We all get bogged down in our own businesses because there is always more to do that we can possibly get done. So we put our heads down and get stuff done. There are several compelling reasons to get away from your business, lift your head up, and see things from a different perspective.

One of the more popular events in our industry is the vendor-supported user group. It would be easy to write these events off as a glorified sales pitches, but that would be a mistake. A user group gathers hundreds or thousands of people with whom you have something in common—you all use the vendor’s products/services. You might think, “These are my competitors, I don’t want to hang with them.” In my opinion, no event has done better at creating a collaborative learning environment at a user conference than HP’s Dscoop. I brought someone from outside the industry to this event and she was blown away how open and engaged business owners were in an environment where their competitors could be in the same room.

How does this energy impact my favorite topic: the utilization of print software? I have one word to describe the impact the Dscoop energy has on print software learning: “engagement.” This is not a passive group of people. This is not a shy group of print owners. There is no hesitation to ask questions, there is no hesitation to disagree, there is only engagement because people come to learn. Over the years, we’ve presented under many conditions. In breakout rooms, on the show floor, and last year we had one three-hour print software session that was jam-packed (still unbelievable to me). Printers sat there and listened, learned, and asked tons of questions about print software for three hours straight!