Industry mail supply chain members will have face-to-face discussions with USPS representatives on key mailing issues impacting business.

Alexandria, VA. - Idealliance, the communications industry association representing all facets of the global omnichannel media value chain, will launch its inaugural Postal Exchange summit on Feb. 2-3 at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort, Clearwater, Fla. Unlike typical "death by a thousand slides" events, the Postal Exchange will feature interactive roundtables with industry members and U.S. Postal Service executives discussing key mailing issues facing industry businesses today.

"Our new Postal Exchange summit will provide the perfect opportunity for those offering or utilizing mailing services to have face-to-face conversations with Postal Service representatives in a relaxed and collegial setting," says Idealliance President and Chief Executive Officer David Steinhardt.

"Attendees will not only be able to raise their issues and concerns," he continues, "but they will also have the chance to offer their ideas and insights into how the USPS can work together with its industry customers to advance mailing efficiency and to enhance Post Office-industry cooperation for the benefit of all participants in the mail supply chain."

The Postal Exchange is designed for executives and professionals whose business depends upon a viable and profitable mail supply chain and U.S. Postal Service, including mail service providers: mailers and printers, small or large; mail owners: catalogers, corporate mailers, direct marketers, and publishers; software providers and equipment suppliers; and consolidators, transportation, and logistics companies.

Postal Exchange roundtable discussions will focus on making mail relevant—predictable, reliable, affordable; creating a viable and profitable mail supply chain; driving mail supply chain optimization; and looking to 2020—getting out of the day-to-day. Among planned roundtable topics: Operations; Acceptance, Induction, and Payment; the Future of Mail Pricing; Mail Marketing and Pricing; and the Evolution of the Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC).

Rose Flanagan of Data-Mail and Phil Thompson of Quad/ Graphics are conference co-chairs. Roundtable facilitators from industry include Bob Schimek of Satori Software, Paula Stoskopf of Fairrington Transportation, Angelo Anagnostopoulos of GrayHair Software, Kurt Ruppel of IWCO Direct, John Stark of PubWorx, and PostCom’s Michael Plunkett.

Among the USPS executives currently scheduled to attend are Jim Cochrane, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer and Executive Vice President; Isaac Cronkhite, Vice President of Enterprise Analytics; Pritha Mehra, Vice President of Payment Technologies & Business Mailing Entry; and Steve Monteith, Vice President of Marketing.

Postal Exchange attendees will help enhance communication and collaboration with the USPS, create best practices for efficiencies and speed information across the mail chain; define key challenges impeding efficient mail preparation and delivery; and stay informed on trends impacting their business strategy and the USPS.

They will also help drive new optimization and productivity in mail preparation, acceptance, induction, and delivery, as well as an understanding of Total Combined Cost—how USPS programs impact the industry; identify how the USPS IT infrastructure helps and hinders our industry; and network with industry peers and experts.

Registration fee for the two-day Postal Exchange is just $260. Conference site is the Sheraton Sand Key Resort, Clearwater, Fla. The Room Rate: $179 plus tax (Single/Double). Go to http://www.idealliance.org/events/postal-exchange-2017 for more information or to register, or call (703) 837-1070.