Collaborating on extended program and service offerings for their combined membership after merger is completed on July 1.

Alexandria, Va. - Idealliance’s nearly two dozen active Working Groups will offer technical and strategic management best practices and benefits to an expanded audience of more than 3,000 companies and tens of thousands of media professionals when the association’s merger with Epicomm, the Association for Leaders in Print, Mail, Fulfillment, and Marketing Services, is completed on July 1.  

“The process-oriented methodology our Working Group members use to create innovative workflow best practices will be augmented by the management considerations that are integral to all workplace functions – a specialty of Epicomm,” says David Steinhardt, President and Chief Executive Officer of Idealliance.

“Similarly, current Epicomm members will have access to the latest standards and best practices for technologies and workflows that continue to transform our industry and enhance efficiency across the end-to-end media supply chain, through active Working Groups such as our Print Properties and GRACoL Committees, Postal Operations and Technologies Committee,  and the metadata committees of PRISM, “ he adds.

“Our respective staffs have begun to work together to develop ways to blend our individual association offerings into a powerhouse lineup of resources that can help our members across the entire industry supply chain to gain greater productivity and profitability, by leveraging programs applicable to every industry area, from the pressroom to the mailroom to the board room,” says Steinhardt.

“The wheels are turning as our two associations are coming together to realize the benefit of their complementary missions and services. We are also already collaborating very effectively to develop new programs for our expanded memberships,” he continues. “In fact, we will be launching a new program for the certification of mail supply professionals and will be introducing additional program offerings in the coming months.”

The new association will retain the name Idealliance and will be located in the current Epicomm headquarters at 1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 320, Alexandria, Va. Steinhardt will serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of the new association and current Epicomm President and Chief Executive Officer Ken Garner will be Executive Vice President. Epicomm Board Chairman Tim Johnson, Chief Executive Officer, Impact, Minneapolis, Minn., will serve as Chairman of the new association’s Board. 

Serving companies across the total graphic communications supply chain, the new association will provide members benefits in six primary categories: Best practices and specifications, strategy and consulting, advocacy and standards, certification and training, education and events, and research and resources.

Idealliance Working Groups address issues relating to print media, print distribution, and integrated media, and provide a user-driven, cross-industry, and open environment in which its members can strategize, innovate, standardize, and implement solutions to real business challenges in graphic communications. Among Idealliance’s best known offerings are the G7^© Expert/Professional Certification and G7^© Master Qualification Programs, and print quality and workflow specifications GRACoL^©, SWOP^©, Mail.dat^©, and PRISM.^©

Through its active Working Groups, training resources, and networking events, Idealliance and its members collaborate to craft best practices, advance standards, and certify people, processes, and systems to achieve the highest performance in creation, production, and delivery of graphic communications. Its resources support its members in building and operating state-of-the-art workflows to meet and exceed their business objectives and clients’ expectations. As new technologies are transforming business models and customer demands, members benefit from an expanded focus on the processes and technologies used to accomplish their business objectives. 

Epicomm was created through the 2014 merger of three of the industry’s best-known trade associations: The Association of Marketing Service Providers (AMSP), the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL), and the National Association of Quick Printers (NAQP). 

Epicomm’s team of business advisors and menu of products and services provide research and trends analysis, management insight and guidance, education, networking, advocacy, and specialized consulting services for leading companies across the broad industry spectrum, encompassing printing, mailing, fulfillment, and a wide variety of marketing services. Its resources support its members in building a strong strategic foundation on which they can prosper and grow, and gain a better understanding of the markets and clients they serve. 

“The combined resources of Epicomm and Idealliance will strengthen our industry and all who work in it as we come together to help shape the future,” notes Steinhardt.

For more information, please contact Idealliance’s Steve Bonoff at (952) 896-1908 or [email protected] or Epicomm’s Dean D’Ambrosi at (201) 523-6314 or [email protected].