Rochester, NY - PODi, the Digital Printing Initiative, has announced the featured Keynote Speakers for the 2011 AppForum digital printing conference, http://www.AppForum.org January 31 – February 2 at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. PODi President and Caslon CEO, Rab Govil will present groundbreaking new research results identifying best practices for streamlining the direct marketing process. Charlie Corr, Vice President for Corporate Strategy at online on-demand print giant, Mimeo.com will address the issues digital printing service providers need to know to pursue a profitable print-on-demand strategy.

"The Keynotes are both dynamic, exciting speakers and will set an inclusive tone for the digital printing conference," says Caslon GM David Erlandson. "Rab will focus on an issue vital to people following a Marketing Service Provider (MSP) business model. Charlie will provide counterpoint for those interested in growing with Print-on-Demand."

Rab Govil: Best Practices in Direct Marketing Operations – Reducing Direct Mail Costs & Cycle Time Recent advancements in technology are creating exciting new opportunities for marketers to improve response through more personalized marketing. Caslon, in partnership with the DMA, has just completed groundbreaking research identifying best practices for direct mail operations. Mr. Govil will share these newest guidelines for choosing the right platform, reducing per-piece cost, and shortening cycle times. "No other medium can match the reach or power of direct mail," says Mr. Govil. "But the opportunities for marketing improvements can't come at the expense of increased cost or cycle time. The intelligence we've just gathered will help AppForum attendees achieve excellence with digital printing and personalized marketing."

Charlie Corr: Print-on-Demand – A Solid Growth Strategy for Printers   Not everyone wants to sell marketing solutions. With declining print volumes, overcapacity, and more price competition, a new Print-on-Demand business model might be a good alternative. "The print-on-demand opportunity is just approaching market maturity. Despite all the attention given to MSP strategies, the growth opportunities in POD and digital printing are fantastic as well," says Mr. Corr. "The leading innovators in our industry come to AppForum and I think this audience will be very interested in the latest market forecasts on POD. I'm looking forward to meeting them, and sharing some great case studies and my own experience with developing killer apps for print-on-demand."

Like all AppForum speakers, Mr. Corr is on the frontlines of digital printing. Mimeo.com www.mimeo.com is an innovator in online, on-demand document printing and distribution. Their mission is simple: to provide the fastest, easiest, and most reliable way to print, manage, and distribute documents.

The featured 2011 Keynotes join a growing line up of over 60 speakers, presenting more than 40 educational sessions and pre-conference intensives at the AppForum, the foremost independent digital printing conference in the world. Tracks include:
- Business Growth Strategies – Chaired by Kate Dunn, President, Digital Innovations Group. Get tips on strategy development, rebranding, selling through portals, and solution sales
- Relevant Marketing Tactics – Chaired by Debora Haskel, VP of Marketing, IWCO Direct. Explore best practices for multichannel direct response programs, lead gen, nonprofits, email, & referral programs
- Leading Edge Applications – Chaired by Mark Parent, President, SugarBush Media Solutions. Learn about hi-margin apps: QR codes, social media, personalized packaging, eDiscs, & dimensional mail
- Digital Technologies – Chaired by Dr. John Leininger, Professor, Clemson University. Topics will include POD, VDP, personalized landing pages, QR codes, email, ecommerce, IMBs, and more

As the digital printing industry reshapes itself around new digital technologies and high-margin marketing services, the AppForum has become an essential touchstone. In 2010, attendance grew over 20% and included owners driving the direction of their print and marketing service provider companies, sales and operations teams who create ultimate success, and marketers who use digital printing as an important part of their marketing plan.

2011 AppForum sponsors: Gold Sponsors – Canon, FUJIFILM, Kodak, Konica Minolta, Pageflex by Bitstream, Xerox, xpedx / Silver Sponsors – CGS Technologies, HP, Online Print Solutions, Ricoh / Bronze Sponsors – Avanti, Finch Paper, PrinterPresence. Media Sponsors – CANVAS magazine, In-plant Graphics, Printing Impressions, Process Magazine, Quick Printing, The Seybold Report, WhatTheyThink. A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are still available. Attendees 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.