Print Buyers Conference Scores a Hit with Buyers, Printers

CHESTNUT HILL, MA—November 23, 2009—A gloomy economic outlook didn’t dampen the success of the 4th Annual Print Buyers Conference in November. The yearly Conference, sponsored by Print Buyers International (PBI) on November 3-5 at the Westford Regency Inn & Conference Center in Westford, MA, drew an enthusiastic crowd of highly qualified buyers, designers and marketers from a dozen different industries for three days of networking and education. Built on the theme of Relevance through Reinvention, the conference provided expert input and peer guidance on career growth.

“The conference was professional, relevant, timely for the state of the industry, educational and fun all at the same time,” noted returning attendee Christine Erna of CJE Consulting. “I really like the educational sessions. I also like meeting all the people who are doing the same thing as I am in other companies, because I’m the only one doing print buying in my company. It’s always helpful to hear how other people have dealt with some of the same issues I have,” observed Maria Cipicchio of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

While changes in printing and print buying were the conference’s focus, Marketing Operations Director Arlene Ouellette of Brookstone noted that the diverse learning opportunities helped sharpen the focus on her career.

“I must say that I return to my office, my company and my job with a renewed sense of purpose,” she relates. “I’m so very glad I went to the conference this year. Every keynote, every session brought with it amazing information. Here’s the “new math” that comes along with my renewed purpose: Reality + Education - Fear + Swift Kick = Future.”

Nearly 130 print buyers from 20 states and two countries attended, and there were 22 sponsoring firms that had display tables. The majority of attendees were senior professionals. More than 50% had 10 - 20+ years of print buying experience, and more than 40% purchase $1 million - $5+ million of print per year. They comprised an ideal audience for returning exhibitors like Patrick Kremer of Mtivity Ltd. of New York and London.

“We had great discussions with around 20 companies and look forward to returning in a couple of weeks to have follow-on meetings,” Kremer related. “We also felt that the audience was much more up to speed this year in terms of understanding the value of software tools like ours.”

Jim Madigan of Battlefield Graphics of Ontario called the Conference “the best show we have been to in a long time,” while Ali Westcott of Concord Litho in Concord, NH, raved about the opportunities for networking and connection.

“Forget gold. Margie Dana and her Print Buyers International team treat their sponsors like platinum. This is our fourth year exhibiting, and our most successful to date. Despite the (understandably) suppressed attendance, the quality of our interaction with marketers and print buyers looking for new ideas at the show was sky-high, and, more important, unrushed and genuine. In a word: Printastico! See you in 2010, if not before...,” she declared.

Dana says PBI never lost sight of the need to serve both attendees and exhibitors with equal vigor. “We were committed to giving print buyers the information they need to help their careers,” she explains. “At the same time, we worked hard at integrating the sponsors into the fabric of the show by taking down walls and encouraging access with attendees.”

The 5th Annual Print Buyers Conference is scheduled to take place on November 3rd & 4th, 2010 at the same venue in Westford, MA. For details about sponsorship opportunities, contact Barbara J. Graham, 978-490-0100, barbarajgraham@printbuyersinternational.com.

About Print Buyers International
Print Buyers International (PBI) is an independent association that caters to professionals who purchase or influence the purchase of printing. Each year it hosts an annual conference, providing education and networking for professionals who work with printing and the graphic arts. For additional information, please visit www.printbuyersinternational.com.