Pittsburgh, Pa. – Printing Industries of America today shared the full schedule for the 2018 President’s Conference, to be held March 4–6, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. Co-hosted with the Specialty Graphics Imaging Association, this year’s conference focuses on innovations in leadership set to take the printing industry by storm. 

Key highlights from the 2018 President’s Conference breakout sessions include topics like transparency through open-book management and The Great Game of Business, highlighting the importance of employee stock option plans, expanding your company beyond printing, and putting Design Thinking into action. Additional sessions will address the new tax code, strategic staffing for the future, navigating OSHA, and controlling insurance expenses.

Keynote speakers for this year’s conference include futurist Ken Rutkowski, marketing leader Pete Hayes, sales and client relationship guru Peter Muir, and Design Thinking experts David Fenske and Dave Hoffer.

Additional information and registration for the 2018 President’s Conference can be found at www.presidentsconference.com.

Featured Networking Events

Women’s Leadership in Print Reception—Free, all are welcome. Please RSVP at registration. Engage in a robust discussion of challenges that women face in the print industry, hear from a panel of female leaders on how they have achieved success, and enjoy the company of your peers. Each guest will have the opportunity to ask questions of the panel. 

Welcome Reception and Be a PrintPAC Hero Fundraiser—Kick off the 2018 President’s Conference with a mix-and-mingle reception. Perhaps you’ll be a lucky winner and go home with one of our fantastic raffle prizes. 

Leadership Track

Tax Reform and What It Means for Your Business—Chris Falco, Falco Sult and Lisbeth Lyons, Printing Industries of America. PIA’s Lisbeth Lyons and Chris Falco, a printing industry financial expert, will break down what the new tax law means for printing companies. Learn how to get the most out of the tax reform and how to maximize the benefit that your company can expect from this industry-friendly law.

When OSHA Calls: How to Navigate Your Way Through an OSHA Inspection—Gary Jones, Printing Industries of America and Marcia Kinter, SGIA. Even though the Trump Administration is working to roll back regulations, the printing industry maintains its OSHA designation as a high-risk industry. This means OSHA is still conducting random inspections, averaging at least one to two printing operations per week and $40,000 in total penalties. Don’t wait until they come knocking on your door.

Social Media for Business: How to Use It; Why You Can’t Ignore It—David Nelsen, Dialog Consulting. Dave Nelsen provides a road map for the continuously evolving world of social media and social networking. Dave will provide “too many” actionable takeaways and explain the various platforms, describe how and when to use them, and share concrete examples of organizations creating new best practices for bi-directionally engaging customers.

Why IT Security Matters—David Mauro, All Covered. Now more than ever there is potential liability that exposes clients when a data breach happens. The past two years were the highest for data breaches and lost records. This trend does not seem to be changing, so IT security and meeting compliance standards are becoming focal points for many organizations.

How to Create a New Business Plan with Design Thinking—David Fenske, Fenske Media and Dave Hoffer, McKinsey New Ventures.
Join Dave & Dave for a detail-filled follow-up session on how to implement Design Thinking into your business plan to grow your company in innovative ways. They will answer all of your questions and give you the information you need to create your new business plan.

Now Is the Best Time to Be a Printer…Ever!—Phillip Kelley, Jr, Salem One. Every printer of every size has the ability and opportunity, right in front of them, to fill a “strategic” seat at their client’s decision-making table. Phil will inspire you to take one step forward to define and present your company as a leader in the world of corporate and brand communications.

Business Operations Track

Open Book Management: A Radical Approach to Running a Printing Company—Gal Shweiki, Shweiki Media. Two years ago, Shweiki Media began the process of opening up the books to their employees. They adopted the Open Book Management philosophy from Jack Stack’s book The Great Game of Business. This philosophy involves four basic practices: train employees to understand financial statements, empower them to use that information in cost cutting and quality improvement, trust them as business partners, and reward them fairly for the company’s success.

Six Reasons Why Companies Should Consider an ESOP—
Todd Butler, Tenor Capital Partners and Bryan T. Hall, Graphic Visual Solutions. Even the most financially sophisticated professionals often hold misconceptions about employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). Learn why ESOPs are often the best option for printing companies when owners seek liquidity events, exit strategies, and ownership succession.

Insurance Premiums: Controlled Expense or Unnecessary Profit Leak?—Nate Oland, Federated Insurance. Insurance is very complex and can be very confusing. Learn how to protect your company without draining profits. This discussion focuses on some common coverage concerns and presents real-life examples of the different factors that determine a printing company’s insurance premiums. Attendees will get a better idea of how they can take control of their insurance and risk management programs, which help to reduce future costs.

Organizational Effectiveness: Developing a Workforce for Your Company’s Future—Jennie Hollmann, Ph.D., Caliper. Companies have so much to consider but cannot do it in a vacuum. This session will focus on defining and creating an Organizational Effectiveness Profile based on your company’s objectives over a 3-5-year timeframe, diagnosing the current state of effectiveness relative to their performance objectives, and measuring risk. The discussion will allow for interaction and an exchange of ideas between the presenter and audience.

In addition to the opportunity to network and learn from industry peers, we also will be honoring Best Workplaces in the America (BWA) winners during a luncheon presentation. The BWA and the new Safety Shield program are open to any U.S. or Canadian printer and graphic communications company or supplier to the industry. Winners exemplify print industry excellence in human relations and safety.

For more information about the 2018 President's Conference, please visit www.presidentsconference.com.