NAQP/NAPL Owners Conference Precedes GRAPH EXPO 2011
Even occasional rain showers couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of attendees at the 2011 NAQP/NAPL Owners Conference held just prior to the opening of GRAPH EXPO 2011. With a theme of “The Difference is You,” the conference kicked off Friday morning with a keynote address—sponsored by Xerox (Booth 400)—by Ross Slater, founder of Metris Group, on measuring the way people naturally get things done using the Kolbe profile system. That was followed by breakout sessions on better understanding the Kolbe system, establishing pricing strategies, using QR codes, building a digital workflow, and using LinkedIn.
The annual awards luncheon, sponsored by Eastman Kodak (Booth 2018), recognized the winners of the 13th Annual PrintImage Excellence Awards for printed pieces. The 2011 Best of Show went to Porath Print Source of Cleveland, OH. Honors also went to the Supplier of the Year and the winner of the Industry Award of Distinction. Charlene Sims of The Masters Press in Dallas, TX, was named an Honorary Lifetime Member of the association. The highlight of the awards luncheon was recognition of Craig Dellinger of New Haven Print, New Haven, IN, as the 2011 Printer of the Year.
The afternoon saw the annual Ideas Exchange along with sessions on business valuation, Twitter, and wide-format. It also featured the first-ever paper show with papers and substrates exhibits from 16 paper vendors and dealers. The day was capped off by the annual Supplier Showcase, which featured tabletop exhibits from equipment, software, and service suppliers to association members.
The second day started with a keynote on integrated marketing and print’s place in the new media environment. That was followed by a presentation on what it really means to be a marketing services provider (MSP). Breakout sessions on multi-channel marketing, Web-to-print mistakes to avoid, and leveraging your customer database were next, followed by a state of the quick and small commercial printing industry presentation by NAPL Chief Economist Andy Paparozzi—sponsored by Konica Minolta Business Solutions (Booth 2227). After breakouts on sales and moving beyond social media, the closing session concentrated on understanding and dealing with today’s inter-generational workforce.
On the opening day of GRAPH EXPO 2011, conference attendees were provided with free transportation from the conference hotel to McCormick Place to attend a special GRAPH EXPO 2011 seminar presentation specifically for quick and small commercial printers. Titled “BEYOND PRINT – The Changing Face of the Quick and Small Commercial Printing Industry” the session provided the perfect early morning lead-in to the official 10:00 am Sunday opening of GRAPH EXPO 2011.
