas: Marketing Secrets That Will Make You a Star.” Cone has held top marketing positions with Citicorp, Fidelity Investments and American Express, and will share hundreds of ideas that he’s proven can work.
Day 2 features a keynote on “Branding,” which will address the issue of printers struggling to break out of the “just printing” mold.
For those needing an intense introduction to the selling side of variable data printing, PIA/GATF is offering its “Anatomy of Selling Variable Campaigns” on Saturday, November 3. With his colorful presentation style, Frank McPherson, of Custom Data Imaging, will break variable campaign sales down into easy-to-understand components based on his years of selling variable.
The Web-to-Print mini- conference is planned for Sunday, November 4. This event will focus on the tools needed to be successful in the world of Web-to-print, such as de-mystifying Web-to-print models, the buy or build debate, the many flavors of digital storefronts, and building a Web-to-print sales and marketing model.
For more information on the sixth annual PIA/GATF Variable Data and Personalization Conference visit www.gain.net (keyword G305). Conference manager Ned Herrick can be contacted at (800) 910-4283, ext. 712, or by e-mailing nherrick@piagatf.org. PI
PIA/GATF VDP Conference Sponsors:
Adobe Systems
Canon, USA Graphic Arts Systems Div.
EFI
Hewlett-Packard
IKON Office Solutions
Kodak
Konica Minolta
Meadows Publishing Solutions
NewPage Corp.
Océ North America
Pageflex, a Div. of Bitstream
Printable Technologies
Printing Impressions
Responsive Solutions
Saepio
Xeikon America
Xerox Corp.
XMPie
