Miami Beach, Florida–August 22, 2007– Graphics of the Americas, the second largest U.S.-based annual international graphic communications exhibit and conference, today announced the addition of The Brand Protection Conference: Integrating Security Innovations, in conjunction with Graphics of the Americas, February 27 through March 1, 2008, at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Organized by the publishers of Package Design and RFID Product News Magazines and moderated by Richard D. Warner, author of Introduction to Security Printing, the two-day conference will cover the gamut of technologies and educational curricula needed to take advantage of this growing opportunity for printers to assist in their customer’s brand protection efforts. 
“Brand security and protection are top concerns within the consumer packaged goods industry and counterfeiting these goods is estimated to be a $500 billion per year industry worldwide,” said George Ryan, president and CEO of the Printing Association of Florida and event organizer for Graphics of the Americas. “The Brand Protection Conference: Integrating Security Innovations will provide a solid understanding of the security issues facing this industry and the printing technologies needed in order to combat this growing threat.”
The Brand Protection Conference: Integrating Security Innovations will offer eight sessions over the course of two days covering topics that include secure substrates, inks and finishing as well as applications that include holograms and RFID. In addition, two case study sessions will review knockoff and counterfeit examples and how they could have been deterred. Subsequent sessions will also explore how to qualify suppliers and buyers, with a review of various security protocols, standards, and certifications. Wrapping up the two-day event will be a review of new security printing technologies and packaging design opportunities and challenges.
The conference is scheduled for Friday, February 29, from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM and Saturday, March 1, 2008 from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM. Pricing for the conference will be $695 for the full conference or $95 ala carte per session. The conference is ideally suited for product designers, marketing specialists, graphic designers, package printing professionals, printers, and pre-press technicians. For more information or to register, visit www.graphicsoftheamericas.com.
Richard D. Warner is the president of R.D. Warner Consulting, Inc. and specializes in security printing consulting. He was vice president operations for the North American Security Product Organization (NASPO) during 2002-2003.
Warner worked for the PIA/GATF from 1977-2002 in a variety of research positions, including vice president and director of research. During his tenure at the PIA/GATF, he performed research in several areas, including security printing. As the inventor of the Color Communicator and the Dot Gain Scale-II, Warner holds eight U.S. patents.