April 23, 2003 -- The longest-running, best-known industry event in the West returns to Long Beach, CA on May 1 when the 31st edition of the GUTENBERG FESTIVAL® begins its three-day run. More than 12,000 people from all specialties of the printing, publishing and converting industry are expected to take part, and about 250 companies are expected to stage displays at the Long Beach Convention Center. In addition to the exhibits, more than 40 educational sessions will offer updated training in business and technical areas. “For three decades, the GUTENBERG FESTIVAL has been the premier educational and marketing event serving a vitally important regional market,” notes Regis J. Delmontagne, president of the Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC), which is producing the event. “During that time any number of other regional shows have come and gone, all over the country. What keeps the GUTENBERG FESTIVAL fresh and successful is the combination of a key market region and a comprehensive, responsive exhibition.” As evidence of that responsiveness, GASC points to the addition of two new attractions to the GUTENBERG FESTIVAL: The Wide Format Opportunities Pavilion is a multi-vendor display devoted to sales opportunities in wide format digital inkjet imaging. Many commercial printers and quick print shops are exploring wide format output as a growth avenue, taking advantage of their own growing expertise in digital prepress technologies. Likewise, wide format tools are finding homes in an increasing number of in-house reproduction departments, producing everything from posters to vehicle graphics. FLEXOTEK ShowcaseSM highlights technical and business opportunities in flexography, an increasingly popular printing method widely used in packaging production. As packaging continues to rank as one of the industry’s hottest growth segments, the FLEXOTEK Showcase will alert show attendees to ways of seizing this opportunity, and demonstrate how to take advantage of it. Beyond these two special exhibit sections, the GUTENBERG FESTIVAL will bring together displays by manufacturers and dealers offering a huge range of products from sophisticated digital equipment to consumables. Online attendee registration and additional details are available at www.gutenbergfestival.org.