PBI’s First-Ever Print & Media Conference Midwest a Hit
Featuring an all-star line-up of speakers and an unparalleled program of professional education, networking and growth, the conference received high praise for the timeliness of the topics, the depth of information and the quality of the speakers and attendees.
“This conference was useful in educating me as well as giving me a vision of how I need to develop my skills,” noted Brad Hentz, manager of manufacturing and product delivery for the independent book publisher, Sourcebooks, Inc. With a career that spans more than 15 years, Hentz found that PBI Midwest offered glimpses into the future of print—and the skills he needs to stay relevant in his profession. “Through this conference I got to see what print buying looks like at the ‘next level’ for me as well as provided speakers and resources that could help me get there,” he said.
During a full day of non-stop education and interaction with presenters, peers and sponsors, approximately 70 attendees connected with and learned from some of the industry’s leading thinkers, such as:
- RIT Professor Emeritus Frank Romano
- Forecaster and consultant Dr. Joe Webb
- G7 inventor Don Hutcheson
- Elite print buyers Melissa Clemente and Jeff Dickerson
- Cross-channel marketing pro Heather Gims, and
- “Margie’s Print Tips” author, blogger, speaker and Conference Host Margie Dana
Thought-provoking questions inspired new ideas as attendees and speakers grappled with the topics on everyone’s minds today, including: what’s really going on with digital printing; how print buyers are dealing with new media trends; where the print industry is headed; and what a successful cross-media campaign looks like.
For Shari Pritchard, production manager at the marketing communications firm, Simantel, PBI Midwest provided answers to the challenges she faces in her job. “As the production manager for an agency, I wear many hats and the topics of each speaker covered them all!” Pritchard related in a post-Conference evaluation. “I didn’t want it to end.”
Six generous sponsors—Foster Printing Service, Japs-Olson Co., OSP, Unisource Worldwide, Vision Integrated Graphics Group, and Xerox—helped to make PBI Midwest a success.
PBI’s next event is its 6th Annual Print & Media Conference on Sept. 13-14, 2011. Co-located at GRAPH EXPO at McCormick Place in Chicago, this two-day conference will build upon PBI’s recent success and provide cutting-edge information for people who work with print and digital media. A one-day PBI Boot Camp will precede the Conference on Monday, Sept. 12. Program details and online registration, including Early Bird Registration information, will be available later this month at www.printbuyersinternational.com.