Annual Esko user event grows even bigger with more product, technology and industry updates, more partners and more value

Ghent, Belgium – Esko announces that EskoWorld 2014, the annual event for Esko users in the Americas, is headed to Orlando at the award-winning Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin – located in the heart of Walt Disney World, June 15-18. The 2013 event hosted nearly 600 attendees, and Esko plans to be prepared for a valuable learning experience for all. 

“Whether someone is looking for tips and tricks on Esko Studio, the latest enhancements for ArtiosCAD Enterprise or a roadmap session on WebCenter, EskoWorld will have numerous sessions to help our users increase their knowledge. We hope they can use this information to squeeze productivity from their print operations and explore new revenue-building opportunities,” explains Tony Wiley, President, Esko North America. “EskoWorld has become extremely valuable for our users, and we expect this event to be no different.”

EskoWorld mission: Share ideas and knowledge

EskoWorld brings together users, industry partners, product specialists and support staff, encouraging the exchange of ideas and product and application knowledge. Sessions offer insight the breadth of the Esko print experience, including flexo, packaging prepress, color management, structural and 3D design, brand management, digital label and large format print and digital finishing. Esko’s expert staff contributes presentations and demonstrations—with ample time to listen to customer input and provide feedback. Visitors can meet for one-on-one discussions with Esko Product Managers, inquire about the latest product releases from business partners or visit the open lab to speak with solution experts. 

The session curriculum of more than 90 sessions, including a dedicated number presented in Spanish, is currently in development and will be posted on the EskoWorld website in the coming weeks. The program will also include special guest speaker session contributions from the Disney Learning Institute, Wallace Church Agency in New York City and selected customer presentations.

Key presentations focus on customized package design and importance of branding

EskoWorld is proud to host two very powerful presentations from Wallace Church and Disney. They both cover important topics facing all partners of the supply chain: How to engage consumers on a personalized basis, and how to maintain brand loyalty. 

Rob Wallace, Managing Partner of Wallace Church—a Manhattan and San Francisco-based brand identity strategy and package design consultancy—will offer the Keynote and a separate one-hour session during the event this year. Brand identity is not just Rob’s job; it’s his passion. Referred to as “the industry thought-leader on quantifying design’s return on investment”, Rob sees his primary goal as proving that brand identity/package design has returned a higher ROI than any other branding tool. Rob works with some of the world’s smartest brand owners on their most successful global brands. Current Wallace Church clients include PepsiCo, Nestle, Procter & Gamble, Pfizer, Heinz, Colgate-Palmolive, Revlon, Kroger, Bacardi, The Vitamin Shoppe, Del and more than three dozen corporations of equal caliber. Rob has lectured more than 50 industry events across the US, Europe, Latin America and Asiaas well as Columbia Business School, Georgetown University, The School of Visual Arts and several other MBA programs. He has co-authored the book “Really Good Package Design Explained”. 

Wallace’s presentation, ‘Hyper Customization—Engaging Consumers with Personalized Package Design’ will explain how new advances in digital printing make it affordable for marketers to engage consumers on a truly individual basis.  Showcasing their strategic thought-leadership, Wallace Church & Co created a next generation vision for how brand messaging can be hyper customized. They applied their vision to an over-proliferated product category—micro brewed craft beer. They challenged convention and created a unique brand premise and then used digital package printing to engage consumers in a truly individual way. The result creates disruption and engagement that has been unprecedented in this or any other category. 

Also on the agenda is The Disney Institute, who will offer a presentation, ‘Disney’s Approach to Brand Loyalty’, providing their perspective about managing the Disney brand. EskoWorld 2013’s general session ended with a keynote presentation about Walt Disney’s success and leadership principles. Walt Disney's original success formula, "Dream, Believe, Dare, Do", has transformed both entrepreneurial and Fortune 500 companies alike. 

Esko customers offer their own experiences

Upon popular request, Esko will again draw upon its user community to provide their unique perspectives about how they use Esko solutions. These sessions are always very popular because attendees benefit from the information passed on from other users of Esko products. Topics have ranged from technical product experiences to issues of building a business taking advantage of the unique tools that Esko provides.

Exceptional networking event with Esko industry partners

EskoWorld’s Partner Zone will allow Esko supply chain partners to explain how their products enhance the use of—and work seamlessly with—Esko tools. More partners than before will participate at the event. These include companies like EFI, Enfocus, Global Vision, HP, MacDermid, Meta Communications, The Quick Brown Fox, Western Computer, and x-Rite. 

Focused demos at the demo lab area

As always, Esko will stage a demo lab area where users can speak with solution experts or sample the latest software. The labs will also house some hardware, including the new Kongsberg C Series finishing table—the largest fully functioning table in the industry.

Time for team building and fun

EskoWorld always includes an evening of entertainment—time for attendees to network with each other in a less formal environment. Many EskoWorld participants build long-term friendships where they share knowledge.

Information and registration

EskoWorld is open to any company that has an Esko solution or has signed a purchase order for scheduled delivery. For a complete overview of EskoWorld 2014, attendees can visit www.esko.com/en/eskoworld/. The site provides frequent, updated news about the event, offering the latest information, agenda details, speaker backgrounds, and more. 

An early bird fee applies to anyone who registers and pays all fees until May 16. In addition, for every four registrants from one company paid in full, a fifth person can attend for free. To register, guests can visit http://www.esko.com/en/EskoWorld/Register/. More information about the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin resort and booking rooms is available at www.swandolphin.com.

For more information about the event in general, people can contact Tim Zula, Marketing Director, Esko at [email protected]. 

“EskoWorld as an event has really blossomed of the past few years. We believe it’s because our customer base appreciates the learning experience and values the information they can put to use when they return to the office. I also believe that we are building a very close and involved Esko community,” concludes Wiley. “Every year we raise the bar to present an even more valuable learning experience for our guests. By offering a wide range of sessions, from inspiring keynotes to user experiences, to product roadmaps, and to pure application classrooms, we feel confident that we are providing a worthwhile agenda for everyone. We’re looking forward to greeting our guests in Florida.”