Esko Plans to Exceed this Year's EskoWorld 2015 Conference with More Than 70 Sessions

MIAMISBURG, Ohio—June 3, 2015—With a vision of progress for users and Esko alike, Esko announces that the EskoWorld 2015 user conference, attended every year by leading brands, designers, prepress and trade shops and converters, is headed to Scottsdale, Arizona, with the theme 'Improve Today. Dream for Tomorrow.' Last year's event in Orlando exceeded all expectations, and Esko has plans to assure that this year's event is even better. From June 14-16, more than 70 sessions, covering digital flexo, commercial print, digital finishing, packaging, structural design, 3-D design and brand management will be held to enhance users' knowledge about the Esko solutions they currently operate and to expand their understanding about the industry's latest trends.

The host hotel is the AAA Five-Diamond Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, offering world-class hospitality in the Valley of the Sun. There is something for everyone: four award-winning restaurants, Well & Being Spa and two 18-hole championship golf courses, including the home to the annual PGA Tour Waste Management Phoenix Open.

'Improve Today. Dream for Tomorrow.'
“This year’s theme expresses that Esko has always looked at EskoWorld as a learning experience for both our users and ourselves. We hope that our users can gain valuable information about what is possible with the help of tools from Esko and our industry partners—as well as by networking with their peers at the event. We would like them to walk away with at least a couple of action items that will help them improve their production the moment they return from EskoWorld," explained Udo Panenka, Esko president. "At the same time, we hope that they gain a vision of how they can optimize their businesses tomorrow with Esko's help. Just as important for Esko, we expect that the feedback from our users during EskoWorld will help us set the right priorities for our product development roadmaps and inspire our overall strategy."

“EskoWorld has grown into a very meaningful event for our users. The focus is purely on education. We have planned a wide variety of sessions that should provide attendees a great opportunity to return to their offices with very constructive courses of action," commented Jon Giardina, president, Esko Americas. "Our extensive hands-on training sessions, product review sessions, product roadmaps and solutions-based presentations offer users significant information that they can productively use after our event."

Unique motivational speaker to keynote the event
This year's Keynote will be offered by motivational speaker Brad Montgomery. Brad Montgomery teaches people how to use happiness to boost productivity, creativity, innovation and sales. He turns typical meetings into transformational events using the power of happiness. Oh, and he’s pretty funny.

Brad has transformed audiences in all 50 states and on four continents. His clients include Microsoft, Verizon, the FBI, the CIA and the IRS. Brad specializes in using uses humor, interactivity, sound, music and visuals to ignite audiences so that they can use happiness as a tool in their lives and their jobs. Other speakers TALK about happiness. But Brad SHOWS them how to harness the power of happiness in hands-on, experiences that they'll remember and implement. It's the difference between a speech and an event.

A full agenda of topics
As always, sessions explaining specific product roadmaps, product training and lectures on relevant topics will be interspersed. Some of the more interesting topics to be covered this year include:

• The first opportunity for users to learn about packaging content management and MediaBeacon, whose acquisition was recently announced.
• A presentation of an automated workflow with complete integration, applying Automation Engine Connect to pull data from an MIS, using Automation Engine to drive the prepress workflow and CDI flexo plate imager, and driving the Kongsberg table to cut label and carton plates and mount them with Digital Flexo Suite.
• A session about industry standards presented by Steve Carter, senior vice president of technology at Phototype, and Lieven Plettinck, Esko director, software development — both Ghent PDF Workgroup members.
• A review by Esko color experts Mark Samworth and David Harris of the production of the October 2014 cover of FLEXO MAGAZINE, which was created with seven-color expanded gamut.
• A new feature at EskoWorld 2015 is a track of sessions exclusively prepared and reserved for brand owners.
• A series of sessions discussing how to use CAPE products for palletization, to use formulas to create flat-glued cases (KDF's), or to arrange and design cases and pallets.
• Flexo print quality and economics, explaining the combined advantages of Full HD Flexo along with Equinox expanded gamut printing, led by flexo imager experts Rory Marsoun and Jan Buchweitz with color expert Mark Samworth.

Outside of the sessions, one of the benefits of attending EskoWorld is the ability to have one-on-one discussions with an Esko Product Manager, inquire about the latest product releases from business partners, visit the open labs to speak with solution experts and interact with industry peers.

Esko partners to participate in event
As always, the Esko Partner Pavilion will feature a number of companies whose technologies complement Esko solutions. DuPont, a long-term partner will be in attendance, as will CHILI Publish, EFI, Flint Group, Global Vision, HP, MacDermid, MetaCommunications, Videojet and X-rite, among others. Attendees will also have their first opportunity to meet MediaBeacon.

Users renew effort to contribute ideas
This year marks a renewed effort by Esko users to become more involved in EskoWorld content. An EskoWorld Advisory Board, comprised of Esko users, has reconvened to help formulate this year's agenda. While it is currently comprised of Esko customers from premedia and converting companies, the members would like to expand the group to include academia, brand owners, designers and wide-format shops. Anyone who is interested is encouraged to reach out to Advisory Board members during the conference.

“Even with the broad base of Esko users, there really is something for everyone at EskoWorld. I have seen the hard work our staff has put in to build an event that is truly worthwhile. I can also see with the involvement of the EskoWorld Advisory Board that users take this event very seriously and are invested in building a very close and engaged Esko community,” added Giardina. “Every year Esko learns from the previous events and puts together a program that offers an even more valuable learning experience for our guests. We’re looking forward to greeting everyone in Arizona.”

EskoWorld is a world-class customer event where users can bring back tangible ideas. Registrations are now being accepted at www.eskoworld.com.

About Esko
Esko is a global supplier of integrated solutions for the packaging and labels, sign and display, commercial printing and publishing industries. Esko products and services drive profitability in the packaging and printing supply chain by reducing time-to-market and raising productivity. The Esko product portfolio supports and manages the packaging and print processes at brand owners, retailers, designers, packaging manufacturers and print service providers. For 9 out of 10 retail packages, Esko solutions are used in packaging management, artwork creation, structural design, prepress, 3D visualization, plate making, workflow automation, quality assurance, sample-making, palletization, supply chain collaboration and the production of signage and displays. The Esko solutions consist of an extensive suite of software and two hardware product lines: CDI flexo computer-to-plate imagers and Kongsberg digital cutting systems, complemented with professional services, training and consultancy. Enfocus, with its suite of automation solutions and PDF quality control tools for printers, publishers and graphic designers, is part of Esko. Esko employs around 1400 people worldwide. Its direct sales and service organization covers Europe, Middle East and Africa, the Americas and the Asia Pacific, Japan and China regions and is complemented by a network of distribution partners in more than 50 countries. Esko is headquartered in Gent, Belgium, and has R&D and manufacturing facilities in five European countries, the United States, China and India. Esko is a Danaher company.

Source: Esko.