Sewickley, PA -- Printing Industries of America today announces that IPA, the Association of Graphic Solutions Providers, and the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) will join it as association partners for the 2009 Converge Conference -- the program focused on the next generation of print and communication services. The event will be held November 7-10, 2009, at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek in Orlando, Florida.
 
The Converge Conference will present the strategies, tactics, and tools necessary for a new breed of company that is integrating the components of conventional and personalized print, Web technology, mailing services, personalized cross-media campaigns, and more.
 
"IPA, DMA, and Printing Industries of America have a shared vision of what is required of member companies to be successful in the years ahead," says Jim Workman, vice president, training for Printing Industries of America. "The partnership will result in a value-laden event, unlike any currently available."
 
Steve Bonoff, president of IPA, sees the conference as relevant for IPA members who specialize in operating powerful digital workflows to create, image, and deliver graphics files across multiple media. "IPA supports industry efforts like the Converge Conference that help today's service providers push their capabilities beyond traditional print boundaries," Bonoff said.
 
George Markham, director of education services for the Direct Marketing Association, emphasized that direct marketers are seeking suppliers who can organize sophisticated marketing campaigns incorporating both print and digital communications. According to Markham, "Potential vendors need to understand client goals and then offer cross-media technology solutions that generate results."
 
The DMA will also offer a one-day version of its well-known Direct Marketing Institute at the conference for print professionals who need a broad-based understanding of direct marketing. The course will cover key principles, offers, creative, list/database and targeting, and research/testing, with an emphasis on mail and the Internet.  
 
The Converge Conference is the successor to Printing Industries of America's former Variable Data and Personalization and Workflow Conferences. For more information about the 2009 Converge Conference, contact Jeanette Tuttle-Hamer at 412-259-1712 or [email protected].