Reston, VA - The Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC) announced it has partnered with the Graphic Communication Institute (GrCI) of California Polytechnic State University to produce the conference portion of this fall's GRAPH EXPO 2010. With the partnership, GRAPH EXPO aims to add a new dimension to the show's educational offerings, allowing graphic communication professionals the opportunity to benefit from the unsurpassed industry knowledge and expertise of one of the nation's most respected graphic communication departments. GRAPH EXPO 2010, the year's largest graphic communication exhibition and conference in the Americas, will take place October 3 - 6 in Chicago's McCormick Place South. The educational conference will take place from Sunday through Tuesday.

As part of the agreement, Dr. Harvey R. Levenson, head of Cal Poly's Graphic Communication Department, and Lyndee Sing, Manager of the GrCI, will act as conference coordinators for GRAPH EXPO's seminar programming.  Levenson and Sing will organize the overall content of the conference and participate in recommending session leaders for the nearly 50 seminar sessions planned.  The combination of Dr. Levenson's industry expertise, and GRAPH EXPO's ability to offer education customized for 11 of the industry's key market segments, promises to deliver a quality, and personalized, conference experience for all attendees.

"The Graphic Communication Department at Cal Poly is one of the foremost higher education graphic communication programs in the country, and the Graphic Communication Institute at Cal Poly delivers topnotch professional development to industry executives from across the nation. Through this partnership and team approach with the GrCI, GRAPH EXPO conference attendees will get a unique, innovative perspective on the latest industry trends and concerns that they wouldn't be able to get anywhere else," said Ralph Nappi, President of GASC.

Dr. Levenson said, "Through our Graphic Communication Institute at Cal Poly, we know exactly the kind of technology and business issues graphic communication service providers face every day. Between the exhibition and the educational conference, GRAPH EXPO offers an ideal way to address those issues and answer attendee questions about how best to grow their businesses. This partnership allows us to add even more in-depth knowledge and technology-oriented discussions to GRAPH EXPO's already excellent educational programming to really take attendees' knowledge to the next level."

As with previous GRAPH EXPO educational offerings, the conference sessions at GRAPH EXPO 2010 will emphasize how to take greatest advantage of the latest industry trends and technologies, offer practical methods to boost profits and lower costs, and reveal innovative business ideas for getting ahead of the competition.  The nearly 50 seminars will span 20 subject categories:
- Cloud Computing
- Color Management
- Design
- Digital
- Entrepreneurship
- Executive Management
- Interactive Media
- Lean Management and Manufacturing
- Mailing & Fulfillment
- Mergers, Joint Ventures and Acquisitions
- Pre-media
- Print Buying
- Printable Electronics
- Production
- Sales & Marketing
- Social Networking
- Sustainability
- Transactional
- Trends & Opportunities, and
- Workflow

The in-depth executive level sessions and hands-on skill building workshops will address the needs of 11 distinct market segments:
- Commercial printers
- In-plant printers
- Package & specialty printers
- Book printers & publishers
- Digital print imaging/quick & instant printers
- Wide format printers
- Mailing & fulfillment pros
- Transactional printers
- Newspaper printers & publishers
- Creative services/advertising/marketing pros, and
- Print buyers.

As a lead-in to GRAPH EXPO 2010, graphic communication professionals are invited to attend the 15th edition of the annual EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK Conference, which takes place the day before GRAPH EXPO 2010 on Saturday, October 2, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in McCormick Place South.  The popular technology trends update conference addresses the latest topics of interest to industry professionals.  During the conference luncheon, the much-heralded announcement of the Positively Print program award recipients will take place with each of the nominees individually introduced and recognized for the important role they play in artfully-and effectively-promoting the enduring value, effectiveness and power of print in today's media mix.  The EXECUTIVE OUTLOOK Conference will conclude with the announcement of the MUST SEE 'EMS nominees, a roundup of the most intriguing and game-changing technologies and products exhibited at GRAPH EXPO. 

Recognized as the commercial printing, publishing, mailing and transactional exposition for the Americas, GRAPH EXPO 2010 themed, "The Next Generation of Print," has been designed to offer a customized show-going experience to a diverse spectrum of attendees.  The exhibition will offer the latest graphic communication technologies in live equipment demonstrations across the expansive show floor and education on the most in-demand products and profit-making opportunities.  In addition to the debut of News Print-the newspaper pavilion, attendees will find six other special interest sections on the show floor.  These include PackPrint, covering package printing; Future Print, featuring two of today's hottest technologies Printed Electronics and RFID; the Mailing & Fulfillment Center, the industry's largest mailing event anywhere in the Americas; the second annual GREENspace, a showcase on sustainability and eco-friendly products and services; and the Prepress/Software-Design and Press/Finishing sections.