August 8, 2007 -- Reston, VA - Marketing communications is all about connections, and there's no better place for marketing and graphic communications professionals to see and learn how to connect with clients and prospects than GRAPH EXPO, the largest, most comprehensive trade show for prepress, printing, finishing, mailing and fulfillment, package printing, converting, wide format and digital technologies in the Americas.
GRAPH EXPO, set to take place in Chicago's McCormick Place South, September 9-12, 2007, will offer a close look at the latest marketing techniques to utilize digital printing, variable data printing, workflow software and more, through a full schedule of seminars and presentations and in technology demonstrations throughout the mammoth 460,984 net sq. ft. exhibit space.
This year's educational program and exposition looks beyond traditional print production to include fresh approaches for providing marketing and creative services pros with a broader range of opportunities and resources.   As a result, the event includes a variety of seminars on digital design and print, hands-on computer labs featuring the latest software solutions for creative professionals, a brand new Print Buyers Conference, and a special Customer & Marketing Communications Day featuring best practices and live demonstrations of value-added applications especially focused on direct mail and trans- promo applications.
"Our goal in creating this year's program is to offer real take-home value that attendees can put to use as soon as they return to the office.  We help them maximize their stay in Chicago by providing opportunities to participate in a broad range of educational seminars, attend a Print Buyers Conference, and interact with printers and exhibitors on the show floor," said Ralph Nappi, GASC President.
"Through methods enabling personalization and customization, creatives will find more efficient ways to deliver personalized content, and marketing services professionals will achieve more accountability by 'delivering the numbers,' managing costs, and increasing the efficiency of their marketing campaigns," added Nappi.
GRAPH EXPO will offer nearly 70 educational seminars and sessions led by industry experts, specifically to give graphic designers and production pros practical tips and insights on subjects ranging from Taming Fonts in OSX, Analyzing Workflow Hiccups and Maximizing Postage Discounts, to understanding soft proofing and color management and designing for digital. Others will help marketing services personnel better understand key aspects of digital printing such as Digital Asset Management (DAM) and Variable Data Printing (VDP), explore Web-to-Print Solutions, and identify hot applications for digital printing.
On Tuesday, September 11, Customer & Marketing Communications Day at GRAPH EXPO will feature live demonstrations of technologies that combine direct marketing with transactional mail allowing visitors to see and hear how to create and produce powerful bills, statements, direct mail postcards and customer communications that can shift printing from cost center to profit center.
The new Print Buyers Conference at GRAPH EXPO is a dynamic full day conference designed especially for print customers - print buyers, marketers and creatives. This lively and interactive conference will include a panel of print specifiers from different industries as well as three industry pros who've worked as - or with - print buyers for years.  Attendees will learn about today's new world of print, including how to spot progressive printers, how to find the right printer, the vital role print plays in cross-media promotion, and how to create "can't miss" communications campaigns.
Complete information and registration are available online at:  www.graphexpo.com.