HARRISVILLE, RI -- September 25, 2001 -- On September 7, 2001, Dr. Joe's Webb presented his "Ten Undeniable Trends Shaping the Printing Industry" to an overflow, standing room only audience at PRINT 01 in Chicago. Dr. Webb spoke about the economic environment and how they affect the market for print, opportunities for cross-media, and digital printing. He discussed changes in the structure of the industry, especially consolidation. He viewed the latter as creating opportunities for new print businesses, new executives, and new ideas, and not necessarily the consolidators. For copies of the speech or to find links to the audio webcast of the speech, go to www.drjoewebb.com. Handouts and slides can also be downloaded as Adobe Acrobat PDF files. Here's Joe!... RIT professor Frank Romano introduced Dr. Webb by saying that he was selected to speak because he "could talk about trends in a very independent and objective way" and that his "views are based upon what is actually happening, not what suppliers want to happen." Dr. Webb spoke extensively how changes in organizational philosophies, such as quality management had changed the way print is used in the industrial sales cycle, and how that shift to desktop printing had radically changed demand for print with the helping hand of desktop publishing. Speech Excerpts... "The printing industry can become more productive if it aggressively sheds enough unproductive assets and invests in right new productive ones," noted Webb. "As part of this effort, it will have to develop its own talent and build the talents of its current workforce, owners included. They must also be more flexible since they will need to see the entire workflow, even before it hits their plant, and be able to implement new technologies and approaches regularly." "I have always had great trust in the innate common sense of printing shop owners. These may be painful years for some print businesses, for sure. But owners who have their personal wealth on the line are usually driven to make better economic decisions sooner than those in larger organizations who may be several levels away from their customers. Sometimes the decision is to step aside. Sometimes the decision is to get more deeply involved. But the decisions are usually right for the circumstance, but it's better when they are planned with reliable and frank information." Handouts from Speech... Dr. Webb's forecast table of more than 25 print products (magazines, catalogs, newspapers, brochures, and more) is included in the handouts download. It includes supplemental materials beyond the speech: -- A brief summary of the current business and technology issues in each product segment; -- The long-term outlook the effect the Internet is having on each print product; -- The traditional print process that is most affected by new media competition; and -- The general potential for digital color printing, desktop printing, and e-commerce in each area. The net print market growth rate compared to GDP growth is also included for each of the products. About Dr. Joe Webb... Dr. Joseph W. Webb is an independent consultant and a 20+ year veteran of the graphic arts industries. As a recognized marketing authority, he is also a leading industry forecaster and commentator. Currently, Dr. Webb provides executive briefings, public and private seminars and private consultation. In his 15 years of consulting to leading industry suppliers, he is best known for his detailed knowledge of industry demographics, his often-contrary views of technology adoption, and his ability to help companies determine the best ways to market new products and breathe life into old ones.