RIDGEFIELD, CT, August 11, 2008 – The annual Critical Trends Breakfast, hosted by the Research & Engineering Council of NAPL, is scheduled for October 27, 2008, from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at McCormick Place in Chicago. This very popular event, held at the start of Graph Expo, features a keynote presentation by Joe Davis, chairman and CEO of Consolidated Graphics, one of North America’s leading general commercial printers. It is the perfect forum for printing decision makers to meet industry thought leaders and gain new perspective on how emerging technology will likely shape business trends in the near future.
 
Every Critical Trends Breakfast attendee receives a free copy of a new Special Report: Path to Progress - Workflow Perspectives. The report will be released for the first time at the October 27 event and features articles by industry experts on latest workflow trends and practices. It covers today’s most promising workflow opportunities and pressing concerns, with special emphasis on practical information for today’s printing company leaders.
 
Kodak is this year’s keynote presentation sponsor. AGFA, Canon, Fujifilm, Heidelberg, HP, Pitney Bowes and Xerox are also sponsors of the breakfast.
 
In addition to Davis, the Critical Trends Technology Breakfast features insight from:
 
- Mark Evans, director of publishing content and technology applications for United Stationers Supply Company, on trends in prepress and premedia.
- Steve Musselman, senior manager of corporate accounts at Agfa Graphics, on trends in traditional and digital print consumables.
- Ken Nowicki, vice president of manufacturing at Sandy Alexander, on trends in pressroom technology, both in Web and sheetfed applications.
- Robert Stock, principal of Printing Stock, on trends in bindery, finishing and converting.
- Don Piontek, CEO of Finishing Resources, Inc., on trends in digital print.
- Tim Daisy, QTMS-sales and marketing executive for Prism, on trends in the digital smart factory.
- Lisa Cross, editor of e-Gam, Graphic Arts Monthly’s e-letter, on how well the trends and current developments are aligned to the industry’s challenges.
 
According to Robert G. Whitton, managing director of the Research & Engineering Council of NAPL, “The Critical Trends Technology Breakfast is always a highly anticipated and well-attended event. This year, we are bringing together some of the industry’s foremost experts to help make sense of technological advancements and put them in a real-world business context that decision makers can relate to. In addition, it provides Graph Expo attendees with a foundation that can make their attendance at the show more meaningful by arming them with valuable and practical information about new developments they will see at the show.”
 
The Critical Trends Technology Breakfast will also present the Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation (PGSF) Educator of the Year Award to Michael Riordan, assistant professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Color Imaging & Publishing, School of Print Media. Riordan was selected from nominations received from hundreds of PGSF scholarship recipients.
 
Early registration is encouraged as seating is limited. Registration fees are $89 per person for a standard registration; $50 for an educator/student registration. To reserve a seat for the Critical Trends Technology Breakfast, call 800-642-6275, ext 2 or visit www.napl.org/TrendsRegistration    Or, for more information, visit: www.napl.org/TrendsInfo.