Second annual thINK forum set to reach new heights and instill creativity amongst Canon Solutions America Production Print Customers

CHICAGO - thINK, an independent community of Canon Solutions America production print customers, today announced its keynote speakers for the thINK 2016 event, taking place October 10-12 in Boca Raton, Florida. 

Delivering a keynote speech at thINK 2016 will be former professional tennis player, Chris Evert. Evert, who won the first of her 18 Grand Slam titles in 1974, is one of the most decorated female athletes of all time. Not only is she a champion on the court, but she's also a champion to those she's helped through her charitable work. Evert raised more than $22 million through the Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic to fight drug abuse and assist neglected and mistreated children in the South Florida area. Her presence at this year's forum will certainly be an inspiration to all. 

David Humphreys, Head of US Healthcare at The Economist Intelligence Unit, will also be giving a memorable keynote presentation. Humphreys will share findings from the new 2015 PRIMIR study, "The Future of Print in the U.S.—Landscape, Implications, and Opportunities," produced by The Economist Intelligence Unit. The study sheds light on where the future of the print industry is headed, and what new opportunities will arise for progressive print pioneers and first-movers. 

The general session speaker will be author of New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less and CEO of THIS Inc., Greg McKeown. McKeown, who has dedicated his career to discovering why some people break through to the next level—and why others don't, will discuss core assumptions about achievement to get to the essence of what really drives success. He will also share real-life strategies for how to focus on what is absolutely necessary in order to excel professionally. 

"We are thrilled to have secured such talented and accomplished speakers for thINK 2016," said Victor Bohnert, thINK Executive Director. "We are eager to learn from Humphreys, McKeown, and Evert, and believe they will have a great, uplifting impact on our thINK community members."

The conference will feature experts in inkjet technology who are willing to share their best practices in order to foster a collaborative community experience and further promote the benefits of cutting-edge inkjet technology. In its inaugural year, thINK became the largest customer-led inkjet summit around the globe. In 2016 the organization will build on its prior year's success by assembling a program featuring the print industry's leading analysts, advisors, and customers.

"We look forward to hosting another very successful forum," added Bohnert. "Last year's inaugural event created a lot of excitement within the inkjet community, as we had over 350 attendees.  We're hoping to surpass that amount this year, and we're very eager to hear Humphreys' forecast of the print industry's future." 

The Power of Community 

With a multitude of unique business related seminars to attend, teamwork and peer mentorship will be the themes of this year's forum. Anyone from business owners, to sales representatives, to those in production and technology, will find a session in which they can participate and learn from.

• Educational Sessions: With over 25 intermediate and advanced educational sessions to select from, every member of the inkjet team – from the salesperson out selling it, to the production and technical staff who keep the presses running and the applications rolling – will learn and leave with best practice techniques they can apply immediately. 
• Inkjet Partners: Over 25 inkjet partners are supporting thINK 2016, and will be on-site to provide information on finishing, software, paper and workflow tools.

"The print industry experiences a number of changes from year to year," said Mark DeBoer, Director of Customer Experience at Darwill, Inc., and thINK President. "That's why it's so important that we host an event where people in the industry can gather to share their thoughts about the technology, and more importantly, explore new opportunities within an ever evolving market." 

A World of New Discoveries 

There is plenty to look forward to at thINK 2016. Beyond the over 25 seminars available, attendees will be given the opportunity to network with digital production print professionals, and have any of their inkjet questions answered by Canon Solutions America leadership.

"We have a great lineup of speakers planned, in addition to our three fantastic keynote speakers," said Bohnert. "We're looking forward to this year's content stimulating new ideas and growing our industry further." 

About thINK Forum

thINK is an independent community of Canon Solutions America production print customers, solution partners, and print industry experts. Led by some of the most successful inkjet service providers in the country, it provides a forum for members to network, gain knowledge, discuss common challenges, and share best practices. For more information, visit thinkforum.com.