(October 06, 2008) The Print Media Center Information Days 2008 in September represented a second outing for this initiative following a successful premiere last year. Over 230 European customers from outside Germany took up the invitation to come to Heidelberg and watch numerous standard demonstrations over two days at the Print Media Center (PMC) on the ground floor of the main administrative building. "We don’t just talk about technology, we demonstrate it - in direct, personal contact with our customers," stressed Dr. Jürgen Rautert, Management Board Member for Markets, in his welcoming address. The event was attended by guests from Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Austria, France, and even Estonia and Ukraine. There were also interested visitors from the U.K., Finland and Slovakia.

The objective of the event, which was first held in 2007 and was organized in close cooperation with market managers, is not confined to cultivating contacts with existing customers. Another important aim is to have the opportunity - away from other major events such as trade fairs - to get up close and personal with interested parties and talk to them directly and in practical terms about the range of solutions offered by Heidelberg in "a language printers understand," as Head of the PMC Karl Kowalczyk put it, summing up the nature of the event.

This year's key topics included examples of networking, which were also demonstrated in conjunction with the Prinect Center, Anicolor, long perfectors, HEI Performance on XL presses, the Suprasetter, and many different postpress machines. Almost all the PMC's equipment was put to use. A quick look at the visitor figures demonstrates the scale of the event. In 2007 alone, over 1,450 print shops made the journey to Heidelberg and more than 2,400 jobs were demonstrated. "We are looking to expand our in-house activities still further," emphasized Kowalczyk.

In addition to the PMC Information Days, the package of measures also includes open-house events, VIP tours and, above all, involving the Print Media Academy. With more than 10 Print Media Centers worldwide, Heidelberg has a network that is unique in the printing industry when it comes to getting its customers all over the world involved in its activities. This global presence is boosted by numerous reference companies in the various regions. Heidelberg considers this package as more than just an alternative to industry trade fairs. As Adriana Nuneva, Head of Global Marketing, explains, "We are able to take an in-depth look at our customers’ questions, spend much more time with existing and potential customers, and thus achieve more efficient results than at trade fairs."