The Products You ‘Must See’ at PRINT 18 Will Be ‘RED HOT Technologies’

The opportunity to see groundbreaking vendor products and equipment is just one reason thousands of industry professionals flock to the PRINT® event in Chicago every fall. But with hundreds of booths in the Exhibit Hall, it can be a challenge to really see all the innovative products on display. That’s why this year the Association for Print Technologies is rolling out the RED HOT Technology Recognition Program, showcasing the newest products at PRINT.

The RED HOT Technology Recognition Program puts a fresh spin on the now-retired MUST SEE ‘EMs program—giving attendees a simple way to learn what’s new in the hundreds of exhibitor booths at PRINT.

Featuring publishing and printing technology or equipment that has come to market within the past 12 months, the RED HOT Technology Recognition Program highlights the “what’s new” on the exhibit floor. A printed guidebook will indicate the location of each RED HOT Technology in the Exhibit Hall and each recognized product will sport highly visible RED HOT Technology markers. Each of these technologies is then eligible to win one of three RED HOT Vanguard Awards, based on its merit as a game-changer in the industry. The RED HOT Breakthrough Award recognizes products that build on existing technology to significantly advance its use; the RED HOT Collaboration Award recognizes innovative new products that result from a combination of technologies from different manufacturers; and the RED HOT Pioneer Award will be given to a product that is the first of its kind or entirely new to this industry.

“Attendees tell us that one of the most exciting parts about visiting the Exhibit Hall at PRINT is the opportunity to see all of the latest products and technology in one place,” said Julie Shaffer, Association for PRINT Technologies associate vice president, program and community development, and head of the RED HOT Technologies program. “This new program showcases the ‘what’s new’ without judgement, and through the Vanguard Awards, recognizes technology that breaks new ground, opening new markets and business opportunities within the industry.”

RED HOT Technologies

To help PRINT visitors zero in on the products they want to see, RED HOT Recognition Technology designees will be recognized in 12 categories:

1. Sales & Management Systems
2. Workflow Automation Systems
3. Color Management, Prepress & Pre-media
4. Marketing and Multi-channel Solutions
5. Analog Presses
6. Digital Presses
7. Hybrid Print Technologies
8. Wide-Format Digital Presses
9. Post-press, Specialty & Finishing
10. Imprinting, Mailing, Shipping & Fulfillment
11. Building and Environmental
12. Consumables and Substrates

The new RED HOT Vanguard Awards recognize industry “game changers.”

• Breakthrough Awards recognize new products that advance an existing technology or process and open new business opportunities for their users. They push the boundaries on what products in their category can do.
• Pioneer Awards recognize products that are the first of their kind or entirely new to the graphic communications industry. Winners break new ground, opening business growth and new markets within the industry.
• Collaborative Awards recognize products developed by one or more distinct companies working together to create a new product.

“The RED HOT Technology Recognition Program is about telling the industry what all the newest products and services are that can help them move their print operations forward,” said Association for PRINT Technologies President Thayer Long. “It’s a great way for manufacturers to promote their products and for visitors to map their activities at PRINT—and their future business direction as well.”

The submission deadline is August 8, 2018.

PRINT 18 will take place Sept. 30 through Oct. 2, 2018, at McCormick Place in Chicago. For more information, contact Director, Event Marketing, Sherry MacDonald at 703/264-7237, or e-mail: [email protected].