Find Your Way at the 2017 SGIA Expo

For Immediate Release August 17, 2017 Contact: Kate Achelpohl, SGIA 703.359.1364 kate@sgia.org Fairfax, Virginia — With more than 40 educational sessions and special events, plus over 570 exhibitors, the 2017 SGIA Expo (New Orleans, October 10–12) is more than a trade show. It’s the largest printing industry event in North America. To get the most from it, you’ll need a strategy that puts your business’ needs first.

Explore the Floor

One of the many things that sets the SGIA Expo apart is the way it brings the various communities within printing together to inspire creative imaging solutions. As you plan your trip, take a look at some of the new products you’ll find at the 2017 SGIA Expo. “The SGIA Expo allows you to make the most of time away from the shop by exposing you to the greatest breadth of printing technologies you’ll find in one place,” said Ford Bowers, President & CEO, SGIA. “Boundaries between market segments continue to blur,” Bowers continues. “The more you see, the better equipped your business will be to adapt and compete.”

Consider the Context

Your printing business doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Those blurring market segments change the way you need to approach your shop — whether you’re talking about technology, marketing or personnel. Special events at the Expo combine education and networking for a deeper dive into the issues that are shaping your business.

• New for 2017, Your Business: Prepare for Success (Monday, October 9, 1:00–5:00 pm) is designed specifically for new businesses wanting to get off to a strong start and established businesses seeking to avoid growing pains. Topics include how to maximize your time, branding, sales and strategies for running a successful business.
• Wide-Format 101: Four Steps to Profitability (Monday, October 9, 1:00 pm–5:00 pm) returns, updated for 2017. The half-day session brings the perspective of experience to topics including technology and markets, color management and equipment strategies, materials and finishing, and lessons learned.
• The Printed Electronics Symposium (Tuesday, October 10, 8:30 am–5:00 pm) returns with a focus on business and technical aspects of the rapidly growing e-textiles market.
• Brands Talking Sustainability Luncheon (Tuesday, October 10, 12:00–2:00 pm) — Ann Inc., REI and Starbucks discuss the importance of sustainability to their businesses — and how that applies to their printer partners.
• Celebrate the close of Day One at the Welcome Reception (Tuesday, October 10, 5:00–6:00 pm), in the Golden Image Gallery (La Nouvelle Ballroom). You’ll mix, mingle and take in the best prints in the world. Sponsored by SA International.
• Women in Print Alliance Breakfast (Wednesday, October 11, 7:30–9:00 am) — Keynote speaker Fawn Germer leads a critical discussion on leadership and work-life balance.
• Wrap Like a Pro (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 8:00 am–4:00 pm) — Hands-on wrap training with industry leaders. They’ll have plenty of cars, plenty of vinyl and plenty of time to help you perfect your art.

Education is Key

“The Expo floor is a starting point and an education unto itself,” said Dan Marx, Director of Industry Content, SGIA. “What you’ll learn in our conference-style educational sessions will complement and expand upon what you’ll see and learn on the floor.” The following sessions are included with the Expo + Education Pass ($99 through September 12, then $115; free to SGIA members and exhibitors):

October 10, 2017

9:00–10:15 am All Aboard! How to Find, Retain and Motivate Great Talent Vince DiCecco, Your Personal Business Trainer Inc Getting Traction in your Graphics Business Tom Trutna, INK BIG Display Graphics It's Not About the Printing: Project Logistics Case Studies Rich Thompson, AdGraphics; Brian Hite, Image Options; Terry Corman, Corman Synergy Inc., dba Firehouse Image Center The Business of Screen Printing Brett Bowden, Printed Threads 10:30–11:45 am For Long-Term Growth, Consider Bringing Wide Format and Cutsheet Under the Same Roof Dan Johansen, Ricoh Graphic Installation Directions Session Dan Marx, SGIA Sublimation Pricing And Cost Analysis Jimmy Lamb, Sawgrass Technologies Inc The Latest in UV Equipment, Inks & Trends (In Partnership with Radtech) Jim Raymont, EIT, LLC 1:00–2:15 pm “DAM Good Art” Changing Product Customization in the Apparel Industry Nathan Anderson, F&M Expressions Mastering the Wide World of Pressure Sensitive Materials Cordell Hardy, 3M Commercial Graphics Maximizing Your Color Potential  Josh Hope, Mimaki USA Inc Why Your Enterprise Needs a Business Plan: It’s Not Just for Fund Raising Anymore Vince DiCecco, Your Personal Business Trainer Inc 2:30–3:45 pm Digital Textile Printing in the Rising Promotional Products Industry Sharon Donovich, Kornit Digital Hi-Tech Screen Printing 101 for Management Mike Young, Imagetek Consulting International How G7 Makes Inkjet Color Management Better Jim Raffel, ColorMetrix Technologies LLC Inkjet Banding: Identification and Root Cause Analysis Travis Barcelona, Nazdar

October 11, 2017

9:00–10:15 am Be At Your Best Every Day: 5 Principles To Consistent Sales Success David Fellman, David Fellman & Associates Focus On Your Image David Landesman, Lawson Screen & Digital Products Inkjet and Corrugated: Innovative and Untraditional Solutions Rebecca McConnell, FUJIFILM North America Corporation Graphic Systems Division Selecting and Printing Backlit Fabrics Michael Compton, Top Value Fabrics 10:30–11:45 am 3D Printing: A Multi-Dimensional View Vince Cahill, VCE Solutions; Josh Hope, Mimaki USA Inc; Lilach Sapir, Massivit 3D Heat Transfers: How, What & Why Christopher Pluck, Insta Graphic Systems Three Views on Automating Your Graphics Workflow Jeremy Pilcher, Innovate Print Solutions; Gregory Stewart, ESKO; Bart Fret, GMG Americas Would You Buy from You? Your Brand Makes the Difference Ryan Sauers, Sauers Consulting Strategies 1:00–2:15 pm Direct to Container Decoration using Ink Jet Technology Mike Thompson, KBA-Kammann USA Inc Grow Color Gamut to Make Signage Pop Tobias Saalfeld, Ricoh Navigating Away from Price David Fellman, David Fellman & Associates Selecting the Right Ink Technology for Your Application Michael Maxwell, Mimaki USA Inc 2:30–3:45 pm Inkjet Special Effects for Value Add Reinhilde Alaert, Agfa Graphics The Five Fundamentals the Best Screen Printers Know and Control (and So Should You) Alan Howe, Saati Chemicals Whodunit? Solving UV Curing Mysteries with Measurement Jim Raymont, EIT, LLC Women in Print Winners Panel Discussion Fawn Germer, FawnGermer.com

October 12, 2017

9:00–10:15 am A Whole New World: You Can Apply Inkjet Technology onto What? Heather Roden, FUJIFILM North America Corporation Graphic Systems Division Digital Textile Printing Expert Panel Jonathan Read, Media One Digital Imaging Solutions; Michael Sanders, Pacific Coast Fabrics; Ray Weiss, SGIA; Dave Brewer, Image Options; James Coulston, Sensient Imaging Technologies Inc; Lily Hunter, Roland DGA Corporation; Kerry King, Spoonflower Getting Smart with Some Simple Marketing Strategies Aaron Montgomery, aaronmontgomery.info How To Sublimate Apparel Jimmy Lamb, Sawgrass Technologies Inc 10:30–11:45 am Demystifying Wide Format Sublimation and Cut and Sew Production Aaron Montgomery, aaronmontgomery.info Standardized Testing for Printed Textiles Diana Wyman, AATCC The Rise of Digital Technologies in Printed Packaging Jeff Wettersten, Karstedt Partners LLC 1:00–2:15 pm Garment Decoration Directions Session David Landesman, Lawson Screen & Digital Products Graphics & Sign Directions Session Dan Marx, SGIA Industrial Printing Directions Session Ray Weiss, SGIA The 2017 SGIA Expo will be at the Ernest N. Morial Convention in New Orleans, October 10–12. Register today at SGIAExpo.org. SGIA — Supporting the Leaders of the Digital & Screen Printing Community Having its origins in the screen printing industry, SGIA embraced the digital revolution early on and is now the trade association of choice for professionals in the industrial, graphic, garment, textile, electronics, packaging and commercial printing communities looking to grow their business into new market segments through the incorporation of the latest printing technologies. SGIA membership comprises these diverse segments, all of which are moving rapidly towards digital adoption. As long-time champions of digital technologies and techniques, SGIA is the community of peers you are looking for to help navigate the challenges of this process. Additionally, the SGIA Expo is the largest trade show for print technology in North America. “Whatever the medium, whatever the message, print is indispensable. Join the community — SGIA.”