RESTON, VA—NPES, The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies, announces a name change to the Association for Print Technologies (APT). The new identity is a nod to the association’s signature annual event, PRINT, and signifies progress toward the completion of its Strategic Business Plan for the industry that launched in January 2017, reports the organization.
“This rebrand of the organization signals a significant turning point, not just for our association, but for the entire printing and imaging industry,” states Thayer Long, president, Association for Print Technologies. “The convergence in our industry is essentially in the rearview mirror. Now, as our new name more clearly expresses, our broader scope and direction are focused on greater alignment among the commercial printing and imaging value chain. This ‘next phase’ must happen in order for all stakeholders to benefit,” Long continues.
On the heels of the association rebrand are preview announcements on a new and expanded lineup of programs and services. These include the launch of the association’s new website in Spring 2018.
Upcoming association offerings will span the areas of research and market data, industry advocacy and standards, events and communications. Of special note, a new staff department, dubbed “Community and Industry Development,” has been established to advance programming designed to support businesses throughout the industry value chain, including initiatives that will address workforce development and training.
Spearheading the new Community and Industry Development Department, industry veterans Ken Garner joins as vice president of business development and industry relations (formerly of Idealliance and NAPL), and Julie Shaffer joins as associate vice president of program and community development (formerly of Idealliance and PIA).
“To drive the industry forward for decades to come, our board made the decision to evolve and reposition the organization. Our new identity, as the Association for Print Technologies, reflects the way forward,” states Mark Hischar, APT chairman and president & CEO, KBA North America.
As part of the organization’s repositioning, a new strategy is also being launched for the signature annual industry event, PRINT, which will take place in Chicago, IL, Sunday, Sept. 30 to Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2018, at McCormick Place South. In 2018, the PRINT event will expand its focus on exceptional business growth opportunities. Specifically, the new strategy will address:
- New learning and education formats and topics to align value chain
- An emphasis on technology, both printing and other adjacent technologies, which are having a greater influence in today’s marketing world
- Outreach to attract new segments within the printing value chain (marketers, influencers), and
- Demonstrate the collision of printing and digital channels with new solutions to meet demands of omni-channel marketing
For more information about PRINT 18, contact Events Marketing Director Sherry MacDonald at phone: 703/264-7200, or email: [email protected].