Rochester, NY - PODi, the Digital Printing Initiative, has announced the Track Chairs for the 2011 AppForum, January 31 – February 2 at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. These four prominent digital print industry leaders will be instrumental in developing the user-focused educational sessions that form the core of this once-a-year event. The AppForum provides opportunity for hundreds of market leaders from around the world to discuss new, more profitable ways of doing business. Says Track Chair Debora Haskel, "There's no better place to learn about sales and business strategies, relevant direct marketing, leading edge applications, or print-on-demand than the AppForum."

- Leading Edge Applications Track – Chaired by Mark Parent, President of Sugarbush Media Solutions, a company that has been defining leading edge marketing for over 25 years. Parent's first-hand insights as a business owner who has transformed his own company into a marketing solutions provider, will shape this Track. Attendees will learn about trends, and how to integrate emerging/evolving technologies, including mobile, social media, and web-based applications, into their own marketing programs.

- Relevant Marketing Tactics Track – Chaired by Debora Haskel, VP of Marketing for IWCO Direct, and highly regarded speaker and thought leader. The rapidly changing face of marketing will be explored in this Track, with an emphasis on multichannel strategies. Haskel's contributions to the growth of relevant direct marketing and response-driven direct mail make her uniquely qualified to lead this Track.

- Digital Technologies Track – Chaired by Dr. John Leininger, Professor in the Department of Graphic Communications at Clemson University, well-known digital print expert and educator. As digital print and Print-on-Demand integrates with other digital technologies, like personalized landing pages, QR codes, email, ecommerce, IMBs, and more, staying up-to-date becomes increasingly challenging. Leininger's extensive knowledge of the industry and experience as a trainer ensures that attendees will take away a wealth of information.

- Business Growth Strategies – Chaired by Kate Dunn, President of Digital Innovations Group (DIG), an award-winning marketing firm specializing in targeted sales campaigns. As companies migrate to new Marketing Service Provider business models, or seek to be more efficient and competitive, solid business strategies and sales training have never been more important. Attendees in her Track will benefit from her wide-ranging experience in helping companies transition, transform and increase sales.

With the continued strong growth of digital applications that drive print, the AppForum's unique unbiased, vendor-neutral approach stands out. As the digital print industry reshapes itself around new digital technologies and high-margin marketing services, the AppForum has become an essential touchstone. In fact, attendance at the 2010 conference was up 20%. Says Kate Dunn, "I've noted big changes in the attitudes of AppForum attendees. Almost all are now involved in some form of digital media, from POD to very elaborate web portals … to multichannel programs that include QR codes, social media, and augmented reality."

2011 AppForum sponsors to date: Gold Sponsors – FUJIFILM, Konica Minolta, Xerox, xpedx / Silver Sponsor – Online Print Solutions / Bronze Sponsor – Avanti. A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are still available. Attendees at this leading event for the digital print industry will have the chance to meet representatives from sponsoring companies, an elite group of vanguard vendors, for quiet one-on-ones and discussions at the Vendor Fair.

The PODi AppForum is a three-day educational forum, featuring one full day of Pre-Conference Intensives and two days of breakout sessions, combined with networking and a Vendor Fair. It's designed for print and marketing service providers, enterprise marketers, and others who are using digital print applications and integrated digital technologies to grow business and profits. The AppForum is produced by Caslon, a PODi Affiliate.