Tomorrow, PRINT 09 opens its doors at Chicago’s McCormick Place. An estimated 650 exhibitors and over 100,000 printers, publishers, typographers, converters, bindery and finishing specialists, prepress managers, desktop and electronic publishers, service bureaus, graphic designers, art directors, advertising professionals, publication designers, catalogue designers, and direct mail specialists are expected to come through the doors between September 11 and September 16. In an industry that is facing tremendous economic uncertainty, attendees are coming to PRINT 09 for more than participation in a tradeshow. They are seeking to discover what tomorrow will really bring.

This year is like none that I have seen in my thirty-plus years in the industry. PRINT 09 vendors are working extraordinarily hard to create value for participants and transform the tradeshow into a meaningful educational experience. Suppliers realize that the most important thing they can do is prepare print service providers for tomorrow and whatever it brings. This year’s event will offer educational sessions in vendor booths that address a myriad of topics, including new media, emerging market opportunities, variable data and multi-channel communications, vertical market applications, lean manufacturing, super-efficiency, business models, and protecting the environment. My recommendation to participants is to leverage PRINT 09 as an opportunity to learn. This week’s column discusses just a few of the announcements that show attendees can expect.

The adoption of digital printing within the packaging market is growing, and Xeikon is leveraging PRINT 09 to educate print service providers about the “recession proof” emerging business opportunity that digital packaging represents. Xeikon’s booth will emphasize that digital technology can offer label printers and traditional printers the ability to provide new services to existing customers while also attracting new business opportunities. Applications on display will include self-adhesive wine and beer labels, IML labels, and cartons. The range of substrates will include self-adhesive films, co-extruded films, paper, transparent and opaque foils, and paperboard.