Bringing Print Back to Miami Beach

The graphic arts industry is moving to Miami—at least for the first few days of March—as the annual Graphics of the Americas Conference & Expo (GOA) opens its doors to attendees once again. Now in its 37^th year, Graphics of the Americas, produced annually by Printing Association of Florida, gives PSPs the opportunity to get a first look of the new year at the latest products and services in printing and graphic arts technology.

More Than Just Products

While new products are one of the main draws of any trade show, GOA also offers a variety of free events and educational opportunities. George Ryan, GOA president, says, “You will be hard-pressed to find another conference and expo that offers as many myriad learning opportunities in such an exciting format—not to mention at no cost—as GOA. Each year we succeed in featuring the hottest trends and practical demonstrations so that attendees can see first-hand the immediate opportunities available to them to both grow and prosper in today’s marketplace.”

Even though FESPA kicked off a US event in 2011, there will not be a FESPA Americas exhibition this year due to the proximity of the event to the group’s global exhibition FESPA Digital 2012 in Barcelona. FESPA, however, is supporting GOA in 2012 with educational content on the show floor.

A sampling of show floor events at GOA 2012 include, but are not limited to:

The Expo Theater: Ten sessions are on the tap at the Expo Theater on the show floor. Sessions geared toward the latest market trends are presented by executives from exhibiting companies at the show.

Direct-to-Garment Center: Attendees get a first-hand look at digital garment decoration technologies. Attendees can scour the area for solutions that fit their needs—and to learn techniques, tips, tricks, and trends to improve production accuracy and prevent errors.

Wide Format Print Shop Live!: A show favorite, visitors engage in this live, end-to-end workflow platform. Production managers are invited to bring real job files that are test-run on an array of digital technologies, software, and consumables, to reflect a live working environment right on the show floor. Observe the how-to area, hosted by Dr. Mark Bohan, vice president, technology and research, Printing Industries of America, to discover the best way to employ technologies and optimize production efficiency, as well as to take note of a variety of innovative applications.

Vehicle Wrap Center: The Vehicle Wrap Center features live vehicle wrap demonstrations of vinyl installations by Mutoh and Arlon. Installers get firsthand tips, tricks, and techniques to improve their skills, and graphic imagers can use this area to connect with qualified installers. Graphics are printed by the 64" ValueJet 1614 using Arlon’s DPF 6000XRP, a 2-mil gloss white cast film with bubble releasing, tinted, repositionable, permanent pressure-sensitive adhesive.

Vehicle Wrap Cup: FESPA presents the vehicle wrap competition where the “wrap stars” of the Americas will be pitted against each other and the clock to find the FESPA Wrap Cup Champion of the Americas.

Bonus Sessions

Each year, GOA organizes free Bonus Sessions that focus on technology trends having a positive impact on attendees’ businesses. The following sessions address some of the foremost topics at the current time in the industry:

Increase Response Rates through Integrated Digital Print and Electronic Media

David Murphy, HP

Thursday, March 1, 10:30 - 11:45 am

This presentation offers proof of how digital print—when strategically integrated with social media, email, and other electronic technologies—generates higher response rates and greater customer engagement than pure electronic channels can yield on their own.

Color Management

Heidelberg

Thursday, March 1, 2:00 - 3:15 pm

In a fast-paced, one and a half-hour Q&A format, Heidelberg experts answer questions about how to reduce makeready times; how to save labor and material costs with existing equipment; how to determine actual production costs for specific customers; and information about G7 certification.