My PRINTING United Wish List

As we drew closer to PRINTING United, I began to list out products and information on my wish list. Some of the information I am looking to gather pertains to issues in my current business. We have multiple businesses under our roof — commercial printing, photographic printing, apparel, and promotional product printing — so our needs span a wide range for information. PRINTING United — formerly the SGIA Expo — has been the one spot where all these categories come together. I can find information on software systems for internal order management, online ordering portals, and printable substrates and equipment.

The one aspect I look for each year is the knowledge I get from peers. There is something to be said about interacting with other business owners, and communicating with them about business practices, equipment, processes, and more. It’s like having your own business coach, or more like being on a team with multiple business coaches. It’s where people of like mind can get together to tackle issues like how the advancements in UV machines have opened up avenues that were not there five years ago.

There are so many opportunities in the printing industry today, with the convergence of all the communities of printers coming together: POP, sign and graphics, apparel decorators, photo printers, screen printers, package printers, and more. Information and technology are moving at the speed of light, and I look forward to seeing everyone again here at PRINTING United and getting all the new information from the show floor, the classes, and the networking.