MARBLEHEAD, MA – March 26, 2003 – DDAP Association, a key industry group charged with promoting the "Universal Exchange of Digital Advertising through Open Process Integration and Accredited Standards," recapped a successful 2003 Annual Conference program in a report to members today. Held March 12-15 in New Orleans, the DDAP "Digital Mardi Gras" focused on fine-tuning digital ad workflows through the use of standard accredited file formats, the SWOP specification, new color management strategies and other future initiatives. Joel Rubin, Past Chairman of SWOP, Inc. and Scott Tully,VERTIS, Inc. were named the 2003 Joseph A. Pedone Award recipients at DDAP's 11th annual conference. The conference brought together representatives from over 130 ad agencies, publishers, prepress, providers, printers, and software developers to learn new digital strategies, through presentations, The DDAP Town Hall, the Hands On! learning center and DDAP’s unique team experience where participants work together to develop solutions to specific digital ad workflow obstacles. Each day of the conference was dedicated to a different aspect of digital workflows. Day One focused on PDF/X and TIFF/IT. In his opening remarks, DDAP chairman Alan Darling announced the identification of vector PDF/X as DDAP’s preferred file format and challenged the audience to take the "PDF/X Pledge." Keynote speaker, William Bevington, Director of Design at Parsons Institute of Information Mapping, shared his observations on the union of aesthetics and technology and the impact of the "offspring" of that union will have on our evolving information age. Day Two offered a comprehensive program on color management built around the new 10th Edition SWOP Specification. Highlights of the day included "The SWOPranos," an entertaining look at new incentives for SWOP compliance directed by Michael Weinglass, and produced by Nubar Nakashian and Roy Zucca, and a keynote on current color management strategies by Steve Upton,CHROMiX. In keeping with DDAP's forward-thinking agenda, Day Three focused on digital supply chain management with presentations on Adobe’s XMP and CIP4’s JDF. The PUB Group from Rochester Institute of Technology provided an in depth look at the role of XML in cross-media publishing and Alan Darling led futurists William J. Ray, and Martin Bailey in an "Armchair Adventure,"exploring new frontiers in print production automation and files that "manage themselves." The 2003 Joseph A. Pedone Award recipients were announced at the DDAP "Digital Mardi Gras" Special Event. This annual award, named for the original founders of the DDAP Association, recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of "Open Process Integration and Accredited Standards." Honored this year were Joel Rubin, Past Chairman of SWOP, Inc. and Scott Tully, PDF Workflow Evangelist, VERTIS, Inc. Alan Darling, DDAP Chair, in making the announcement, remarked, "The DDAP Association proudly acknowledges two professionals for their efforts in championing the universal adoption of standard accredited digital ad workflows. Joel Rubin and Scott Tully each has played a leadership role in the development of open process integration and accredited standards and has helped the advertising, prepress, printing, and publishing industry move closer to an all digital environment." "The Digital Mardi Gras was a resounding success," reports DDAP Executive Director, Barbara Hanapole. "Attendees, sponsors, and presenters alike were energized by the focus on new technologies and enthusiastic about the efficiencies promised by new technology such as PDF/X, XMP and JDF. We’ll continue on to take a leadership role in bringing information about new technologies to our membership throughout the year and at DDAP’s 2004 conference (date and location to be announced).