Publishers, paper manufacturers and print industry experts gather to discuss technologies and trends driving the future of the industry

MALVERN, PA – Ricoh Americas Corporation today announced the success of its inaugural Publishing Executive Symposium, a two-day event that recently took place at the company’s Executive Briefing Center in Boulder, Colo. Executives from the world’s leading publishers convened to debate where the publishing industry is headed and how technology can support it. Attendees discussed publishing trends, exchanged best practices and lessons learned, and experienced first-hand how the latest generation of inkjet technology, and the media, software, and services that complement it, are playing a role in the industry’s evolution.

The publishing landscape continues to shift, and the resulting changes demand new technologies, paired with an in-depth understanding of how these changes impact different stakeholders in the ecosystem. From the general rise of on-demand and short-run printing, to the popularity of customized publishing in the educational market, to paper preferences in trade press, publishing executives have a unique perspective which shapes demand for the rest of the supply chain. The globally diverse group at the symposium also brought insight from their experience in markets across North America, EMEA, and developing economies. Translating what the advances and benefits of inkjet technology mean for business imperatives of the publishing industry – such as reducing inventory and warehousing, decreasing turnaround time, and speeding up editioning - was a key element of the event. Adding to the educational value for attendees were explorations of the end-to-end needs and solutions for the publishing industry, including pre-press workflow software, high-quality paper, complementary cutsheet and finishing solutions, implementation and consulting services.

Presenters included Marco Boer, vice president of analyst firm IT Strategies; David Hetherington, chief operating officer, Klopotek; and representatives from leading paper manufacturers Crown van Gelder, Finch Paper, JP Gould Specialty Papers,Mitsubishi Imaging and Mondi. Feedback from attendees on the value of the technology and event included: 

• “The detail and the sharpness of the inkjet samples were better [than expected]. The RICOH Pro VC60000 can do well for POD [print on demand]. Getting single-copy only production is the goal.” - Johan Van Slooten, Elsevier
• “It’s fair to say that 4-color inkjet is ready for primetime.” - Bill Barry, Macmillan
• "The symposium presented by Ricoh on inkjet printing and paper was first class. A lot of valuable information was learned about the future of the printing industry.” - Mira Perrizo, Big Earth Publishing 
  • “It was valuable to me on many levels. The education of the power of the RICOH Pro VC60000 is top of mind. It is definitely a game changer. It was also valuable to learn about the different substrates being developed specifically for inkjet. And networking with all of you, as well as other publishers, is always well worth it.” – Lynn Terhune, Wiley

“The publishing industry is undergoing monumental change, and Ricoh is in a unique position to serve as partner to the industry as they navigate this change,” said Ted Takahashi, Senior Vice President, Production Print Global Marketing Center, Ricoh Company, Ltd. “This symposium enabled us to exchange ideas about the concerns and pain points of publishers in an unconventional setting that encouraged candor. As publishing business models are refined, learning about the dynamics of how inkjet and complementary software and services play a role in trends such as short-run and on-demand is increasingly important. We look forward to continuing these enlightening conversations at our next publishing symposium.”