Andy Fetherman, Director of Digital Solutions, receives “Best Sponsor Presentation” accolade

Industry forecasts predict that total annual inkjet impressions will account for close to one-third of all digital printing volume worldwide by the year 2016. Thus, it seemed highly appropriate that the first-ever 2013 Inkjet Summit recently took place with an invitation-only group consisting of approximately 65 pre-qualified top-level print decision makers and influencers who wanted to learn more about implementing inkjet technology within their operations.

The three-day event was organized by nGage Events and North American Publishing Co. and enabled printing executives to learn from and engage with 19 industry vendors who represented the leading print and finishing suppliers within book, direct mail and transaction print manufacturing.

Muller Martini participated in the book track where its representatives met participants one-on-one to discuss inkjet’s opportunities and roadblocks, and also presented informative case studies. One of the biggest concerns voiced by the print community was in the area of workflow, which can be heavily impacted since inkjet is a much faster process than traditional offset. SigmaLine, Muller’s scalable digital book manufacturing solution, eliminates the challenges of a digital workflow by simply taking in a PDF file and automatically processing the job impositioning and production planning through to the finished book.

It appears that Muller’s innovations in machine scalability and workflow adaptability resonated with participants, who voted “Best Sponsor Presentation” to Andy Fetherman, Director of Digital Solutions. “Our message is a simple, but powerful one,” he remarked. “Don’t buy exactly what you need for today because digital print technology is migrating annually to better quality, wider widths and faster machines. So you need to consider what’s ahead three or four generations down the road, and invest in scalable technology and systems. That way you protect your investment and still have growth potential moving forward.”

Carrington Herbert, Vice President of Sales, also represented Muller Martini at the Summit. “This was a very impressive gathering,” he said, “which allowed us access to new customers within a highly focused venue. We look forward to continuing our sponsorship of this event, and building mutually beneficial relationships that will make our industry even stronger. I think all participants—from the printing executives to the suppliers—would agree with that.”