BOSTON (Oct. 24, 2005) — Owners, managers and employees of printing and graphic communications companies as well as professionals from the print buying community are invited to attend Printing Industries of New England’s annual Awards Gala Dinner Tuesday, Nov. 15th in Newton, Mass. Bill Esler, editor in chief of Graphic Arts Monthly magazine, will be the evening’s guest speaker. For the last several years, PINE, the region’s largest trade association for printing and graphic communications companies, has combined its annual business meeting with an awards celebration to acknowledge individuals and companies that have made an impact on the region’s $14 billion print marketplace. “We realize everyone is pressed for time these days,” said PINE President Jim Tepper. “That is why several years ago we opted to combine several events into one evening. Judging from past years, the idea has been well received by the region’s industry. We’re expecting upwards of 200 people at our event. “We hold the annual business meeting of the trade association which includes election of officers for the upcoming year. Then we host a cocktail reception to give attendees time to reacquaint themselves with one another,” Tepper said. “Our Honoring an Influencer Award is given to an individual who has had significant influence and has positively impacted our industry. There will be more news on that in the days ahead,” the PINE president said. “We give a separate award to a PINE member company that has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to education over the past year, and we take a few minutes to acknowledge 25-year member companies. “We are thrilled this year to have Bill Esler join us as guest speaker,” Tepper continued. “Bill is one of the few folks in the industry who can give us an update of what he sees going on in the industry all across the country. We also look forward to his perspective about the recently concluded Print 05 show and what he thinks is in store for printers in the coming year.” The six PINE companies to be honored at the Awards Gala for 25 years of continuous membership in PINE include Massachusetts firms Charles River Publishing in Boston, J.L. McIntosh in Cambridge, Evans and Faulkner in Watertown, Quik Stik Label/Xygraphix in Everett; and New Hampshire companies Imperial Company, Inc. in West Lebanon and Lebanon Graphics in Lebanon. Heidelberg is the sponsor for the Honoring an Influencer Award. Individual tickets for the Awards Gala are $50. Tables of 10 are available for $475. Call Carole Taylor at 508-804-4109 or send her an email at [email protected] to purchase tickets and register for the event. More information about the Awards Gala is available at www.pine.org.