PIA/SD Holds Well-attended Cross Media Expo
SAN DIEGO, CA—March 4, 2010—Printing Industries Association of San Diego (PIA/SD), the largest local association serving the graphic arts and printing industry, has just wrapped up its annual PIA Expo. The 2010 PIA Cross Media Expo, held February 22-26, was a success with print buyers, printers, designers, and marketing professionals alike. This year’s theme, “Flip. Reflect. Transform,” reflected the changes and transformation the industry is experiencing and PIA/SD’s annual PIA Expo events are designed to promote and celebrate the integration of San Diego print, graphic arts, marketing, and advertising industries and to inform and educate the communications community.
In addition to the trade show, held at the San Diego Convention Center on February 25, 2010, almost 500 people attended nine dynamic seminars. The seminars covered a wide range of topics for anyone interested in learning about design, cross media, email marketing, ROI, and branding. Over 270 people attended one or more sessions to learn the latest technologies, trends, tips and software tricks in the following sessions: “Marketing 3.0: The Integration of Mail & Print with the Online World,” “Life with Print: Cross Media Strategies,” Photoshop & Illustrator Tips & Tricks,” “Positive Impact of Design,” “Greater ROI with Direct Mail,” “Preparing Files for Cross Media,” “Creativity and Branding,” “Email Marketing Bootcamp,” and “InDesign Tips & Tricks.”
The one-day trade show for the San Diego communications industry featured over 75 exhibits and drew over 1,500 attendees. Attendees saw the wide range of the San Diego graphic arts industry on display by paper mills and merchants, printers, prepress service providers, binderies, finishing houses, software, equipment and more.
The week also consisted of tours that gave attendees sneak-peaks of how certain operations function. A tour of San Diego’s largest newspaper, The Union Tribune, and the U.S.P.S. were given to kick-off the week. Attendees got a behind-the-scenes look at how The Union-Tribune and the U.S.P.S. function. New for 2010, the PIA Expo also offered plant tours. Attendees could choose to visit L+L Printers or Master Print Communication for in-depth information about digital and variable data printing (VDP); Blend offered a tour on large format printing; and Golden Rule Bindery and In to Ink (letterpress) offered tours educating attendees about specialty printing and finishing.
Concluding the full week’s events was a celebratory “Cocktails & Kudos” party held at Se San Diego Hotel in downtown San Diego. Attendees mingled and networked with others in the communications industry.
The PIA Expo trade show was sponsored by Hewlett-Packard, Imaging Technologies, and Heidelberg. Gold level sponsors included: Canon Business Solutions, Printing Industries Credit Union, and IKON. The “Cocktails & Kudos” sponsor was Xerox. Seminar sponsors were: Neyenesch Printers, Blend, SOS Printing, L + L Printers, AIGA, MSMA, San Diego Ad Club, Adobe. PIA/SD would like to thank all of these sponsors for their contributions to making the PIA Expo a success year after year.
For information on exhibiting in or sponsoring events in next year’s PIA Expo, contact PIA/SD at (858) 571-6555 or visit our website at www.piasd.org.