Reston, VA - What defines a leader?  Having a strong vision for your company?  The ability to guide your firm through tough times without losing employee loyalty?  

While ‘leadership’ may mean different things to different people, most will agree that effective leadership is crucial for developing and growing a successful business.  To answer these questions, and more, a special session at the Vision 3 Summit will specifically focus on the topic of leadership and what it takes to drive one’s company forward in these changing times.  The Vision 3 Summit is a groundbreaking new executive-level conference produced by the graphic communications industry’s top three associations, the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL); NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies (NPES); and, Printing Industries of America.  It will take place March 13–16, 2011, at the Desert Springs JW Marriott in Palm Desert, CA.  The Vision 3 Summit is open to all company owners and executives, both print service providers and vendors, in the graphic communications industry.

The session, “Leadership—From Vision to Reality,” will offer practical tools to drive one’s organization forward.  The workshop will show executives how to develop a strong executable plan, fine-tune their current leadership abilities, and transition their big ideas into successful action items that will lead to lasting, sustainable success.  Speaker John Wright, who grew his own printing and database marketing firm to more than 150 employees, will additionally detail how to execute effective integrated marketing campaigns.

“No matter how flawless your product, or how good your customer service, a business will not function in the long-term if it isn’t led by someone who understands the business, realistically sees the challenges and opportunities ahead, and knows how to lead their employees forward to successfully address those challenges and take advantage of those opportunities,” said Ralph Nappi, President of NPES.  “This session will help graphic communications executives lead their businesses and their employees to new levels of success.”

In addition to “Leadership—From Vision to Reality,” the Vision 3 Summit will address a range of topics crucial to the successful running of one’s graphic communications business.  Topics will span the gamut of management concerns—from the economic recovery to future growth markets, to new-media marketing strategies and sales tactics—with a particular emphasis on real-world applications and ‘best practices’ and offer ‘how-to’ advice.  The Vision 3 Summit will also feature a variety of networking events, and a number of receptions and recreational outings will be available for attendees and spouses or guests.

The Vision 3 Summit replaces NAPL’s, NPES’ and Printing Industries of America’s individual leadership programs, including NAPL’s Top Management Conference; NPES’ Industry Summit that included the PRINT OUTLOOK Conference and PRIMIR Spring Meeting; and, Printing Industries of America’s Presidents Conference.  Both NAPL and NPES will hold their individual board of directors meetings in conjunction with this conference.  NPES additionally plans to hold PRIMIR committee meetings.

While the first co-produced conference by NAPL, NPES and Printing Industries of America, the Vision 3 Summit is not the first joint venture between the three organizations.  NAPL, NPES and Printing Industries of America also co-own the Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC), which produces the popular industry GRAPH EXPO and PRINT exhibitions.

For more information about the Vision 3 Summit, or to register for the conference, visit: www.vision3summit.org.  For all of the pre-event updates and news, follow the Vision 3 Summit community online at: Facebook.com/Vision3Summit; Twitter.com/Vision3Summit; and Youtube.com/Vision3Summit.