Margie Dana

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Why Go to Chicago in September?

Next month, the print industry's largest US trade show takes place in Chicago, IL. GRAPH EXPO started in 1974, and I've always wanted to go. This is my lucky year. I'll be there to chair the first-ever print buyers conference on September 11th.

I'll bet that many print-buying professionals don't know much about this famous conference, so I asked Christopher Price to answer a few questions for me. Chris is Vice President of the Graphic Arts Show Company, Inc. (GASC), the Producers of GRAPH EXPO.

MD: Chris, there are thousands of print customers who are probably unfamiliar with this show. Why is GRAPH EXPO so significant in our industry?

CP: GRAPH EXPO continues to be the Western Hemisphere's foremost industry trade event of the year for all segments of the print industry.

This is "Everything Print," representing equipment, products, software, consumables, paper, inks, toners and accessories. GRAPH EXPO 2007 is the perfect mix of digital and offset technologies. Our huge growth in digital makes the digital press representation over 130,000 net square feet, which is more than double the next leading "digital-only" show. Our floor has diverse software applications, from Estimating to Design and VDP to Web to Print and everything in between.

There's more, too. You'll find the most automated offset presses in the industry running, as well as the large to small digital presses. Our wide format pavilion has grown and offers many applications that were not conceived in the past (like short-run labels) on this equipment.

Our Mailing Pavilion has exploded this year! Remember, 50% of everything printed is mailed. Our Mailing Pavilion is larger than the largest "mailing" trade show in America!

MD: How much exhibit space are we talking about?

CP: GRAPH EXPO is the largest annual show, boasting of a record-breaking 460,000 net square feet of exhibit space in the upcoming 2007 show. This is the largest show in over a decade!

MD: What types of firms exhibit there? National or international?

CP: Almost every national company and most major international manufacturers will be there. There are also some real treasures, because many small manufacturers bring products to market here at GRAPH EXPO. Attendees will also find many dealers and distributors ready to assist with their needs. It's all here and ready to be discovered.

MD: How many exhibitors do you expect?

CP: Over 600 contracted exhibitors will display and demonstrate their hottest equipment. This show is the annual launch pad for many new equipment, product and software introductions. Of course, many exhibitors represent other companies, so we estimate over 1,000 companies represented on the show floor.

MD: Here's a silly question. Why Chicago? I know it's the #1 metropolitan print market in the US. Is this why it's held here?

CP: You're partly right. Chicago is the capitol of printing. This region of the United States is the hotbed for all print-related industries. But there is more. Chicago is centrally located and has the infrastructure for all points East, West, South and North to easily access this fine cosmopolitan city. With two major airports, every airline has plenty of flights into and out of Chicago O'Hare and Midway daily. Many other shows rotate East and West. Each time they realize they make it more convenient for each side of the US. The fact is many do not attend from the opposite coast. We are in the center of it all and have proof that the show held annually in Chicago works for professional attendees and exhibitors alike. Tie in Chicago's diverse and world class hotels, restaurants, attractions and fantastic September weather, and the recipe is the perfect one.

MD: Why did you decide to produce a print buyers' conference at GRAPH EXPO this year? How would you recommend print buyers spend their time at the show?

CP: We believe the time has come to include all segments within the print buying chain at GRAPH EXPO and to create a unique opportunity for all buyers and sellers to learn from each other. Ultimately, the print customer is who our exhibitors and attendees are working for and they need better representation. Print buyers had been coming to GRAPH EXPO, but until now there wasn’t a forum for them to communicate their needs, talk about their challenges, or a way to interact with their peers.

The Print Buyers Conference is the ideal venue for print customers to learn not only about the new technologies driving some unique ways of marketing but also to find out about the newest trends in cross promotion, how to cut expense and build revenue, and how to partner with a printer to execute progressive approaches.

On the show floor at GRAPH EXPO is where you can actually see these technologies in action. Because there is so much to see and learn in literally the equivalent in size of 8 football fields of equipment, I highly recommend taking a day to walk the show floor and talk to manufacturers; they are eager to talk with print buyers and listen to their concerns, challenges and ideas.

There are also a wide range of seminars available on all days of the show. These sessions were specifically designed in 2 to 3 hour blocks to ensure that attendees can gain a highly focused education on a given topic and also have time to walk the show floor. Although created mainly for printers, sessions such as “Avoiding Design Disaster” and “Applying PURLS” are applicable to all.

Chicago is a wonderful town, and there is also a lot to see outside the convention – but if it's relevant education for today’s ‘new world’ of print you seek, then the GRAPH EXPO show floor is where you must come.

MD: What's new at GRAPH EXPO this year - aside from the all-day Print Buyers Conference, that is?

CP: Some very exciting events, especially two themed days. "Books and Bound Documents Day" will be held on Sunday, September 9. Customer and Marketing Communications Day is taking place on Tuesday, September 11.

These two themed days will feature many exhibitors on the show floor showing unique applications in their booths relative to these high response higher profit trend areas.

Thanks, Chris. For more information on this year's GRAPH EXPO, please visit www.graphexpo.com. If you go, wear comfy shoes. And if you attend the Print Buyers Conference on September 11th, please find me and say hello.

©2007 Margie Dana. All rights reserved. You're free to forward this email to friends and colleagues: please do! However, no part of this column may be reprinted without permission from the author.

Comments? Talk to me at

Feedback on last week's column on Pharma Print Buying:

From a major Australasian printing company:

"Love the articles and many of them do have relevance even "down under." Sometimes the numbers are not as attractive in terms of audience and volumes and we have less room for error / opportunities because of this.

Just a quick comment about our experience with a global, well-known Pharma company.

We currently have a print panel contract with one major Pharma company in Victoria Australia, and I can assure you that it is all about price, price, price, then timing.

They went through an extremely rigorous tender process, including two rounds of pricing in order to shortlist potential suppliers. They created a panel of suppliers they know can do the work to their standard. As part of the process suppliers had to divulge a lot of sensitive detail about their pricing structure, methodology i.e. how do we get to a sell price, what are our overhead contributions to the cost, admin contributions etc., etc., etc., and what margins had we put in on the basket of goods quoted. For the life of me I am not really sure why they ever needed the level of costing detail since each and every job is (and always was going to be) auctioned off. It's not like they were establishing an agreed grid pricing structure - and I can only assume the main benefit to them was to determine the maximum price they would have to pay, and then screw it down from there via the auction process.

So essentially they have completely commoditised the print and buy on lowest cost option each and every time first and foremost. Only if the supplier can't deliver in the timeframe will they then go to the next supplier - this has not happened in the 6 months that we have been on the panel.

There is no real involvement or engagement on any of the projects. A brick wall is placed up and the Auction process is the only method of engagement. We are about to exit this relationship as it appears impossible to actually add any value other than lowest cost.

To be fair, we have seen the same trend of "auctioning print to the lowest bidder" also occurring with Print Brokers and their supply chain. The market says they are looking for "value", but price reduction is becoming a major factor as companies continue to investigate ways of increasing the return to the investors, or lowering costs due to decreasing budgets, etc."

Print Buyers Speak!

Our home page interactive feature has a new topic this week. We ask print customers this question:

How important to you is the look of a printing company's web site?

We want YOUR 2 cents! To give it, go to www.bostonprintbuyers.com and look for "Print Buyers Speak" in the middle of the home page.

Upcoming BPB Dinner Program:

"Environmentally Sustainable Advertising & Print Production"
Sponsored by Pictorial Offset Corporation

Tuesday, September 25th, 6 - 8:30 pm
Millennium Bostonian Hotel, Boston, MA

Our September program will focus on one of the hottest issues in our industry today: sustainability. Thanks to our sponsor, Pictorial Offset, we'll hear from a panel of experts on how you and your organization can take steps to practice sustainability in the areas of advertising and print production.

Only print customers and those who influence the purchase of print may attend this sponsored program. The cost is $20 for BPB members; $50 for all others.

Register today at www.bostonprintbuyers.com/events.

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