Originally slated to be held in April in Austin, Texas, and then rescheduled to August, the SGIA & NAPCO Wide-format Summit is now going virtual for 2020 and will be held on Sept. 14, 15, 17, and 22. Major sponsors include HP, Fujifilm, Canon, EFI, Durst, Ricoh, Roland, Memjet, Summa, Fisher Textiles, tilia labs and swissqprint.
The program will frame questions about investment and business reinvention within the context of COVID-19 as the print industry and the vertical sectors that were especially hard hit during the pandemic recover, according to organisers NAPCO Media.
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"An entirely different set of business
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“We carefully considered many factors in moving to a virtual platform for 2020, and we’re confident that our hosted buyer event model allows for a seamless transition to a comprehensive digital experience,” says Steve Duccilli, co-chair of the Wide-format Summit, and VP/brand director of Wide-format Impressions for NAPCO.
“And the timing for this event is critical. Printers are dealing with an entirely different set of business challenges than they were just a few months ago. Information and idea exchange is more critical than ever,” he told Toni McQuilken, senior editor NAPCO Media.
“The Wide-format Summit is a unique event, designed to connect senior executives across the print industry with both experts who can answer questions and help a business owner or manager make informed future technology decisions, as well as peers across all segments of the industry who can talk about their own experiences, challenges, and opportunities.
"Unlike other conferences, the Summit provides top-notch education and networking, but also really hones in on the investment decision,” he says.
“What are the gaps in your current technology? Where should you be planning to invest? What market factors must be considered in making these decisions? At the Summit, attendees have the opportunity to discuss those questions and more, in-depth, with some of the leading tech providers in the industry, as well as with their peers.”
The Virtual Experience
So what does going from a hosted buyer experience, where pre-qualified attendees are flown to the location — all expenses paid — for the three-day event, to a virtual platform actually mean?
“First and foremost, it opens the doors for more people to participate,” says a NAPCO press release. “Unlike a live, in-person hosted buyer program, which is intimate by design, the Virtual Summit can deliver educational content to an unlimited number of professionals, expanding the learning opportunity to more print shops with a wider range of challenges, opportunities, and ideas.
“The event will be promoted to the readers of Wide-format Impressions and sister brands Printing Impressions and In-Plant Impressions, as well as to members of the PRINTING United Alliance, Summit sponsor clients, and through various other channels.
“Just like with the live event, the Virtual Wide-Format Summit will include keynote presentations from the Summit advisory board members and other industry experts. The program also features segment-specific breakout sessions and case studies from the field. There will be a Virtual Solutions Showcase, where attendees will be able to learn about and chat with event sponsors, download white papers, watch educational videos, and network with vendors and other attendees.
"All of this will be done on a best-in-class platform that will feature video, a range of online tools, and robust networking capabilities built in. It will truly be a virtual event, with something for everyone who attends."
There will be a wide range of educational topics that will touch on all facets of wide-format printing, from flatbed, to roll-to-roll, to textiles, to soft signage, and more. The goal is to have a diverse range of technologies and opportunities explained and expanded on. The program will frame questions about investment and business reinvention within the context of COVID-19 as the print industry and the vertical sectors that were especially hard hit during the pandemic recover.
“Textiles were a very hot topic heading into the crisis, with a lot of PSPs wondering whether to jump in or step up their capabilities,” says Duccilli. “Those questions took on incredible urgency during the crisis as printers looked for ways to pivot and meet the surging demand for face masks and other protective gear.”
The full agenda will be released closer to the event, but other topics include:
With more options available, how do you choose the right press? New product introductions abound, a roadmap to navigate the printer purchase decision process is key.
Wide-format inkjet technology is a different animal from offset or small-format high-speed production inkjet equipment, and you need to have a well-thought-out business model to ensure you can get the most value and profit out of your investment.
Once you have purchased a wide-format solution, what other decisions need to be made? What are the key challenges that need to be addressed to guarantee a smooth implementation process?
With a vast array of applications to offer, which ones offer the biggest growth opportunities in the coming years? We’ll examine some of the most profitable applications on the horizon and what you need in order to successfully offer these services.
Who buys wide format? We will identify trends, demands, and customer requirements in key industries that purchase products produced on wide-format printing devices.
“Our Summits are jam-packed with content and going virtual this year doesn’t change that," says Duccilli. "We will have the opportunity for attendees to have deep discussions with vendors about their technology needs and what distinguishes them from one another, as well as the chance to explain what they would need in future technologies. There is interactivity, and leading minds presenting cutting-edge information. There are case studies to learn from peers, the applications they’ve had success with, the new markets they’ve pursued, and how they overcame challenges. It is a chance for the industry to really engage.
“This is especially necessary in an industry that has seen consolidation and convergence, with pressures mounting from all sides. Printers from all segments of the industry are looking for new ways to serve customers — both current and new. Competition is heating up, but demand is also on the rise for wide-format applications, so the time has never been better to take a deep-dive into the hard questions that impact what wide-format equipment to invest in — and when is the right time to make that investment.”
For those looking forward to getting back to live events, the 2021 Wide-format Summit will be held March 29-31 at the Hyatt Lost Pines in Austin, Texas, co-located with the ninth annual Inkjet Summit. “We wanted to be proactive in announcing our 2021 dates so that fellow event organizers, sponsors, and attendees can map out their plans for the coming year,” Duccilli adds.
To register for this year’s Virtual Wide-Format Summit — or learn more — visit www.wideformatsummit.com
or contact Steve Duccilli at wfsinfo@napco.com
