14 Print Conferences to Look Forward to in 2014
“I believe we are going to move into a situation where the more effective conferences will be smaller, more specialized, more focused, with occasional large gatherings to get the attention of the larger world.” – Maurice Strong
In an age where all the information you could possibly want seems to be a mere push of a button a way, conferences are a testament to how important social interaction is to us humans. We go to them to listen to and meet other professionals in our domain (or a domain we just happen to be interested in), and to learn and share new information, practices.
Conferences are also working vacations; an opportunity to visit somewhere new, while also not feeling like you are slacking off from your job. That’s why many conferences and fairs take place in such great tourist cities, such as Las Vegas or Miami, or even Munich.
Since conferences are early events, and since we have already given you a few suggestions for web design conferences to look forward to in 2014, we will be showing you a list of some really cool print conferences to look forward to this year, so you can know about them in time to start making hotel room reservations and booking plane tickets.
1. Print World 2014
There is not a lot of information available about this year’s Print World conference, other than when it will be tacking place, which is the 22nd through to the 24th of November, and where it will be taking place, namely the Direct Energy Center, Exhibition Place, in downtown Toronto, also known as Canada’s premier show facility.
If 2012’s edition is anything to go by, than this is surely one of the most important conferences to attend in the world of print, with exhibitors such as Adobe, Konica Minolta, Unisource and Hans Gronhi Graphic Technology, and keynote speakers like Warren Werbitt, president of Pazazz Printing, and Kristof Dekeukelaere, North American Sales Manager for Landa Digital.
2. Print UV
As the header of the website reads: Vegas, baby!
Print UV is the largest all-in-one conference for people in the UV printing industry. Here you can meet and engage with leading printers and suppliers, and find out valuable information from experts in several domains, so you can seriously tap in the world of UV printing, all while sampling the many pleasures Las Vegas has to offer.
3. PID Conference
PID stands for “printed interior decoration”, so this conference is all about how you can apply printing solutions in the world of interior design.
The conference will be taking place on the 26th and 27th of November, in Düsseldorf, Germany, and will be touching on the use of flexible, rigid and special materials in printed interior decoration.
There will be 20 speeches, that include 2 to 4 keynote speakers, which are yet unannounced, tabletop exhibitions from 30 companies, and a networking dinner, so you can socialize with industry professionals.
4. International Mokuhanga Conference 2014
You really don’t want to miss this conference if you are passionate about Japanese art. The conference’s goal is creating a forum where students and teachers meet to discuss the mokuhanga style of printing, as a non-toxic method of printmaking for modern artists.
It’s held between the 10th and 14th of September, at the Tokyo University of Arts, in Japan, with exhibitions starting earlier, on the 30th of August, and ending later, on the 28th of September.
5. IMI Conference
The IMI Digital Printing Presses conference is a no none-sense gathering, in Phoenix, Arizona, that focuses on digital printing, and all the new possibilities it has brought forth. One of the questions it plans to answer, or at least discuss, is what the printing industry will look like, and who the major players will be by 2020.
The conference will take place between April 30 and May 2, at the Saguaro Scottsdale. Aside from exploring how printing will evolve over the next years, the conference will also be exploring current trends, such as 3D production printing and mass customization.
6. London Original Print Fair
If you’re looking to find out more about print as an art form, than this is the place to go. It’s also a great excuse to see the bustling metropolis that is London, seeing as the event will be held at the Royal Academy of Arts, in the aforementioned city.
Aside from some great exhibitions from the likes of Abbot and Holder Ltd., Emanuel von Baeyer, and the Alan Cristea Gallery, you’ll also get to see Harland Miller speaking candidly about his creative process.
7. FESPA Global Summit
A really exclusive event, where you get to brush shoulders with big names in the industry, the FESPA Global Summit will be taking place in Munich this year, at the Sofitel Bayerpost Hotel, on the 6th and 7th of March.
To attend, you need to be a print service provider, advertising agency representative, or brand owner. FESPA mentions that a PSP is someone who’s business is at least 70% derived from printing for a customer.
8. Ipex World Print Summit
Taking place at the ExCel in London, between the 24th and 29th of March, the Ipex World Print Summit is part of the largest media event in 2014 called, as you’ve probably already guessed, Ipex.
Aside from the World Print Summit, where you’ll be hearing keynote speakers from the Landa Corporation, Polestar Group and UK Mail, you’ll also benefit from Ipex Masterclasses that offer business workshops, such as writing business plans and winning new businesses.
9. Print Fair ’14
Print Fair ’14 plans to be the biggest print gathering in India. Bringing together printing technologists, printing & print buyers, graphic designers, art directors and more, here you’ll be able to network with lots of people from the printing industry.
The event starts on the 24th of September, and ends on the 27th, at the HITEX International Exhibition Center, in Hyderbad, India.
10. Mid-America Print Council Conference
Bringing back some much needed life to Detroit, the MPACC will take place in and around the city, between the 24th and 27th of September. The conference includes workshops, exhibitions and keynote speakers.
On the 26th and 27th, in Midtown Detroit, the international light installation program DLECTRICITY 2 will also be taking place.
11. SGC International Conference
Seeing as SGC’s 42nd annual conference is held in San Francisco, the conference also bears the name “Bridges”, and it aims to take a deeper look at where new and old technologies meet, and how to use these to tools tackle contemporary issues.
The conference will be taking place in the San Francisco Bay Area between March the 26th and 29th, and its keynote speakers are Karin Breuer and David Kiehl.
12. Print + ePublishing Conference
Playfully called PePCon, this conferences brings together the world’s top InDesign experts, together with members of the Adobe InDesign team for four days, in which you can learn all the things you need to know to get the most out of the program.
Starting on June the 15th at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile, you’ll be benefiting from a 2-day multi-track conference, followed by a day of post-conference tutorials. You’ll also be getting a half-day pre-conference tutorial.
13. AppForum 2014
AppForum calls itself a “How To” event for digital print, marketing services and packaging. As such, you’ll be learning three things: how to sell print on demand and marketing solutions, how to implement those solutions, and how to ensure profitable production workflows. You’ll also be able to network with international attendees such as print & marketing providers, industry consultants, enterprise marketers, and software & hardware vendors.
The event takes place between the 31st of March and April the 2nd in Las Vegas.
14. GraphExpo 2014
GraphExpo gives you the opportunity of seeing first-hand demonstrations of new, top-of-the-line equipment for the printing industry, but it doesn’t stop there. GraphExpo also hosts over 50 educational sessions, consisting of seminars, show floor theater sessions, and special market-segment presentations, to make sure that you’ll get all the information you want about what’s being showcased.
The show starts on September the 28th, and ends on the 1st of October, at McCormick Place, in Chicago.
That wraps up our list of print conferences to look forward to in 2014. We hope you get the chance to attend some of these, and that you will strike the right balance between business and pleasure while doing so. Let us know which ones you like best, and if you think there are other conferences that deserve to be on our list, in the comment section below.
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