November 29, 2004 -- The Association of Graphic Communications will be presenting Changing Profit Centers Seminar - how to complement traditional offset with digital and variable data printing on December 2nd at their headquarters in New York City. There will be two sessions. The morning session will include the best practices and trends in digital print and concentrate on marketing digital printing and variable data printing. The afternoon session will include “designing for digital”; how to sell digital and variable data printing; and inter-active brainstorming exercises in which attendees actually develop new-to-the-world VDP projects. Many a printer recognizes that the digital wave is upon them, but don’t quite know how to take advantage of the new print technologies. Especially if they are struggling under the burden of capital equipment debt. Changing Profit Centers is designed to give them insight as to how to successfully cope with this dilemma. The seminars’ primary message is how to intelligently and strategically introduce digital printing and an array of potential new services into a traditional offset environment. The concept of “marketing services providers” will be discussed including the results of the TrendWatch Graphic Arts report on the key attributes required to be a successful digital services provider. Also discussed will be how to sell digital printing and variable data printing, and the knowledge required by sales reps. Jim Olsen, President, Imagination, Ink. a marketing firm specializing in variable data printing and electronic communications for one-to-one marketing, is the seminar facilitator. After decades of running printing, publishing and trade association organizations, Olsen is keenly aware of the price pressures on printing services. He sees adding value added services as the opportunity to break away from commodity pricing and begin pricing on value to the customer and not on the traditional per-piece basis. One of the primary topics is using partnering as a way of entering the digital print arena in a prudent and successful manner. Olsen, editor of this year’s edition of the PrintOnDemand Initiative Best Practices is an evangelist of variable data printing and one-to-one communications to the corporate marketing community. In addition, he will share his practical experience of actually selling and producing VDP projects. Attendees will learn: •Best practices and trends in digital print. •The advantage of becoming part of a customer’s marketing team. •How to “morph” from traditional offset to digital printing. •The attributes of a successful digital printer. •How to “design for digital”. •The knowledge requirements of a sales rep. •The steps for implementing a successful customer VDP campaign. Attendees in the afternoon session will participate in a live brainstorming exercise in which they will develop new and unique uses of variable data printing themselves. A live case study! Imagination, Ink. is sending to all the members of the Association of the Graphic Arts a four-page variable data promotion brochure designed as a newsletter with a unique use of variable data. The headline of the first article states, “ is Only 19 miles away from a Pot of Gold!” Another article is headed “Driving to the Pot of Gold Will Only Take 34 minutes!” The use of a “pot of gold” refers to one’s ability to use value added pricing for value added services. This, along with using personalized messages and versioned text makes the seminar promotion brochure a case study exemplifying the effective use of variable data printing. To see how a brochure like this is developed in InDesign, just click here. Of special interest will be the topic of how Jim Olsen and Richard Romano of RichText worked through the production of the seminar promotion brochure. To register for the seminar: http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=17259 or call Debbie Rufa at (212) 279-2100.