Print-on-Demand Experts Assemble at PODi’s AppForum to Present New Strategies for Digital Printing Business Growth

Print-on-demand is just approaching market maturity. As a strategy, POD presents solid growth opportunities for digital printing. Top POD practitioners and experts will be featured speakers at PODi’s AppForum conference.

Rochester, NY — PODi, the Digital Printing Initiative, leads the way in providing innovative business strategies and support for every company that uses digital printing or owns a digital printing press. The AppForum digital printing and direct marketing conference, http://www.AppForum.org January 31 – February 2, 2011 at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas helps companies beat the commodity trap and increase profits. One of the major focuses this year is the opportunity digital printing creates for companies who develop Print-on-Demand solutions.
An alternative to the Marketing Service Provider (MSP) business model, which will also be showcased at the conference, a successful Print-on-Demand (POD) strategy addresses declining print volumes, overcapacity, and price competition with digital printing solutions that give customers what they need, when they need it, at a lower cost. Says Caslon General Manager David Erlandson, “POD puts the customer in control. Simple, online ordering and collateral management eliminate inventory and waste. It’s more than just short-run printing; it’s a new way of doing business. Our attendees will learn how to minimize risk and speed up their own POD transformation.”
• Mimeo.com is experiencing tremendous growth with groundbreaking POD and web-to-print solutions, and Mimeo’s VP of Strategy, Charlie Corr, will be an AppForum Keynote Speaker. “The leading innovators in our industry come to AppForum,” he says. “I think this audience will be very interested in the latest market forecasts on POD. I’m looking forward to meeting them, and sharing some great case studies and my own experience with developing killer apps for print-on-demand.”
• Consolidated Graphics is one of the largest printing companies in the US, but as a collection of over 70 individual businesses, they have a unique perspective on the challenge of Print-on-Demand. CGX VP Cliff Hollingsworth will speak on the business culture and mindset required to deliver POD solutions
• Web-to-print expert Jennifer Matt takes attendees on a Pre-Conference Intensive exploration of what it takes to build an online business
• PODi Affiliate dotgain’s Tony Hodgson presents results of research on the increasingly customer-focused profile of digital printing businesses in the UK
• Phil Larson of AFPress shares his first-hand experience of choosing and implementing a W2P system that has already delivered $1,000,000 in annual savings – a do-not-miss session for anyone who needs to explain the value of POD solutions to their customers
• Joe Farage, CEO of the Buffalo Printing Company explains how ecommerce automation dramatically changed order processing and cash flow, while opening opportunity for a wider customer base
• CGX Manager of Graphic Technologies Cory Sawatzki reveals tips on harnessing technology to improve image quality
• Associates International COO Dave Zamorski presents the tools and concepts for Value Stream Mapping, a workflow process vital to lean manufacturing
Companies interested in learning more about using a Print-on-Demand business model to grow their digital printing profits, will find a full schedule of presentations designed to guide them. For details, visit http://www.AppForum.org
2011 AppForum sponsors: Gold Sponsors – Canon, FUJIFILM, Kodak, Konica Minolta, Pageflex by Bitstream, Xerox, xpedx / Silver Sponsors – CGS Technologies, HP, Online Print Solutions, Ricoh / Bronze Sponsors – Avanti, Finch Paper, MindFireInc, Page Technologies, Printable, PrinterPresence, Rollem International, XMPie. A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are still available. Get more information at http://www.AppForum.org/sponsors-info
The AppForum is produced by Caslon, a PODi Affiliate.

About the AppForum
The annual three-day AppForum is the only conference dedicated exclusively to exploring marketing applications powered by digital print, with a truly independent, vendor-neutral, unbiased agenda. All of PODi’s extensive research, resources, industry contacts, and expertise come together once a year to make the AppForum the cornerstone of what’s new and what’s next in digital applications.

Print service providers and marketing experts learn the latest trends in one-to-one and relevant marketing, new profitable applications, and sales strategies. Thought-provoking sessions tackle a wide variety of application technologies. The diverse audience of printing and marketing professionals, end users, technology experts and others make the AppForum a dynamic networking opportunity.

About PODi
PODi (www.podi.org) is a vendor neutral industry initiative with hundreds of member companies, including Executive Board members EFI, HP, Pitney Bowes, and Xerox. The organization’s goal is to drive demand for marketing applications powered by digital print & help members build successful digital businesses.

About Caslon
Caslon (www.caslon.net) helps companies leverage rapidly advancing digital technologies, especially digital printing. Since 1998, Caslon has been the international Affiliate of PODi, the Digital Printing Initiative. Caslon provides top-level services for the PODi organization, including managing the annual AppForum.

Caslon & Co., Inc.
1240 Jefferson Road
Rochester, NY 14623
(585) 239-6063
info-at-caslon-dot-net

This release was published on openPR.