Reston, VA - Understanding the transition that many graphic communications professionals are making into marketing services, and also the needs of highly experienced marketers at the show, GRAPH EXPO 2011 will debut a brand new special interest pavilion this fall dedicated exclusively to marketing professionals and marketing service providers. Sponsored by the Chicago chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA), the largest AMA chapter in the United States, the new Marketing Pavilion will offer a complete, one-stop destination for marketing education, resources and networking.  GRAPH EXPO 2011, the year's largest graphic communications exhibition and educational conference, will take place September 11-14, 2011, in Chicago's McCormick Place.

"Today's graphic communications professionals are moving away from being exclusively print providers and transitioning into the world of marketing services," explained Ralph Nappi, President of the Graphic Arts Show Company, which produces GRAPH EXPO.  "Given the expanded focus of these attendees, and to provide offerings for experienced marketers at the show as well, we determined the best way to meet the increasing need for marketing products, information and knowledge was to provide a concentrated area right on the show floor where the emphasis is on all things marketing: hence, the global debut this fall of the Marketing Pavilion."

The pavilion's main attraction will surely be the many exhibits showcasing the latest and most innovative marketing and graphic communications tools and technologies that marketing professionals rely on today.  These include:

• Digital marketing services
• Social media and social content generation tools
• Lead generation and management services
• Search engine optimization software
• E-mail marketing services and software
• Marketing automation technology
• Database management software and analytics
• Mobile and Internet services
• List brokers
• Creative services,
• And more.

The pavilion will also feature a Marketing Theater-a learning center that will offer a series of educational presentations and workshops on the 'how-tos' of marketing, including the tools most useful to marketers.  As part of its partnership with GRAPH EXPO, the Chicago AMA will be developing educational offerings for both the experienced marketer and emerging marketing service providers-ensuring that, no matter what their marketing expertise, attendees at the Marketing Pavilion will come away having learned something new.

Finally, attendees visiting the Marketing Pavilion are invited to take advantage of the Marketer's Networking Lounge.  This meeting place offers a casual environment in which graphic communications professionals can network, exchange ideas with, and learn from other likeminded professionals.

"The Chicago AMA is pleased to be sponsoring the new Marketing Pavilion at GRAPH EXPO," said Ann Kostopanagiotou, President-Elect, 2011-2012, American Marketing Association, Chicago.  "From this collaboration we will provide some best-in-class programming for printers, and for our member marketers it will be a tremendous shopping experience where they can meet with the experts and see and explore the very latest innovations in print and print-integrated media."

Recognized as the commercial printing, publishing, mailing and transactional exposition for the Americas, GRAPH EXPO 2011 themed, "Embrace Technology," has been designed to offer a customized show-going experience for a diverse spectrum of attendees from 11 key market segments. The exhibition will offer the latest graphic communications technologies, live equipment demonstrations on the show floor, plus education on the most in-demand products and profit-making opportunities.  Attendees will find nine special interest sections on the show floor. These include the 2011 debut of the Marketing Pavilion, offering education, resources and networking opportunities for today's marketers; News Print pavilion, which returns by attendee demand for a second year at GRAPH EXPO 2011 and answers the call from newspaper printers and production executives for a dedicated show floor section; PackPrint, covering package printing; Future Print, featuring new and emerging technologies including Printed Electronics and RFID; the Mailing & Fulfillment Center, the industry's largest mailing event anywhere in the Americas; the third annual GREENspace, a showcase dedicated to sustainability and eco-friendly products and services; the Prepress/Software/Workflow and Press/Finishing sections; and, Education Main Street for attendees seeking well-educated, talented industry newcomers to augment their company's workforce.

For more information or to register for GRAPH EXPO 2011, visit: www.graphexpo.com.