With a stomach full of butterflies and a heart racing with excitement, I packed up my bags and eagerly started the drive to Chicago to participate in my first Graph Expo ever. I’d already heard a lot of mixed emotions about what to expect over the last couple of months.
“It’s getting too small” or “They’re moving it to Orlando next year – is this the end of Graph as we know it?”
I would argue yes – just as the industry we all love has been forced to evolve over time, so must the largest event dedicated to our beloved ink on paper. But as a millennial in attendance for the first time ever, I assure you there is still plenty for one to see and explore at the show.
You’ve Got a Friend in Social Media
First off, Graph Expo was my outlet to put a handshake with SOOOO many relationships I’ve built solely online for the last five years. Deborah Corn, Sandy Hubbard, Matthew Parker, Marco Morales, Brian Rothschild, Sabine Lenz, Trish Witkowski, Daniel Dejan, Kelly Mallozzi, Richard Dannenberg, Mary Beth Smith, the voices of big name brands like Domtar Paper (Vanecia Carr), Xerox Production (Bill Michael), Pitney Bowes (Marifer Rodriguez) – are you guys catching my print celebrity worship syndrome, yet?
All humor aside – it was so incredibly wonderful to meet all these people I’ve known for so many years. It’s a true testament to the powerful influence social media has on building strong relationships.
Plenty To See – Both New and Old
Admittedly, I didn’t have the chance to really dive into all the different booths at the show as the inner print geek inside me had hoped, but I saw a lot of really awesome things while having too much fun taking some pretty fabulous photos of the Printerverse alien interacting with our alliance members’ equipment.
One of the things that really made my heart happy while out and about was the wide diversity of exhibitors on the show room floor. Not only are the industry top dogs (like Canon, HP, Pitney Bowes, Xerox, etc…) showcasing the latest and greatest they have to offer, but also the number of younger tech-related companies in attendance really made an impression with me. It’s exciting to see how the two worlds have come together!
Booths a Print Geek Would Swoon Over
Perhaps the thing that stood out to me most was all the different ways exhibitors built their booths. Choose Print had a booth made almost entirely out of cardboard – including their little podium and tables. I just loved it!
The other thing that I left very impressed with was how exhibitors chose to create meeting space. Of course, tables and chairs make sense to create a more intimate conversation; however, I hadn’t ever thought about building actual conference rooms for consultation!
It was fascinating to see all the different ways companies maximized their often-limited space to accommodate clients. Solimar Systems utilized their towered sign to create a four-walled enclosure to meet with their customers, and Scodix had the most elegant booth I’ve ever seen – complete with a conference room featuring windows and a refrigerator. Other brands opted to create a common place for guests to sit and watch presentations, while perhaps most importantly resting their feet for a minute or two.
That Leads Me To My Final Point – Education
Sure – the show is an excellent way to touch and feel all the exciting things happening in the print world; however, of all the things there are to see – I would have to argue that the Printerverse is where it’s at… and no – I’m not just saying that because I worked it.
Deborah pulled together such a wide range of panel topics that no matter what your niche or role is within the graphic arts industry, there was something for you to attend. Everything you ever dreamed to know about inkjet, understanding how brands are utilizing social media to maximize their reach, hearing about the latest and greatest in the finishing world, learning how the industry orgs are changing in this new digital age, and the list goes on and on!
I think it’s fair to say that the Printerverse is much like content marketing. Most people don’t come to your site for you to sell them something anymore, just like many attendees at any of the big trade shows doesn’t really go to be sold to. What most people want is to be educated, to have their trust in your brand built up before deciding they want to invest in your product. In my eyes, that’s what the Printerverse is all about – educating and having a dialogue amongst some of the industry’s most well known experts.
Did You Make It To the Show?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on how Graph Expo went. If you didn’t get a chance to check it out in person – you can also scope out all the Printerverse panel sessions on the Print Media Centr’s Youtube channel.
Christine Alexander
is self-confessed ink-sniffer and an independent marketing consultant for companies within the graphic arts industry. Her specialties include graphic design, content marketing, community building, event planning and strategy development across a wide array of media. With nearly a decade of experience in commercial printing, Christine has held roles in prepress management, marketing direction, print sales, and operations management.
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