Get Ready for the Digital Events this Winter

The 2010 trade show and conference season is winding down, but already some of the buzz for 2011 is starting up. That buzz comes in spite of the fact that there are no mega shows in 2011 and many companies are likely to be a bit conservative in their spending as they marshal resources for drupa in May 2012. Still, there are some good things coming in Q1.

First up—Feb. 17-19 in Orlando, FL—is Dscoop 6. To my mind, this simply is the best conference in the industry. The Dscoop organization began as a small group of HP Indigo press owners and has grown to include a substantial wide-format contingent. Dscoop 1 attracted a mere 250 or so attendees back in 2005 and has grown almost exponentially to this past winter, when some 1,800 people overflowed the Gaylord Texan hotel in Dallas to two neighboring properties.

I've been to the last three editions, and wanted to hear about the next one, so at Graph Expo 2010 I caught up with Dscoop executive director Eric Hawkinson to learn what’s on tap for Dscoop 6 in February. Take a look:

If the past three Dscoops are anything to go by, the upcoming conference should be the place to be—at least if you have any HP equipment in your shop. That’s the key requirement for Dscoop membership. What sets the event apart is the sheer enthusiasm of all attendees and the involvement of the partner companies. Everyone learns a lot and has fun doing it.

But wait! There's more!

Also in Mickey Mouse land, just four days after Dscoop, is Graphics of the Americas and the entirely separate Imaging Network Group (INg) Conference. I’ll be spending my time at the latter event—my favorite venue for getting a first-hand look at what's going on day-to-day in the transactional and direct mail space. In many ways, INg is a micro-sized version of Dscoop and is always a great experience. Together, Dscoop and INg are going to make for a pretty good February. And a couple weeks in the Florida sun won't be so bad either. I’m hoping to escape to the Keys between events.