Chicago – Dscoop (Digital Solutions Cooperative) announced that it will hold a special networking and educational event for members in conjunction with GRAPH EXPO 2010. The Leadership Breakfast and Panel will take place Tuesday, Oct. 5 from 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. at McCormick Place in Chicago.

The event features the theme, "The Relationship Between Leadership and Profitability." A Dscoop Leadership Breakfast kicks off the event from 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom of McCormick Place.

Immediately following the breakfast will be an educational panel discussion session, open to all Dscoop members, from 8:45 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., titled "Redirecting Your Business Strategies for Future Success," moderated by Joe Truncale, president and CEO of NAPL. This session will present the landmark findings of a major research project by NAPL, involving CEOs of privately-held business in the North American Graphic Communications industry, designed to answer the question: "Is there a link between sustained, higher than average corporate performance and the interpersonal communication skills of the executive leader?"

Three Dscoop members will be featured on the panel: Josh Bevans, owner of Design to Print, a Utah-based large-format firm; Howard Owen, owner of Stafford Printing, a Va.-based small commercial firm; and Bill Wieners, president of Digital Lizard, an Idaho-based commercial firm. The panelists will provide specific examples of how they altered their intra-company communication strategy to foster long-term growth strategies, and conclude the program with an interactive audience Q&A session.

"I'm looking forward to sharing with my colleagues some of the best practices that have helped grow our company," Owen said. "In addition, the connections and synergies that can exist between commercial and large-format companies are another great benefit of networking within Dscoop."

Along with the breakfast and leadership panel, Dscoop is also hosting a party for its members 7 p.m. – 11 p.m. Monday, Oct. 4 at the River East Arts Center, and will maintain a presence on the GRAPH EXPO show floor at the Dscoop Lounge in the HP booth (#1200).