Reston, VA - NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies has announced the NPES 2010 Industry Summit, the annual economic and industry trends update conference, will take place March 22 – 24 at InterContinental Harbor Court in Baltimore, MD.

The NPES 2010 Industry Summit actually combines two information-packed conferences in one: PRINT OUTLOOK 2010, which will take place March 22 and 23, and the PRIMIR Spring Meeting, to follow on March 23 and 24. Together, PRINT OUTLOOK and the PRIMIR Spring Meeting offer a comprehensive examination of the current economic landscape and what it means to the industry at large, as well as to individual graphic communications businesses.

"According to most indicators, the economic recovery has begun, which is great news for us all. But recovery in this new business climate will not necessarily translate to an automatic increase in business or a quick rise in profits for graphic communications businesses," explained Ralph Nappi, President of NPES. "The NPES 2010 Industry Summit gives attendees a thorough understanding of just how our industry has been affected by the recession, how the recovery will unfold and, most importantly, how they can take greatest advantage of the recovery as we go forward. Attendees will come away with greater insight into the challenges and opportunities in this new economic landscape, and the best strategies for success in the post-recession marketplace."

The PRINT OUTLOOK portion of the Summit kicks off with economist Alan Beaulieu, president and CEO of Institute for Trend Research. In this much-anticipated session, "From Recession to Recovery: The Road Ahead," Beaulieu will outline just where the industry is in the economic cycle, what the recovery will look like and how graphic communications businesses can best prepare for future opportunities. Other topics to be covered during PRINT OUTLOOK include:
- The outlook for commercial printing
- The effects of the financial meltdown on the graphic communications industry
- Print's role in today's media mix
- The future of books in a digital world, including discussion of books on demand, digital books and e-books, and
- An NPES Public Policy Forum addressing the impact of health care reform, post office policy and Do Not Mail legislation.

Immediately following PRINT OUTLOOK is the PRIMIR Spring Meeting, where attendees will get an insider's preview of the newest PRIMIR study, "Megatrends in Digital Printing Applications." Each year, PRIMIR conducts several comprehensive research studies on topics of critical strategic concern to manufacturers, suppliers and printers. Thus, the program will also include an overview of several other PRIMIR studies, including print suppression trends among Fortune 500 companies, the electronic displacement of print, packaging trends and worldwide market trends for flexographic printing.

Graphic communications professionals can choose to attend the entire NPES 2010 Industry Summit, which offers the most savings, or PRINT OUTLOOK 2010 or the PRIMIR Spring Meeting only. Early Bird registration rates for the Industry Summit are: $450 for NPES, PRIMIR or PESDA members; $450 for printers who are PIA or NAPL members; and, $550 for non-members. The Early Bird rates for PRINT OUTLOOK only are: $300 for NPES, PRIMIR or PESDA members; $300 for PIA or NAPL member printers; and $400 for non-members. The Early Bird rates for the PRIMIR Spring Meeting only are: $200 for NPES, PRIMIR or PESDA members; $250 for PIA or NAPL member printers; and, $250 for non-members. Standard rates apply after February 22, 2010.