WhatTheyThink webinar for Premium Members timed to align with business planning schedules

Lexington, Kentucky USA -- WhatTheyThink today announced the opportunity for Premium WhatTheyThink Members to attend an economic outlook webinar featuring Dr. Joe Webb, Director of WhatTheyThink’s Economics and Research Center (ERC). The session will be moderated by WhatTheyThink Senior Editor Cary Sherburne and feature a wealth of information that will be extremely valuable as companies are planning for year-end and into 2015. The session is scheduled for Wednesday, July 16th, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT (-4 GMT). 

Registration is available by visiting WhatTheyThink.com and selecting the Webinars tab. If you are not already a Premium Member, the link will direct you to the WhatTheyThink Member Center to sign up.

“Dr. Joe’s webinars are historically some of our most popular sessions and we are delighted to have them back,” said Sherburne. “You can be sure that the content in this webinar will be as informative and contrarian as ever.”  

During the session, Dr. Webb will cover the following topics:

• Economic overview and forecast
• Printing shipments and profits forecasts
• Industry demographics: A new look and outlook
• How consolidation is reshaping the industry
• Is the death of offset near?
• What are printing firms offering beyond print?
• Dr. Joe's summer reading list
• … and the famous Q&A 

“We are in the process of analyzing and compiling fresh data for this session,” said Dr. Webb. “GDP for the first quarter of 2014 was -2.9%, and the last eight quarters average just 1.4%. We’ll talk about what this means for the overall health of the economy and specifically for our industry. We’ll also devote time to the latest trends in broadband, mobile, social media and postal rates, and what these mean for offset, digital, wide format and other print processes including what kinds of opportunities they present for printing businesses.” 

“As companies look to begin the 2015 planning process,” said Eric Vessels, President of WhatTheyThink, “we believe the print shipment and industry demographics forecasts will be especially helpful. And Dr. Webb will also be unveiling his crystal ball to present a picture of what the printing industry will look like in 2020. You will not want to miss this session.”

Attendees will be able to participate in a live question and answer session to get the most from the experience and will be able to view and listen to the presentation using a standard Internet browser (Flash-enabled) with audio streamed via computer. They are also invited to send questions before the event.

About Dr. Joe Webb

Dr. Joe Webb is one of the graphic arts industry's best-known consultants, forecasters, and commentators. He is director of WhatTheyThink's Economics and Research Center and president of Strategies for Management, Inc. A 35+ year veteran of the graphic arts industries, his forecast webinars and industry presentations assist C-level executives, owners, and analysts understand how changes in the economy, technology, and the industry affect their strategic decisions. He is a Ph.D. graduate of the NYU Center for Graphic Communications Management and Technology (1987) and served on the Center's Board of Advisors.

He holds an MBA in Management Information Systems from Iona College (1981) and was a magna cum laude graduate in Managerial Sciences and Marketing from Manhattan College (1978). He started in the industry with Agfa's Graphic Systems Division, was a marketing executive with Chemco Photoproducts, and entered consulting full time in 1987. In 1994, he founded the influential TrendWatch information service, sold to multinational publisher Reed Elsevier in 2000.

His book, Disrupting the Future: Uncommon Wisdom for Navigating Print's Challenging Marketplace, written with Richard Romano, has been described as “the manifesto for a new generation of printers.”

About WhatTheyThink

WhatTheyThink is the printing and publishing industry's leading media organization. We offer a wide range of publications that deliver unbiased, real-time market intelligence, industry news, economic and trend analysis, peer-to-peer communication, and special reports on emerging technology and critical events. Special interest coverage includes Industry Economics, Wide Format, Labels & Packaging, Print Software and Digital Printing. 

WhatTheyThink hosts webinars, live events, and provides content through a syndication program, delivering content directly to related websites.  In addition, WhatTheyThink offers a wide range of lead generation and branding programs that help print- and publishing-related companies achieve business growth. 

For more information about partnering with WhatTheyThink, contact [email protected].