Using this Show Guide and the tools at www.printsolutionsshow.com, it's easy to plan your strategy for attending the Print Solutions 2004 Conference & Expo. A way cool feature is a web page that includes an updated, interactive map of the show floor. Visit www.eshow2000.com/print solutions/floor_map.cfm and move your mouse over companies' booths. Awesome stuff--thanks, DMIA staff!
Planning for, attending and enjoying the show is important, but growing from the show should be your goal. Your presence is a smart move--you'll hear valuable ideas during education sessions and speak to peers facing the same business challenges you face--but your persistence is more important. Follow up with potential business allies you meet at the show, and you'll maximize growth for you and your company.
Energy and optimism will abound at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 6, when the show floor opens, and for good reason: Forward-thinking distributors, manufacturers and suppliers are growing their firms daily, and our ability to provide diverse solutions, superior service and smart partnering is driving the success of the independent channel. These are themes you'll see from exhibitors and attendees at this year's conference, and rightly so.
But the vitality and ideas you gain during the show shouldn't stop when speakers end their sessions and exhibitors tear down their booths. Instead, send an eye-catching packet about your company to potential customers. Ask fellow attendees or exhibitors for their business cards, and email some of them to solicit (or offer) future business advice. Review your notes from education sessions, and meet with coworkers to discuss how specific tips could benefit your company.
I firmly believe the best facet of DMIA is its people, and there's no better time than the Print Solutions 2004 Conference & Expo to meet experienced industry pros with great ideas and young blood with new tricks. I also believe the best time to judge the success of the show isn't when it ends; it's a few months later, when you can determine how much business you gained and how many people you've added to your contact list.
It's up to you to take advantage of the resources the show offers. This year, the event will have it all: education sessions that address our industry, key suppliers eager to perform product training, top-notch speakers and many networking opportunities. (Check out the Full Conference Detailed Schedule of Events beginning on page 76.)
Reflecting the changes in our industry, many exhibitors will show you new products and services. You'll see digital printing, e-commerce ideas and software, unique promotional products, and many other ideas. Traditional forms manufacturers will showcase value-added products such as label/form combinations and self-mailers. (Check out the Exhibitor Directory beginning on page 120.)
If you haven't made plans to attend the show, you should. Invest a few days in the future of your business, or get away for a few days of fun and learning with your spouse. Spend a few days networking with the best people in our industry. And make sure you capitalize by following up with them.
Our industry is full of opportunity. No other event will showcase--and build on--this truth better than DMIA's 2004 Conference & Expo. I look forward to seeing you there and having some fun.
Phil Schmidt is president of distributorship Advanced Systems & Forms Inc., Livonia, Mich., and president of DMIA.
