After just returning from the inaugural Vision3 Summit conference, I have come away with a few thoughts and ideas. First of all, I commend our industry organizations, PIA, NAPL and NPES, for finally coming together as one, to help lead our industry out of this economic downturn and toward a brighter future. It was a long time coming and it was worth all the work.
So, the question that continues to nag me is why didn’t the conference attract more printers? Finally we have a consolidated industry effort to provide printers with informative sessions to help build their business as well as providing a great atmosphere to network with peers. Yet if you look at the attendance, vendors outnumbered printers*
This conference should be dedicated 100% to benefiting printers and their businesses. Unfortunately, with vendors being the primary contributors to these events, sometimes the direction of these conferences can get misguided. Everyone involved in putting on a major conference such as Vision3, has all the best intentions in mind, so what are we missing?
Well, in my opinion, we need stronger input from the printing community. It is time for the printing community to take back control–drive the agenda, and the industry initiatives. Help recruit new participants who can both benefit and provide additional insight that these conferences sorely need. Talk to your fellow peer group member and insist that they get involved. Tell the printer down the street that their input would be invaluable in these conferences. Bring your new employees to the meetings. Both your employees and the industry can benefit from a new infusion of good ideas.
Doing nothing is not an option. Anyone want to weigh in?
* deducted NAPL, PIA, NPES staff members from printer list.
* these attendance numbers do not include staff members from PIA, NAPL, NPES.