CLIFTON PARK, NY – October 3, 2003 -- The Heidelberg Digital Imaging Association (HDIA) today announces that DIRECTIONS' 03, its 15th Annual Meeting, will be held November 9-12 in Atlanta, Georgia. Heidelberg users from North America and worldwide will converge near Heidelberg USA headquarters in Atlanta to meet and speak with other users, industry experts, Heidelberg and Nexpress staff as well as vendors, including longtime Platinum Sponsor Adobe. John deLoach, Conference Chair, HDIA Vice President, and President of Crowson Stone Printing, Columbia, SC, says, "DIRECTIONS is the only conference designed for Heidelberg users, by Heidelberg users.  Since 1989, our consistently high ratings have shown we hit the hot buttons for Heidelberg users year after year.  We do that by surveying the users first, and then designing sessions that are timely, specific and totally focused on the technical and business challenges faced by Heidelberg users each and every day.   DIRECTIONS promises to be the most intensively productive conference of the year for Heidelberg users." DIRECTIONS is the only venue in which attendees experience a mutually supportive Heidelberg community speaking frankly and openly about today's toughest issues.  They get to meet with some of the world's leading Heidelberg users and will also be a part of a dialogue involving Heidelberg's own leading experts who are on hand to answer all questions raised by users during the three-day conference. HDIA member Joe Goski with The Lowe-Martin Group in Ottawa says, "HDIA gives users access to a community of professionals who share experiences and advice with each other, and it gives them a forum to influence Heidelberg in the development of new products and the support of products already in the field." Conference Highlights (See addendum for additional details) Highlights of this year's DIRECTIONS sessions include a keynote user presentation by HDIA Board Member Jean-François Cuillerier, Vice President of Technology/Customer Solutions, Quebecor World.  Cuillerier will focus on "Turning Technology into Money-Making Print Solutions." Also planned are featured user panels on: "Increasing Profits through Workflow Efficiency" and "Tips from the Pros on Researching & Adopting New Technologies."   Both of these panels will include some of the industry's leading workflow experts providing unique insights and experience in implementing new technologies.  These user-to-user sessions are invaluable in helping attendees decide on the right technologies in which to invest over the coming year. Adobe's Don Walker, Senior Director and General Manager of Adobe's Print Workflow Group, will provide the HDIA Sponsor Keynote this year.  Heidelberg's Dr. Rainer Prosi, Technical Director of the worldwide CIP4 Consortium, will provide a thorough exploration of JDF workflows and the principles behind them that are expected to drive substantial improvements in print manufacturing and profitability. John deLoach continues, "The successful company today weaves everything together:  printing and prepress, digital and conventional.  HDIA is like a clearinghouse of helpful information from some of the most solid performers in our industry - role models for making it through both the good times and the bad." DIRECTIONS '03 will kick off with an evening reception on Sunday, November 9.  Official conference sessions and demonstrations will run all day and evening on Monday and Tuesday, with the event's popular "Night Owl Sessions" ending at 9:45 pm. Attendees of DIRECTIONS '03 will spend the last day of the conference at Heidelberg's "Brats & Dots Technology Day" open house on Wednesday, November 12, 2003.  The event is being held at the Corporate Office and Solution Center in Kennesaw, GA; just northwest of Atlanta. The issues for "Brats & Dots" are the latest in Prepress, Press, Direct Imaging, Postpress, and Digital workflows.  Speedmaster 102 10-color perfector, the new Preset Plus Feeder, and the Quickmaster DI Pro waterless direct imaging system are just a few of the featured machines that will be on hand. After learning about the latest offerings from Heidelberg Consumables, getting questions answered by technical experts, and finding out how they can profit from Heidelberg Digital Print Solutions from Business Development experts, attendees have the opportunity to feast on traditional German bratwurst at "Brats & Dots Technology Day."   Who should attend? DIRECTIONS '03 will have special tracks of interest to users of ALL Heidelberg product lines: ·    Workflows/Prepress/CtP ·    Digital Printing ·    Direct Imaging (DI) ·    Sheetfed Offset ·    Web Offset ·    Postpress ·    Consumables The event will cover many of the topics foremost in the minds of Heidelberg users everywhere: ·    JDF workflows ·    Computer Integrated Manufacturing ·    Planting the variable-data seed in clients' minds for digital printing ·    Adding value through postpress ·    Pressroom efficiencies ·    Color management and proofing With three tracks to choose from -- the Digital Print Production Track, the Offset Print Production Track, and the Printshop Management Track -- users have the opportunity to select the session that will best benefit them and their company.   Users will hear about productivity tips for specific Heidelberg machines, workflow efficiencies to increase profitability for a variety of applications, and sales and marketing techniques to help users make the most money from the company's investments in the newest digital solutions from Heidelberg. (See addendum for additional details) Special Discount from Heidelberg Heidelberg is offering a special discount for all HDIA Directions Conference Attendees. The discount provides users' companies with a Bonus Certificate good for up to a 25% discount off list price on a broad range of Heidelberg Consumable Products until January 30, 2004.   Register to attend this year's HDIA User Group meeting at www.hdia.org or call: 1-877-HDIA-USA (1-877-434-2872).   About HDIA The Heidelberg Digital Imaging Association is an independent, nonprofit organization of printing, publishing, and graphic arts companies that use Heidelberg digital technologies in production. We are professionals working with Heidelberg DI presses, digital printing systems, platesetters, imagesetters, scanners, and workflow technologies who want to know everything there is to know about digital printing and prepress. HDIA members represent every corner of the industry, from printers and trade shops to corporate publishers and retailers - service bureaus and magazine and book publishers to multimedia agencies and design firms. For more information contact HDIA by visiting www.hdia.org