Conferences and Trade Shows


Perhaps because the Internet has become such a rich source of information, some graphic arts and printing conferences have evaporated. It's no longer necessary to make a pilgrimage to a trade show for the sole purpose of cornering someone in a booth to get answers to questions about equipment or software. Instead, it's easy to go to a vendor Web site and scroll through posted information. The venerable Seybold Seminars became a casualty of this shift in recent years, a victim of declining attendance. However, there's still a market for the large shows such as DRUPA and On Demand Expo, which feature running presses printing live jobs and finishing equipment spewing out pocketfolders.

Printing Industry Events

In addition to featuring fully operational equipment, most printing exhibitions, conferences, and trade shows offer seminars on printing issues. Some exhibitors provide hands-on educational demos. And don't forget to fill up your bag with all those cute tchotchkes such as promotional light-up pens, squeezable software mascots, and company T-shirts.

  • Digital Print World www.digitalprintworld.co.uk

    Geared toward digital printing (as opposed to offset or letterpress printing), the annual Digital Print World is a predominantly British show, but it attracts attendees from all over the European Union.

  • DRUPA www.drupa.com (English-language site); www.drupa.de (German-language site)

    Held every even-numbered year, DRUPA is enormous. That's why it's a two-week event. Featuring nearly 2,000 vendors and welcoming nearly 400,000 attendees, DRUPA is truly an international print show. Attendees can see everything from software vendors to bookbinding machines.

  • Graphics of the Americas www.graphicsoftheamericas.com

    This Miami-based trade show is oriented toward Latin American printing consumers. While many exhibitors speak Spanish, and many of the educational sessions are presented in Spanish, it is a fully bilingual show.

  • IPEX www.ipex.org

    Held in England, IPEX is very much an international print show, with large attendance from the United States and Europe.

  • On Demand Conference and Exposition www.ondemandexpo.com

    Focusing on digital, on-demand printing solutions, the On Demand Expo includes exhibits and educational sessions devoted to variable data printing issues.

  • Print/GraphEXPO/Converting Expo www.graphexpo.org

The GraphEXPO shows in Chicago occur annually, but every four years (2001, 2005, 2009, and so on), they kick it up a notch and present the even larger PRINT show. The PRINT shows include actual operating printing and finishing equipment and occupy the massive McCormick Place Convention Center from the floors to the rafters. Wear comfortable shoes.

Design Conferences

Many design-oriented conferences are worth attending for the hands-on training sessions that are presented by software sponsors or training consultants. Don't forget to leave extra space in your suitcase for those tempting paper samples too.

  • AIGA National Conference www.aiga.org

    Because the AIGA partners closely with Adobe and Aquent, conferences often include training sessions.

  • HOW Design Conference www.howconference.com

    Software companies such as Adobe, Quark, and Extensis are sponsors and exhibitors at the HOW Design Conference. Take advantage of their hands-on training sessions as well as the software demonstrations in exhibit booths.

  • InDesign and Creative Suite Conferences www.barrycon.com

Both the InDesign Conference and the Creative Suite Conference are well attended by designers and printers. The informal atmosphere encourages real-world questions and the opportunity to network.

Acrobat/PDF Conferences

Entire conferences devoted to a file format? Why, you never hear anyone gushing about a weekend spent at the annual TIFF Festival. There is not a theme park named EPS World. The fact that there are two PDF-themed annual conferences is evidence of the importance of Acrobat and the PDF file format across a wide range of industries.

While you may not be interested in some of the developer-level sessions, there are always sessions devoted to the use of PDF in print. Both conferences are sponsored in part by industry vendors such as Adobe, Enfocus, Global Graphics, and Logitech. Both conferences, held annually, feature training sessions, seminars, and vendor exhibits. Many industry speakers and sponsors participate in both events. How can you choose which conference to attend? Consider the session listings and the location.

  • Adobe Acrobat PDF Conference www.agitraining.com

    Presented by the American Graphics Institute, this conference is usually held in Orlando, Florida.

  • The PDF Conference www.pdfconference.com

    Presented by Carl Young Training Associates, the PDF Conference is usually held in the fall in the Washington, D.C., area.




Real World(c) Print Production
Real World Print Production
ISBN: 0321410181
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2007
Pages: 132
Authors: Claudia McCue

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