March 13, 2003 -- As Larry Warter, director of new product development at Fuji Photo Film USA sees it, customers always talk about vendors and products, but vendors don’t always get a chance to listen. Customers have chat rooms, listservs, and other opportunities to compare notes, air grievances, and solve each others problems. But only at the upcoming VUE/POINT conference do vendors have the chance to sit in on such discussions and build the resulting knowledge into new products and services. “It’s very free-wheeling,” Warter said of VUE/POINT Conference, which will be held on March 31-April 2 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. “These are the people who make the technical decisions in their companies. Talking to them and listening to what they have to say helps us to get product direction.” For Larry D’Amico, vice president of Digital Imaging at Pitman Company, VUE/POINT Conference is “a good chance to get marketing intelligence that gives us direction in the real world. It helps us figure out what kinds of products and services we need to bring to the market.” Susan Wittner, marketing director at Agfa Corporation, thinks VUE/POINT “is almost like a multi-vendor user group.” She adds that the conference offers “a chat room environment, where people can really compare challenges and opportunities.” Since its launch more than a decade ago, VUE/POINT has earned a reputation for frank and practical debate—reflecting its new theme – “Sharing Solutions for Success.” Vendors don’t get the opportunity to stage exhibits as in a conventional trade show. Despite this limitation, more than 15 leading vendors have sponsored VUE/POINT 2003—possibly because, as Barbara Touchette, manager of Public Relations for Heidelberg USA says, “it’s a win-win situation for all. VUE/POINT Conference offers the opportunity to network with customers and prospects against a backdrop of the latest technology and innovation -- all in a loosely structured environment.” Full details and online registration are available at www.vue-point.com.