Expo Bound: Looking for Inkjet and Wide-Format
The following article was originally published by In-plant Impressions. To read more of their content, subscribe to their newsletter, IPI E-News.
PRINTING United Expo is set to take over Orlando, Florida, October 22-24. Attendees are gearing up for three days of learning, networking, and inspiration.
As a lead-up to the Expo, we are sharing a series of Q&A interviews featuring attendees from a variety of backgrounds explaining why they are attending the Expo, what they hope to learn, and what excites them about the upcoming event.
Justin Van Nest
Justin Van Nest
Communications and Printing Operations Manager
Oklahoma City Community College
What made you want to attend this year's Expo?
We’re attending this year’s Printing United Expo to explore our equipment options, as the leases on two of our toner-based printers are coming to an end. We're seriously considering replacing at least one of them with an inkjet production unit and want to evaluate what’s currently available and what’s expected to launch in the near future. Additionally, we're exploring opportunities to expand our wide-format capabilities.
The Expo provides a unique opportunity to see multiple vendors and technologies in one place, which makes side-by-side comparisons much easier. Seeing equipment in person, while the details are still fresh, allows us to make more informed decisions. With all the top vendors under one roof, we can confidently determine the best fit for our shop’s needs moving forward.
What products or services are you most looking forward to seeing this year?
We’re especially interested in exploring inkjet solutions for our curriculum printing. The potential cost savings and increased production speed make inkjet a very attractive option for our operation. We’ve also seen great success with our wide-format department, and we’re eager to explore new equipment and technologies that can help us expand those capabilities even further.
Why is attending the Expo better than going to a vendor’s demo center to see equipment?
Visiting a vendor’s demo center can be useful, but nothing beats attending Printing United. At the Expo, we get to see everything in one place. We can walk a few steps and compare different equipment side by side. It makes it much easier to see what really stands out. We get a chance to see the equipment in action, talk to the product experts, and meet others who are looking at the same things and compare their experience to ours. We leave with a much better sense of what is right for our shop.
Is networking with industry peers an important reason for attending the Expo?
Networking is an essential part of why you should attend Printing United. It gives you a chance to meet other people who have similar needs and experiences to help you grow your business. I meet other people who are looking for or already have the equipment we want and can learn from their experience.
How do you hope attending will impact your business moving forward?
With the price of equipment and supplies constantly in a state of flux and budgets getting tighter, we are looking for more efficient and cost-effective ways to continue to provide our customers with the highest quality service and products we can offer. Printing United is a great way to see what we can bring to our shop to not only provide less expensive means of production with fewer touchpoints, but also expand our offerings to our customers.
Watch for more pre-show coverage in the weeks to come. And register for the Expo today at this link.
Bob has served as editor of In-plant Impressions since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 180 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, co-sponsored by IPMA and In-plant Impressions.
