White Stone, VA, - The Research and Engineering Council of the Graphic Arts Industry celebrated its 50th anniversary during its annual Critical Trends Conferenceóheld October 19-21 in Braselton, Georgia. The meeting attracted top industry personnel in a three-day session dealing with critical trends in the industry. In conjunction with the meeting, the group toured the headquarters facilities of Heidelberg USA in Kennesaw, Georgia. The meeting was chaired by Richard Holliday of 3P, Inc. The keynote speaker for the conference was Guy Gleysteen, director of printing for Time, Inc. In his address, Gleysteen discussed the implications of the Internet upon printers and publishers, observing that the Internet shows no sign of replacing traditional media and has, in fact, stimulated growth and creativity in the publishing and advertising community. Andrew Paparozzi, NAPL director of economic research, told the crowd that while the Federal Reserve Board has been successful in cooling the economy, the desired soft landing may in fact be harder than expected, due to recent oil price increases and other factors. The effect of Ecommerce on the printing industry was addressed at the conference by a blue ribbon panel of speakers which included Charles A. Pesko, managing director of CAP Ventures; Laura Gale, vice president of technology at priNexus; Mark Ledbetter, vice president of business development for Clarus Corporation; and David J. Steinhardt, vice president of industry relations for PrintNation.com. Personnel issues facing the industry were the subject of another panel, consisting of Michael J. Winn, senior vice president and division director for R. R. Donnelley & Sons; Richard Anderson, executive vice president of manufacturing at Valassis Communications; and David W. Green, CEO of Grand River Printing and Imaging. The third critical trendóthe evolution of printing from a craft to a scienceówas addressed by a panel consisting of Orlando Boleda, vice president of manufacturing for Hart Graphics; Peter Doyle, operations manager for Action Printing; John Sweeney, director of color measurement systems for Graphics Microsystems; and consultant Ray Hartman. At a banquet held during the conference, the Council celebrated its 50th year of service to the industry. In describing the meeting, R&E Council managing director Ronald L. Mihills commented: ìOnce again, the Research and Engineering Council of the Graphic Arts Industry provided the premier forum for discussing early warnings of significant and critical trends which will affect the printing and publishing businesses in the future. Our recent meeting attracted industry leaders from as far away as Sweden and Australia.î The Research & Engineering Council of the Graphic Arts Industry is dedicated to the education of printing industry personnel in the latest technologies and productivity improvement methods. Members include publishers, printers, educators, consultants and suppliers, who meet to share information and learn about leading edge technologies affecting the graphic arts industry. The Council annually holds four seminarsóPrepress, Pressroom, Bindery, and Digital Networked Production Systemsówhere the latest technologies are reviewed in the context of actual production. The Council also holds technology breakfasts at key industry trade shows, and an annual meeting highlighting critical trends in the industry. Information regarding membership and seminars is available from the Council at 804-436-9922, at [email protected], or at www.recouncil.org. Hear It Here First at the R&E Council.