Hi! I’m Chloe! I’m beyond excited because it is my favorite time of year! It’s show season! It’s time to wander aisles and watch demos and ask as many questions as they will let me so I can figure out what’s cool!
Sadly, show organizers don’t always look at industry calendars to see what else is going on. For September there are a few shows sitting on top of one another so I had to pick. This time it’s the SGIA Expo in Las Vegas (September 14-16) and Graph Expo in Orlando (September 25-28). I’ve looked at the vendor lists and I’ve been following the press releases and announcements, and that pointed me towards these two as having the most interesting offerings.
SGIA in Las Vegas is setting up to be exactly the kind of show that keeps people in the Convention Center and out of the casinos (not all shows are that good!). The piece that has me really intrigued is the Garment Zone. There is so much going on in the world of textile printing. I still have a lot to learn about the RIPS and file formats, but I am sure this will be the place to do it. For me it’s a business builder. If I can learn the secrets of textile printing I can bring those options to my clients. It’s not just about logos on Tshirts or Polo shirts any more – the new world of textile printing means we can look at custom-printed fabrics for clothing designers and textile-based décor items.
There will be a lot more going on at SGIA. Everything wide format and sign-related will be there. I’m anxious to see if we have more platforms on display that would let me set up a web-to-dress or web-to-wallpaper piece of business. That could be fun!
Not long after getting home from SGIA I head to Orlando for the Florida-edition of Graph Expo. What a different packing strategy. Usually for Chicago I have to pack for every temperature from humid heat to frigid cold. This time we are in Orlando, so just humid heat! The change in venue means this show is a bit smaller, but that means I get more time in each booth! There is a lot of software to look at – web to print, color management, Print MIS systems. I’m excited to see them all. From the exhibitor list it looks like we have some new folks I haven’t seen at other shows, and that is always exciting. And, Graph Expo is also the home of The Printerverse and Girls Who Print. What better place to spend time?
You might be asking if going to shows is worth your time. I’ve said it before in this column – yes! No matter how busy you are, a few days away from the office among peers and competitors is a great way to get fresh ideas and, often, to find solutions to niggling problems. Find a way to get out to one!
Until next time… Watch this space for more from the life of a Print Diva.
Chloe Mahendra-Fuji practices the fine arts of design critique, content creation and editing, and communication consulting. She has decades of experience working in online content delivery, print delivery, and content development.
Connect with Chloe: @ChloePrintDiva / ChloePrintDiva@gmail.com
One Response
I had to pick and choose myself and settled on Label American & Pack Expo.
There is only so much time to be out at the shows.