22 ■ October 4, 2010 • GRAPH EXPO


Official Show Daily • Cygnus Graphics Media


NPES Members Can Access Vast Array of Industry Economic Data


bility, our attention must turn to what can we do now to capitalize on the opportunities presented by the con- tinued recovery or how to react to a double dip—and how to best prepare for the future. To effectively accomplish both


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these goals, you need access to some crucial information: when the recov- ery will strengthen, how long it will last, what the market size for differ- ent products is, and who is buying what and when they will be mak- ing those purchases. To help them explore these questions, NPES mem- ber companies have an unparalleled resource available to them: the free NPES Market Data program. The NPES Market Data program has provided participants with criti- cal information on the size of the printing equipment marketplace for 50 years. The program has recently been enhanced with two new services that significantly increase its value. The NPES Market Data program is


PRINT BUYERS FORUM SESSIONS


Monday, October 4 8:30 am – 10:00 am Room S405ab Breakfast Session: A Print Buyer’s Personal Workflow: Optimum Productiv- ity in a Demanding Career Peter Muir, President, Bizucate, Inc.


10:30 am –12:00 noon Room S405ab What Keeps Today’s Print Production Pros up at Night? Margie Dana, President, Print Buyers International


12:15 pm – 1:45 pm Room S406b Lunch Session: Status of Printing in the U.S. Frank Romano, Professor Emeritus, RIT


Tuesday, October 5 8:30 am – 10:00 am Room S405ab Breakfast Session: Using Cross Media Strategies to Improve Your Firm’s Bottom Line Steven Schnoll, Managing Director, Schnoll Media Consulting


10:30 am – 12:00 noon Room S405ab Amazing New Apps in Digital Printing Frank Romano, Professor Emeritus, RIT


s the economic downturn continues to persist with low growth or a double dip recession as a possi-


a free, legally monitored, and highly confidential program that provides dollar and unit shipments data for 80 key industry product categories. Participating member companies pro- vide monthly shipment information to an independent third party vendor and,


in quarterly return, industry


receive aggregated reports.


From


these data, members can confidently gauge their performance, evaluate the emergence of new market trends, and forecast future product sales. NPES conducts this data collection


effort through an independent third party company to ensure the confiden- tiality of participating members. The NPES Market Data Program is driven by the needs of the participants, and the flexibility of this program allows participants to recommend additional categories as new markets emerge, assuring that NPES remains the author- itative source for printing and publish- ing market data.


Expert analysis To further enhance the informa-


tion provided by the program, NPES works with the Institute for Trend Research (ITR), the company led by Alan Beaulieu, to provide participat- ing member companies with expert economic analysis and industry fore- cast reports. Alan is a regular key-


note presenter at NPES conferences, and his informative and insightful economic


forecasts have been the


highlight of the meetings. Alan was one of the few experts to correctly predict the timing and severity of the downturn, and NPES members immediately saw the value in the information he could provide and requested that NPES work with him to provide forecasts for our industry. The quarterly Economic Outlook Reports provided by ITR offer analy- sis and forecasts for the overall U.S. economy and six key industry prod- uct segments: total equipment, total pressroom equipment, sheetfed offset presses, total bindery, total graphic arts supplies, and direct to metal printing plates. They also provide updates on key leading economic indicators that members can use to predict their own future activity. These quarterly reports, with an annual value of nearly $20,000, are provided at no cost to those NPES member companies that participate in the NPES Market Data Program. Member companies that do not par- ticipate in the Market Data program will receive a limited report with basic information on total equipment and supplies. As another value–added service to association members that partici-


pate in the Market Data program, NPES also has an agreement with Equipment Data Associates (EDA) to offer participating companies a 20% discount on EDA’s data services. EDA collects purchasing and financ- ing information for buyers of print- ing equipment, and companies that subscribe to EDA’s services can mine its extensive database to find out exactly who is buying which pieces of equipment and when they made that purchase or lease. Armed with that information, NPES members can be proactive in getting in front of a buyer before they start the decision- making process instead of waiting for the buyer to come to them. The free NPES Market Data pro- gram now offers it all: current and historical shipments information for key products, expert analysis and forecast of where those markets are going, and the ability to know which customers to target to make a sale. To participate in the NPES Market Data Program and receive these valuable benefits, contact Rekha Ratnam at e-mail: rratnam@npes.org or phone: 703/264–7200.


Who Buys Print Anymore? You Do! And who you are might surprise printers


By Mark Vruno


ative professionals are buying printing than ever before. This year, a full 88% of designers questioned say they either buy or specify printing, according to GD:USA’s 47th Annual Print Design Survey published in June. And what do they look for in a printer? You’d better sit down for this one… These designers and creative pros


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believe that relationships still matter, along with personal characteristics, trust and technical and paper knowl- edge. Oh sure, customer service and quality matter, too, as does price, of course. Increasingly, environmental practices and policies are showing on their radar, as are short-run digital capabilities.


s the number of companies with dedicated print buyers continues to dwindle, more graphic designers and cre-


Losing sleep?


Whether or not you personify this description, come and meet experi- enced print buying peers at GRAPH EXPO’s two-day Print Buyer Forum, being held today and tomorrow, and moderated by Margie Dana of Print Buyers International for the fourth consecutive year. Attendees can network, share the challenges they face, how their careers are evolving and what the industry can do to help. Most importantly, attend- ees can learn about new resources for managing print production responsi- bilities.


If you’re not a creative, perhaps


you’re a corporate or agency print buying professional, or a marketing manager overseeing a sizable print spend and/or a staff of print buying specialists. Even print firm CEOs, sales reps and CSRs can benefit by gaining a better understanding of cur-


rent challenges facing today’s print buying and designing professionals. A total of five educational seminars are featured (see box at left), includ- ing a “personal workflow” workshop with Peter Muir of Bizucate—how to achieve optimum on the job pro- ductivity with a roundup of tools to help buyers prioritize—and what has become a staple presentation on the status of the U.S. printing industry by Frank Romano, whom Dana calls “the king of print.” Romano also will discuss “amazing” new applications in digital print. Dana herself will lead a dynamic brainstorming session about things that keep print pros up at night. The differentiating highlight of the 2010 program, according to Dana, is an engaging new seminar on using cross-media strategies to improve the bottom line, presented by media consultant Steven Schnoll, a 30-year graphic arts and software veteran.


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