Fairfax, Virginia — The successful 2011 SPIRE meeting last week addressed change management and building business opportunities. The highly strategic meeting highlighted market development opportunities for the specialty imaging industry, allowing SPIRE members to learn from focused presentations — as well as each other.    

"The [2011] SPIRE event allowed for all of the attendees to interact and discuss pertinent business issues at hand," said SPIRE member Chris Howard of Durst Image Technology U.S., LLC. "The market development presentations were very insightful and offered both a broad view of what the trending elements are in the retail space along with granular information on how print service providers can interface with their clients."     

The in-depth C-level event also addressed critical retail challenges and dramatically transforming a company's relevance in the industry.   

"The shift to an emphasis on retail, rather than simply equipment and processes, was a timely and important change in the format of SPIRE," said SPIRE member Terry Corman of Corman Synergy Inc.    

SGIA will continue its retail initiative at the 2011 Business Development Conference — Improve Your Position in the Retail Supply Chain (Denver, May 11–12). The Conference, touted as "retailer mind reading 101,"  will take attendees inside the relationships between suppliers, retailers, and third party providers  — and show them how to take full advantage of this exciting market.   

"Several of our executives plan to be at the [Business Development Conference] in May, and one has already signed up," said Corman. "I look forward to more in-depth sessions."