The leading independent organization for people who purchase, design for, or market with print and e-media triumphed on its home turf once again with the 2012 PBI Print & Media Boston Conference.
 
Print Buyers International (PBI) returned to the Hub on April 11, 2012 with a new-to-Boston, one-day format, three all-star keynote speakers and a half dozen hot-topic educational sessions that drew print buyers, print production managers, graphic designers, creative directors, and marcom pros from three coasts and 13 states. Generously sponsored by Concord Litho, 48hourprint, Fujifilm, Japs-Olson Company, Sappi Fine Paper, Shear Color Printing, Villanti Print & Mail, Vision Integrated Graphics Group, and Xerox Premier Partners, the Print & Media Boston Conference drew high praise for the quality of its speakers and program. 
 
“(I most enjoyed) the people I met and the ideas we shared during the Brainstorming Session and Cocktail Reception,” commented attendee Bree Williams, coordinator of Creative Services Print & New Media for The Golf Channel. “I always learn something new,” added another enthusiastic attendee. “Daniel (Dejan) was entertaining and informative as always, Don (Carli’s) session is the best sustainability session I have seen to date. Cheryl (Kahanec’s) was interesting and informative, and Blair (Weidig), Maria (Cipicchio) and Tom (Pixton) were great because they were so open and candid about the reality of their positions.” 
 
Featuring expert presenters and high-interest educational sessions, the 2012 Print & Media Boston Conference examined in-depth the critical issues facing media buyers and users today, such as:
· What You Need to Know About Quick Response Codes & Augmented Reality Codes
· How to Interpret a Printer’s Equipment List – And Why You Need This Skill
· Making Sustainable Media Supply Chain Choices
· Innovations in Digital & Variable Data Printing
· How to Source Printing in 2012: Best Practices
 
The pre-lunch Sponsor Introductions and Brainstorming Session led by PBI founder Margie Dana triggered meaningful interactions between attendees and sponsor representatives. “It’s always nice to find a new local print vendor that you did not know about before!” related a Boston-area attendee.
 
Sponsors, too, found the one-day format and frequent opportunities for interaction encouraged closer connections between attendees and the event sponsors. “Everything was put together wonderfully and we feel like it was great exposure for us to get in front of a targeted, knowledgeable audience,” observed first-time sponsor Kat Villanti of Villanti Print & Mail. “As a former print buyer, it was inspiring to be surrounded by such savvy buyers.” 

7th Annual PBI Print & Media Conference Heads to Chicago 
With the 2012 Print & Media Boston Conference now a part of history, Dana is already gearing up for the 7th Annual Print & Media Conference in the fall. The much-anticipated two-day event will be held in Chicago on Tuesday, October 9th and Wednesday, October 10th, 2012. This is the second year that PBI’s conference will co-locate with Graph Expo, the industry’s largest trade show. 
It will be preceded by a half-day intensive Color Management Workshop on Monday, October 8th, led by award-winning graphic designer, art/creative director, production manager and print buyer Daniel Dejan. 

To sponsor or find out more about the 2012 Print & Media Conference and Color Management Workshop, contact Dana at [email protected]. Follow the latest Conference news and PBI updates by signing up to receive Margie Dana’s weekly e-newsletter, Margie’s Print Tips.

“It was great to return to Boston and receive an enthusiastic welcome from our attendees and sponsors,” related Dana. “Now we can take what we learned from everyone’s feedback and build the best two-day PBI Conference in Chicago next October.”