Expo Bound: Looking for What’s Next (With a Plan)

Name: Jason Ahart, VP of Operations, Moss, a Vomela Company

Name: Jason Ahart
Title: VP of Operations
Company: Moss, a Vomela Company

Pretend this is an elevator pitch. Tell me a little bit about your company.

Moss is a large-format print, finishing, fabrication, and installation company that helps brands show up consistently everywhere they need to be: tradeshows, retail environments, amusement parks, you name it. We operate across multiple US sites (Franklin Park, IL; Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Oregon, and Orlando) as well as internationally (Germany, Poland, United Kingdom, Spain). What sets us apart is that we don't just print. We design, fabricate, and install, so a client gets one accountable partner from the concept to the finished environment on-site.

What motivates you to attend this year's PRINTING United Expo?

I'm always looking for what's next on the equipment and technology side, what can move the needle operationally, whether that's fabrication tech, finishing equipment, or software that tightens up how we manage operations.

If you're a first-time attendee, what are you hoping to learn? If you're returning, what brings you back?

I'm a returning attendee, and what brings me back is staying close to where the industry is heading: new substrates, new finishing and fabrication capabilities, and how other operators are solving the same scaling and efficiency problems we're working through at Moss. It's also one of the best places to have real conversations with vendors and peers, not just see a product on a spec sheet.

Which products, brands, or services are you most looking forward to seeing this year?

I'm especially interested in anything in dimensional fabrication and CNC cutting technology, large/XL-format printer advancements, particularly around material profiling and sustainable substrates.

How do you plan to maximize your time at the Expo?

I go in with a priority list including the specific equipment categories and vendors I need to see, based on active projects, so I'm not wandering the floor. I will still have some wandering time, but it is specific. I also block time for scheduled vendor meetings ahead of the show and leave room to follow up on anything unexpected that catches my attention on the floor.

How do you think attending the Expo will impact your business or career?

It directly feeds into decisions I'm making back at Moss, whether that's the install software evaluation, the fabrication equipment we're considering bringing in-house, or how we approach our material and machine strategy. Every year, I come back with at least one idea that ends up shaping a real initiative – not just inspiration – but actual capex decisions or process changes.

For information, and to register for PRINTING United Expo, visit printingunited.com.