Love of Print Is Secret to Dscoop’s Success

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to “experience” Dscoop for the second time. I say experience because this event is truly an experience and a phenomenon. For those who may not know what Dscoop is, it stands for Digital Solutions Cooperative. It is an association/group of HP Indigo and Scitex equipment users who gather together once annually in the United States for the sole purpose of sharing their successes and best practices.

Although HP is a sponsor, the group is independent and run by an outside management company and board of directors. The event grows every year, boasting a sell-out crowd this year of more than 2,000 attendees—mostly printers.

One of the things I find unique at this conference is that people are happy, joyous and appear to be having fun in this industry. Contrast this with some other recent industry events where you see printers with a look of gloom and doom on their faces and clearly not having fun.

I previously blogged about the importance of “falling in love again” with your printing business. I shared the story of a friend who realized that he had fallen out of love with his business and how falling back in love was now his key to success.

I think that there is something we can all learn from the Dscoop phenomenon. Even though we have been through some tough times, there are great opportunities in this industry—if we have the foresight to find them. Dscoop members seem to have found it. How and why? No one knows for sure.

Even HP executives admit that they are not really sure why Dscoop took on such a life of its own. It’s not just HP/Indigo magic. Make no mistake—HP is a key part of the group’s success and proud of it, but it does not manage the operation.