In 2012, a group of print business owners launched the National Print Owners Association (NPOA), an organization dedicated to addressing the needs of small and mid-size print business owners, or those who used to be referred to as “quick printers.” The NPOA offers a number of benefits to members, such as reports, studies, and information on such practical matters as industry pay, pricing, and profitability.

“We are an association of print owners for print owners,” said Randy Herron, NPOA Chairman. “We are a growing organization.”

Another perk for NPOA members—and non-members—is the Annual Print Owners Conference, this year, the association’s sixth, to be held February 22 to 24 at the Riverside Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The three-day event includes a dozen sessions exploring business, technology, and marketing issues important to owners to small print businesses.

“Our keynote is about success under pressure,” said Herron. In addition, he added, “we have the Postmaster from the Fort Lauderdale area talking about mailing optimization, and a session about SEO. It should be an exciting event.”

The Friday keynote, “Success Under Pressure,” sponsored by Canon, will be presented by Gary Bailey and Michelle McLean-Bailey. Gary is a former football star with the UK’s Manchester United whilst his wife Michelle McLean-Bailey was Miss Universe 1992. Neither are strangers to high-pressure situations, and they will offer advice on maintaining grace under pressure, a vital skill for any business leader, especially the owner of a print business in a highly dynamic marketplace.

A key session at the conference is Johnny Campbell’s “The Lost Customer Recovery Blueprint: How to Start Winning Back Customers in 30 Days.” Business owners rightly spend a lot of time and resources attracting new customers. However, simply regaining lost customers could increase bottom-line profits by 20 to 30 percent. Campbell will explain how to get those customers back in the fold—without cutting prices.

Paul Reilly will conduct a hands-on session on how to compute the value of a printing company—an important metric even if a merger or acquisition isn’t on the horizon—and what steps owners can take to increase that value.

John Foley will lead a brace of sessions. “Search Engine Optimization (SEO): How to Win at the Internet Game,” is a step-by-step tutorial on ensuring that potential customers can find your website, and “Tracking Your Marketing Success: The Drip Method,” explains marketing automation, or crafting effective, automated messaging in a variety of media channels that keep a business, products, and services in front of prospects and customers.

David Guiney, Fort Lauderdale Postmaster, will sort through “Irresistible Mail!” and share techniques and tools that make direct mail dynamic and engaging, explaining how the United States Postal Service has employed Augmented Reality (AR), Near Field Communications (NFC), and other new technologies and techniques that can add richness and interactivity to mail recipients’ experiences.

In other sessions, David King will explain how to make money in wide-format printing; certified G7 Expert Michelle Hadjopoulos will walk attendees through color management in the Adobe Creative Suite; Gary Jones will explain how to keep print businesses from falling afoul of OSHA; and more.

The conference will also provide ample networking time for attendees to mix and mingle with their colleagues, share their experiences and frustrations, ask and answer questions, and perhaps even explore potential sponsorships.

At the end of the conference, attendees can take a Jungle Queen dinner and sightseeing cruise up the waterways of Fort Lauderdale.

For more information, a complete agenda, and to register, please click here.