Capitalize on the Consumer’s Obsession with Customization

Adam Wood

Consumers today are obsessed with personalized products. And the printing industry is responding, with an unlimited array of products available – from home décor to promotional items to magazines, books and more. In the session, “The Value of Customization and How to Capitalize on It,” Adam Wood, western region manager at Aurora Specialty Textiles Group, will explore product categories where customization creates revenue opportunity and how today's technology assists in the production and fulfillment. The session takes place on Friday, October 25th at 10:00am in Room C141.

“We all love products that are customized to us as individuals,” notes Wood. “My first memory of a customized piece is when I was a kid, and I had a poster with a sticker of my last name. I had that piece for over a decade before I threw it out because there were too many thumbtack holes in the corners. Today’s technology enables companies to take customization much, much further. At PRINTING United you will see more equipment and services than ever that are designed for the efficient production of customized products in very short run prints.”

The presentation is designed for both the print professional interested in developing a new source of revenue in customized short-run printing or specialized web-to-print manufacturing or the entrepreneur interested in starting a small Etsy-style business.

Attendees will hear descriptions of specific opportunities in the world of customization, and examples of companies who have built successful businesses around them. They will learn the ins-and-outs of product development, production, and printing technology typically used. And to help attendees get started on their customization journey, Wood will provide information about marketing and IT companies that offer products and services that help businesses launch their ideas.

He will also reference trends across the printing production landscape, including the finishing area, where bottlenecks are now resolved with automation and robots. Wood will cite examples from print purchasers, print service providers, as well as software and equipment manufacturing communities.

“My goal is to open entrepreneurs’ eyes to new ideas on how to market and manufacture personalized and short-run products utilizing the equipment, services, and consumables found PRINTING United,” emphasizes Wood.