Graph Expo Launches the Americas' Premier Graphic Communications Event

ORLANDO, Fla. — September 26, 2016 — Graph Expo 16, the Americas' premier graphic communications industry event which runs through Wednesday, Sept. 28, opens its doors yesterday in the Orange County Convention Center-North in Orlando, Fla. Attendees will find hundreds of top industry suppliers, dynamic show floor features, more than 40 co-located events, and a comprehensive slate of educational opportunities that await them at this year's exciting industry gathering.

True to its "Refresh" theme Graph Expo 16's show floor attractions will be augmented by a compelling slate of educational sessions and engaging industry networking opportunities, all geared to providing show visitors with the very latest business building tools, best practices, and resources. This year's show will "speak" directly to print pros in every key industry segment to offer guidance and direction that will address their business needs in four key business building areas: how to increase their sales, how to adapt their business to the newest trends and technology, how to engage growth strategies and new business opportunities, and how to manage their costs and improve efficiencies.

Graph Expo 16 attendees will discover a host of learning opportunities among 10 show floor pavilions and specialty sections, including an impressive lineup of industry expert panel presentations and special events in the Printerverse Theater.

However, this year won't be all work and no play. NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies, will celebrate the print community convened at Graph Expo 16 by hosting "Tango! A GRAPH EXPO Party," from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm on Monday, September 26, 2016. The free upbeat mix and mingle event, open to all registered attendees and exhibitors, will be held at Mango's Tropical Café on International Drive in Orlando.

Educational Opportunities
Learning opportunities started Sunday morning with the annual pre-show EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK Conference co-sponsored by EFI and Xerox. This year's "Finding New Markets" themed half-day session focused on business growth strategies and will conclude with the announcement of the "Best of Category" selections from the 2016 Must See 'Ems competition and the annual "Legacy Award" for a past Must See 'Ems selection that has had a significant, lasting, and continuing influence on the graphic communications industry. Also announced was the Positively Print Award for an advocacy program that effectively promotes both the sustainability and power of print in today's media mix.

The GRAPH EXPO 16 seminar slate and educational program will kick off immediately after the close of the EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK Conference. The 40-plus seminar roster will target seven key areas including: Increasing Your Sales; Adapting Your Business to the Newest Technology & Trends; Growth Strategies & New Business Opportunities; Managing Costs & Improving Efficiencies; and offer specialized programming: Uniquely In-Plant Challenges & Solutions; Designers and Creative Professionals Unique Challenges & Solutions; and, hands-on Computer Training Labs.

In addition to the regular seminar slate, there will be three free exhibitor presentations and three free industry segment presentations. Also free will be a Tuesday afternoon International Networking Reception that welcomes all show visitors.

On The Floor:
Along with hundreds of exhibitors displaying their hardware, software, products, and services, the Graph Expo 16 show floor will feature 10 show floor pavilions and specialty sections covering everything from the latest software to gain workflow efficiencies and for creative design, to wide format inkjet and RFID, through the hottest new innovations in Mailing and Fulfillment.

Making its show floor debut this year is "The House That Print Built," which highlights the many and varied print applications that go beyond ink on paper and other applications that feature an image on a flat, static surface. This new show floor destination invites show visitors to think beyond the ordinary, to plentiful new print opportunities in which some of the latest technologies vendors have to offer can be used in interesting new ways. From the window coverings to wallpaper, furnishings and more — "The House That Print Built" is a visual demonstration of today's expanding print profit possibilities.

Also on display will be the latest equipment and applications in Software: Workflow and Design, Press and Finishing, and "The Inkjet Candy Store" with live demonstrations of the newest wide format inkjet printers. The tactile qualities and impact of print will be emphasized at the "Materials Matter" show floor hub. The latest developments in mailing and fulfillment will be found at "Deliver-The Mailing and Fulfillment Center." "News Print" is the Newspaper Pavilion featuring unique new applications and workflow solutions.

"The In-Plant Place" is a dedicated networking hub exclusively for In-Plant pros. On "Education Main Street" education professionals will provide information on educational programs, scholarships, and internships targeting the graphic communications industry. In addition, Idealliance will offer the "Idealliance Solutions Theater."

Finally, "The Printerverse", which is open to all attendees, will be a hub to network, share, and learn about the latest innovations and applications that are driving our industry forward. Daily hot-topic learning sessions will explore the latest trends, tactics, and more in "The Printerverse" Theater.

Co-located Events:

Graph Expo 16 also has attracted a noteworthy mix of industry associations and organizations which are set to co-locate their leadership, education, and business networking events in tandem with this year's show. Among this year's lineup of co-located events will be:

• American Dealer Group (ADG) — Member Meeting (Monday, Sept. 26)
• The Cannata Report — Independent Dealers and Industrial Printers Luncheon (Tuesday, Sept. 27)
• EDSF (The Electronic Document Systems Foundation) — Board Meeting & Breakfast and EDSF Give Back @ Graph Gala (Tuesday, Sept. 27)
• FSEA (Foil and Specialty Effects Association) — Board Meeting
• Girls Who Print — National Girls Who Print Day (Tuesday, Sept. 27)
• Global Channel Partners — The Channel in the Global Print Economy (Monday, Sept. 26)
• Graphic Arts Alliance (GAA) — Annual Meeting & Breakfast (Monday, Sept. 26)
• ICED, Inc — Meeting & Dinner (Saturday, Sept. 24)
• Idealliance — G7 Summit (Monday, Sept. 26)
• Idealliance (Epicomm) — Soderstrom Awards Dinner (Saturday, Sept. 24); Board Meeting; and, Solutions Theater Sessions (Show Floor, Booth 1009)
• Imaging Network Group (INg) — 2016 Annual Workshop (Friday - Saturday, Sept. 23-24)
• InfoTrends — Annual InfoBriefing Breakfast (Monday, Sept. 26)
• In-plant Graphics — In-plant Printer Breakfasts (Monday, Sept. 26 and Tuesday, Sept. 27), In-plant Printer Luncheon (Tuesday, Sept. 27)
• International Newspaper Group (ING) — Reception (Friday, Sept. 23), 2016 Annual Conference (Saturday, Sept. 24) & Board Meeting
• IPMA (In-Plant Printing and Mailing Association) — In-Plant Panel Luncheon Presentation Monday, Sept. 26), In-Plant Place Networking (Show Floor, Booth 2425)
• KBA Users Group — (Monday, Sept. 26)
• News & Tech — News Print Pavilion Networking (Throughout, Show Floor)
• NPTA (National Paper Trade Association) — NPTA Paper School (Tuesday, Sept. 27)
• PIBT (Printing Industry Benefit Trust) — Annual Trustees Meeting
• Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF) — Board of Directors Meeting
• Printing Impressions/NAPCO — Production Inkjet Luncheon (Monday, Sept. 26)
• Printing Industries of America — Premier Print Awards Gala (Sunday, Sept. 25)
• Print Media Centr — The Printerverse, Theater Presentations & Social Media (Show Floor, Booth 701)
• Rochester Software Associates (RSA) — WebCRD User Group Meeting (Monday, Sept. 26)
• Two Sides North America — Annual Seminar & Board Meeting (Tuesday, Sept. 27)
• Xplor International — Breakfast Panel Presentation (Tuesday, Sept. 27)
• In 2017 the GASC — sponsored PRINT 17 will return to McCormick Place, South Hall in Chicago, Sep. 10 - 14, 2017.

For more information on the exhibitors, seminars, show floor features, special presentations, and co-located events and more at Graph Expo 16, visit: www.graphexpo.com.

About Graph Expo 16
Recognized as the most innovative and comprehensive exhibition in the Americas of inkjet, digital, offset, flexo, gravure and hybrid technologies, products, and services for the commercial, transactional, converting and package printing, signage and display, publishing, mailing, in-plant, digital imaging, marketing, and industrial printing industries, this year's "Refresh" themed Graph Expo 16 offers an exciting show-going experience for a diverse spectrum of attendees. The industry event presents the latest graphic communications technologies in live equipment demonstrations across the exhibition floor, plus education on the most in-demand products and newest profit-making opportunities. Graph Expo 16 offers more than 70 interactive learning sessions and 40+ co-located events for attendees across 12 key market segments.

About Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC)
Graph Expo and PRINT are the largest and most comprehensive graphic communications trade shows and conferences in the Americas and are produced by the Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC). GASC is owned by Idealliance (formerly Epicomm), NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies (NPES), and the Printing Industries of America. GASC is managed and directed by NPES from their headquarters located at 1899 Preston White Drive, Reston, VA 20191, telephone: 703/264-7200, fax: 703/620-9187, e-mail: info@gasc.org, www.gasc.org.

Source: GASC.