Chestnut Hill, Mass – If you work at the intersection of print and digital communications, this event is calling your name.
 
Print Buyers International (PBI) is expanding west and will host its first-ever PBI Print & Media Conference Midwest  at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare on Thursday, May 19th, 2011. This groundbreaking, one-day event will feature everything you love about PBI’s Annual Print & Media Conference in Massachusetts – right in the Windy City. Hosted by e-newsletter publisher, blogger, professional print buyer, and PBI founder Margie Dana, the Conference will include the world’s foremost industry experts, cutting edge information, one-on-one interactions with knowledgeable print industry pros, and the highly affordable price of just $79 until March 15th ($399 for industry service providers).
 
Dana, whose new book, “Print Buying Made Simple,” gives print buying professionals a road map to career success, created the Midwestern event in response to repeated appeals from followers outside the Eastern seaboard. “For years we’ve been asked by people outside of New England to produce events elsewhere. We decided 2011 would be the year.”
 
Leading the Conference’s “gold standard” roster of speakers will be two of the world’s leading experts in print and print buying, RIT Professor Emeritus Frank Romano and WhatTheyThink Economics and Research Director Dr. Joe Webb. Joining them will be elite print buyers Jeff Dickerson of State Farm Insurance and Melissa Clemente of Draftfcb as well as other topical speakers. Dana, whose e-newsletter, Margie’s Print Tips, is read by 5,000 subscribers worldwide, will lead a brainstorming session and resource swap with attendees.
 
“It is a great daylong event for Chicago in the Spring. We look forward to offering the local print buying and agency communities the chance to get together, learn from some of the best, and talk shop without leaving their own backyards,” said Dana.
 
The Print & Media Conference Midwest is sponsored by Foster Printing, Japs-Olson Company, Original Smith Printing, Unisource Worldwide, and Xerox. It is designed for print buyers, print production managers, graphic designers, creative directors, and marcom pros who work with print and digital media. The program will include high-quality learning, networking and connecting around the concerns of modern print and media pros, such as:
 
- What's really going on with digital printing today?
- Where's the print industry headed?
- What does a successful cross-media campaign look like?
- What are the best resources online and off for people in this field?

If reaction to the 5th Annual Print & Media Conference in November is a predictor of future success, then the Print & Media Conference Midwest is sure to be a hit. “Thank you for putting together such a high quality, content rich, relevant event. It changed the way I look at my career and how I will continue to educate myself,” wrote 2010 attendee Debbie Sahd. “I truly believe you take the right direction by providing awareness and educational issues to your group, print buyers. You don't just assume everyone understands these important topics and are diligent about bringing the best people with insightful presentations. Yours is as good as any conference I have seen," observed attendee Gerry Gerlach.

Easy online registration for the Print & Media Conference Midwest is happening now at www.bostonprintbuyers.com/events/midwestconference.html . Don’t wait. The price rises after March 15th.