June 1, 2005 -- Commercial, package printing and converting executives all over the world can now access multi-lingual information about this September’s giant international PRINT 05 & CONVERTINGSM 05 trade show through a portfolio of new web pages. The new pages advise show visitors about how to obtain U.S. visas and make other preparations to travel to Chicago for the show, which takes place on September 9-15. Some 70,000 people are expected to take part in PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05. Previous international events have drawn visitors from more than 75 nations. The PRINT & CONVERTING 05 home page at www.print05.com now includes links to pages in German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian. Each page provides the web address of the U.S. State Department site devoted to visa procedures, as well as information about the services available through the U.S. Commercial Service’s International Buyer Program. On site at McCormick Place in Chicago, PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05 will offer a full-service International Visitors Center, where attendees can obtain interpreter services, travel assistance, directories of exhibiting companies interested in exporting, and a variety of other support. The Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC) will offer special conference programs for attendees from Latin America, Canada, Middle East and Africa, Russia and Asia. GASC, the show’s manager, has distributed show literature through U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide and staged informational displays at trade shows and conferences in India, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, China, and the Czech Republic to promote PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05. Many official delegations are being organized to travel to the show. Through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Buyer Program, visitors are automatically eligible to attend the event under the auspices of the U.S. Commercial Service as part of an official Embassy/Consulate Delegation, even if they prefer to travel alone. As a program participant, visitors can take advantage of: •Friendly, local language support on-site •Free assistance with travel and hotel bookings •Free assistance finding U.S. exhibitors and companies before and during the show •Free assistance with logistics at the show •Free Export Interest Matching System in the International Business Center •Free assistance with visa applications where available. The PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05 website provides a web link to a list of U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide, through which visitors can enroll in the International Buyers Program. PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05 is being held at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL. More information, including online registration for the event can be found at www.PRINT05.com. GASC, producers of PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05, is jointly owned by the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL), NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies (NPES), and the Printing Industries of America (PIA). In addition to the giant international PRINT & CONVERTING exhibition, GASC manages the most important national and international industry events in the western hemisphere, including the annual GRAPH EXPO and CONVERTING EXPO, EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK, GUTENBERGSM & DIGITAL OUTLOOKSM, as well as the national VUE/POINT Conference. Complete information about GASC events can be obtained from its web site at www.gasc.org, by mail at 1899 Preston White Drive, Reston, VA 20191-4367, telephone 703/264-7200, fax 703/620-9187, or e-mail: [email protected].