Expo Bound: Sparking New Relationships, Strengthening Existing Relationships.

PRINTING United Expo is set to take over Orlando, Florida, October 22-24. Attendees are gearing up for three days of learning, networking, and inspiration.

As a lead-up to the Expo, we are sharing a series of Q&A interviews featuring attendees from a variety of backgrounds explaining why they are attending the Expo, what they hope to learn, and what excites them about the upcoming event.

Lisa Daniell
Operations Manager
Women's Press Collective

Printing Impressions (PI): Tell me about your organization.

Lisa Daniell: Women’s Press Collective (WPC) is a women-led, all-volunteer, non-government funded membership association dedicated to building independent press to tell the stories corporate media won’t. Our members include printers, graphic designers, journalists, students and professors, community and labor organizers, small business owners and others building independent press and fighting for truth in media.

Printing is the cornerstone of WPC’s program for building truly independent press.

WPC was founded on the principle that those most affected by society’s problems must be involved in solving them and need access to the power of the printed word to do so. Printed materials encourage the face-to-face distribution and interactions so critical for building strong organizations deeply rooted in the community.

We run a free-of-charge Publication Benefit Program for members, providing apprenticeship-style, on-the-job training in printing, graphic design and journalism.  It works on a “members-helping-members” basis, using.

Members with skills in printing, graphic design and journalism aid other members to produce their own newsletters, posters, flyers and other printed materials, teaching the skills through the production process itself.

PI: What made you want to attend this year's Expo? Is networking with industry peers an important reason for attending the Expo? If you're returning, what brings you back?

Daniell: WPC attended the Expo for the first-time last year and it was an incredible experience.  The Expo provides so many opportunities and forums through which to meet industry professionals and others who relate to the industry.

We met so many wonderful people, in some cases meeting people for the first time, and some cases it was an opportunity to meet people in-person for the first time after years of knowing them. The Expo provides a way to spark new relationships and to strengthen existing relationships.

Many of those we met at last year’s Expo have now become involved with WPC; especially our Press Training Sessions, through which we provide training in pre-press, printing and post-press/finishing. The graphic arts industry is filled with skilled professionals who are incredibly generous with their knowledge and experience; who are proud of their craft and who want to share that knowledge.