After years of languishing as “those guys in the basement,” in-plant printing departments have been experiencing something of a renaissance in recent years, as they have expanded their products and services, embraced new technologies, proven their value to their parent organizations, and, in many cases, have even seen greater profitability.

Consequently, the In-Plant Printing & Mailing Association (IPMA) Annual Conference, held this week in Louisville, Ky., was the biggest in recent memory. Centered around the theme of “Be a Frontrunner,” the conference drew a record number of in-plant attendees—a substantial number of them first-timers—and sold out the floor space in the event’s vendor fair. It’s an event that attendees especially enjoy coming to. Virtually everyone we spoke with commented that, as valuable as the programmed sessions are, the networking aspect of the conference is what provides the greatest value. Granted, we hear that said at other small, concentrated industry conferences, but the in-plant world in particular is a highly collaborative one and sharing knowledge is de rigueurin this corner of the industry. At the same time, in-plants face some unique challenges compared to other parts of the printing industry and it helps to commiserate with someone who has, as the saying goes, walked a mile in one’s shoes. During the event, we recorded a large number of video clips with attendees in which they shared their successes, talked about their pain points, and remarked that this conference was a highly effective analgesic to use on those points of pain.

The first session of the first official day kicked off with Shana Farrell of Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wis., asking the question “why are you here?” The twist was that she wasn’t asking “why are you here at this conference?” but rather “why are you here on Earth?” Five years ago, Farrell had been working in Fox Valley Technical College’s in-plant, and a series of personal tragedies—combined with the fact that at the time the in-plant was going though some tough changes and she was moved to a position that took her far out of her comfort zone—led her to what she referred to as a “God moment.” She delved deep within herself to ask herself what she truly wanted out of life and who she really was. After she came out on the other side of her travails, she realized her true purpose in life: “to provide hope and inspiration to people who struggle or suffer,” she said. The goal of her presentation was to “plant some seeds” and encourage us to step back for a minute and consider some of those bigger questions about what our goals reallyare, what our purpose reallyis, and to “find our spark.” What gets us excited? All too often we can get hung up on technology and equipment and we sometimes forget about the human factor. This can especially be the case when dealing with employees and coworkers—many of whom may be going through their own personal travails.