From case study-based breakouts to Town Hall discussions, attendees can learn about and evaluate newest industry advances during May 3-5 annual event in Tucson, Ariz.

Alexandria, Va. - Emerging innovations for tomorrow’s media supply chain will be the focus of interactive breakout discussions and case study evaluations at the Idealliance Experience Conference, May 3-5 at the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa in Tucson, Ariz. Idealliance is the communications industry association representing all facets of the global omnichannel media value chain. (Note: Deadline for Conference early bird registration—a $200-$300 savings—is Saturday, April 15. Visit www.idealliance.org/experience17 for details.)

“Open dialogue and constructive idea exchanges are key to moving our industry into the future, and are at the heart of how Idealliance members work together to advance industry practices and processes,” says Idealliance President and Chief Executive Officer David J. Steinhardt. “Our Conference breakout discussions will build on reaI-world case studies from forward-thinking companies in a number of industry segments, exploring the new ideas they are developing to adapt to change in direct mail, print workflows, brand management, and content creation, among other areas.

“Conference attendees will be encouraged to ask questions about the companies’ approaches, add their own ideas, and engage fully in the conversation during these interactive sessions,” he adds. A sampling of scheduled case studies includes:

• Inkjet and Direct Mail Innovations: Case studies presented by Dave Fenske, President, Fenske Media Corporation, and Charles Buchanan, Senior Vice President, Strategic Accounts, Summit Direct Mail, Inc. Moderated by Dave Lewis, President, SnailWorks.
• Color & Print Workflows: Case study presented by Jim Raffel, Chief Executive Officer, Color Metrix. Moderator: Tim Baechle, Vice President, Global Print Media Markets & Technologies, Idealliance.
• The Profitability of Print: Case study presented by Michael Kellogg, Chief Executive Officer, Century Direct. Moderator: Leslie Boyd, CPA, MST, CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP.
• Brand Management & Content Creation: Case study presented by Marc Levine, Enterprise Print Quality Group Manager, SGK. Moderator: Ron Ellis, Ron Ellis Consulting, LLC.

Continuing the innovation theme, breakouts will be followed by a general session on “Transforming Business: Strategies for Growth & Change,” moderated by David Steinhardt and featuring Landa Digital Printing Vice President & General Manager, Americas, Nachum Korman, Idealliance Chief Economist Andrew Paparozzi, and Tim Baechle as panelists.

Attendees can add to their innovation conversation at breakfast in the Exhibit Hall the following morning with facilitated “table talk” discussions on topics such as fulfillment trends and strategies, the CEO of tomorrow, managing digital print, cutting-edge color, wide format workflows, and how salespeople win. Later that morning, Idealliance Working Group Chairpersons will report on the latest developments their groups have achieved or are pursuing in areas such as automating customized workflows, color and print workflow standards and practices, business leadership for small companies, and mail supply chain and partnering with the U.S. Postal Service.

A wide-ranging Town Hall with these Working Group leaders will look at “An Industry on the Move” and a “Lunch & Learn” program will feature George A. Moretti, President and Managing Partner, Innovative Integrated Solutions, speaking on “Customized Demand: A New Era for Packaging.” The large Exhibit Hall, open throughout the Conference, will include more than two dozen displays from leading industry vendors and suppliers showing their newest advances and offerings.

Early bird conference registration rates are available until April 15: $695 for Idealliance members, $895 for non-members. Starting April 16, rates are $895 for members, $1,195 for non-members. (Reduced rates are available for additional attendees from the same company.) Additional fee for pre-conference workshops is $100 for members, $125 for non-members (no early bird).

A special registration rate of $395 is offered to Young Professionals, printing industry professionals ages 35 and under, regardless of membership status or registration date. Young professionals can take an additional $100 off registration fees by using Coupon Code EAC17YP when registering.

For more information or to register, visit www.idealliance.org/experience17 or contact Idealliance Manager of Events Julian Greer at (703) 837-1071 or [email protected].