SAN LUIS OBISPO -- (September 09, 2008)  The Cal Poly/SustainCommWorld 2nd annual The Business of Green Media sustainability conference has signed on its first round of sponsors, including AdMail, Kodak, Heidelberg, Hewlett Packard, and Cal Poly's College of Liberal Arts.
 
The conference will be held on Jan. 22, 2009, in the Performing Arts Center at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
 
 
"Last year we had 11 sponsors," said Harvey Levenson, head of Cal Poly's Graphic Communication Department. "This year, we expect to triple it. The conference is generating enthusiastic support because, for the first time, the graphic arts industry is rallying behind a combined business and social cause -- sustainability. I've been monitoring the industry press over the past year and I am hard pressed to recall one publication -- print or online -- that has not addressed the sustainability issue on some level."
 
Sustainability is important because it is both a "bottom-line" issue and it's good for society. Print buyers increasingly want to work only with printers who are addressing sustainability and they want their printers to work only with equipment manufacturers and vendors who are supporting the issue, Levenson said. "Hence, it is a revenue stream and profitability matter for the graphic arts industry."
 
In addition, Levenson believes that the image of the graphic arts industry is elevated in the minds of consumers. "Our customers like knowing that we are doing something good for the environment."
 
AdMail President and CEO Brian Schott said, "Those of us involved in producing direct mail know that to keep it a growing and viable media choice we need to be acutely aware of how to incorporate the principles of sustainability. AdMail is proud to be a part of the 2nd annual The Business of Green Media sustainability conference."
 
Following the conference on the evening of Jan. 22, industry guru Roger Ynostroza will deliver one of two keynote talks during the Business of Green Media banquet, to be held at the Embassy Suites hotel in San Luis Obispo. Ynostroza, former editor-in-chief of Graphic Arts Monthly and now senior project editor and editor of Gravure Magazine, will present a long view of the world of printing and talk about where sustainability is headed.
 
Individual sponsorships are $5,000. There are also opportunities for shared sponsorships of conference events, including breaks, lunch, banquet, venue, etc. Sponsorships are tax deductible. For sponsor benefit information or to be included in the next sponsor update press release, e-mail or phone Harvey Levenson at [email protected] or 805-756-6151.
 
Conference registrations begins Oct.15 at www.BusinessOfGreenMedia.com. For reservation information or to be placed on a guaranteed priority conference reservation list, e-mail or phone Lyndee Sing at [email protected] or 805-756-2645.