Welcome to PRINTING United!

It’s finally time. PRINTING United officially opens its doors for the first time today, uniting the entire print industry under a single roof. Convergence opportunities abound across not only the show floor, but also in the wide array of educational opportunities, special events, and major announcements taking place right here in Dallas over the next few days. As the cliché goes, everything is bigger in Texas, and PRINTING United is a great example of how true that is.

“The printing industry — the people, the technology, the constant evolution — is the absolute best industry to be a part of,” says Ford Bowers, president and CEO, SGIA (Booth 10130). “What you see here, on day one of PRINTING United, is powerful. A sold-out show floor with tens of thousands of attendees ready to walk the halls of this expansive space in Dallas tells us that we have answered the need of so many in this industry who craved something new, a place to reconnect under one roof, the chance to see the newest solutions running live on the show floor, and most of all — hope. Enthusiasm. This is just the beginning, and we couldn’t be happier to have this line-up of companies and attendees here with us as we celebrate the day the industry turned the corner towards the endless possibilities that lie ahead. They say it takes a village, and our village is all here, together, under one roof, to celebrate this great industry.”

As we walk through the doors for the first time, it’s worth acknowledging how we got here. Mark Subers, president and CRO of the Printing and Packaging Group at NAPCO Media LLC, notes that it was the result of a strong creative vision and the hard work of many individuals that made this tremendous show a reality.

“The day has finally arrived,” Subers notes. “What began when two like-minded organizations had enough of the status quo, who had a common goal of reconnecting our industry, re-energizing a trade show, and reevaluating what it takes to keep this special community alive and thriving, is now here. The doors are open. The people have come. The show floor is packed, and the energy is captivating. We cannot thank our partners, our exhibitors, and our attendees enough for fully supporting all of the work we’ve done to bring PRINTING United to life. This is all for you, so enjoy your time in Dallas, and we look forward to having you join us at PRINTING United for years to come. It’s only going to get bigger and better with each passing year!”

Bigger. Bolder. Better.

PRINTING United is unlike any other U.S. trade show in modern memory, so what can you expect as you take it all in? First and foremost, expect to see, feel, and even touch the excitement and energy on the show floor. OEMS of all sizes, types, and shapes have taken this opportunity to remember what made them get into print in the first place. A true love for this industry has been rekindled, and it is amazing to feel a buzz of optimism about what the future holds again.

“As the doors open at PRINTING United, we’re most excited to be a part of the first show to bring all of the print community under one roof,” says Heather Poulin, senior director, Marketing, Commercial Printing Business, Ricoh USA (Booth 7001). “Connecting with customers, potential customers, and our partners, at a trade show of this size and scope is an incredible, one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn from, align with, and be inspired by one another for our collective successes. The foundation of any alliance is mutual interest and long-term investment, and we’re excited to discuss — and demonstrate — all Ricoh has to offer to help our customers and partners succeed today, tomorrow, and in the future.”

“This important event reflects our mission to rethink and rejuvenate the print market and provides a platform for Konica Minolta to engage thousands of print professionals and showcase the power of our print solutions, innovations and software,” acknowledges Rick Taylor, president and CEO, Konica Minolta (Booth 9536).
PRINTING United is also a platform for many companies looking to bring their products and technologies to new audiences — in some cases, this is the North American debut of products launched earlier this year in Europe, while in others it is the first time anyone in the world is getting a first look. In addition to all of the new items and services debuting on the show floor, there is also a wide range of technologies that have been relegated to specific segments of the market until now, but will find whole new audiences.

“There is certainly a lot of awareness, energy, and enthusiasm for the show in general. We are of course excited to see our ‘traditional’ sign and display and industrial print customers, but also very hopeful about seeing new market segments and customers at this year’s event,” says Brent Moncrief, VP strategic marketing and brand management, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division (Booth 8220).

“The diversity of users and applications that will be represented creates an opportunity for Roland DGA to introduce our brand and technology to audiences that aren’t likely to attend any other events where we exhibit,” notes Andrew Oransky, president and CEO, Roland DGA (Booth 4616). “PRINTING United 2019 will allow for exposure to professionals from many different industries, all in one place. In the past, gaining exposure to an equivalent group of printers would have required us to show up at four or five different shows.”

And of course, this show goes even beyond products or services. PRINTING United is a place where companies are celebrating the bright future of print, but are also taking a chance to honor everything that has brought the industry to this point.

“Duplo USA is celebrating its 40th year delivering automated digital finishing to the print industry,” says Rick Salinas, VP of marketing, Duplo USA (Booth 8408). “With the launch of PRINTING United, Duplo has the ability to share our technologies with an entire new sector of the industry. Duplo is excited to be part of this truly game changing event.”

Convergence in Action

PRINTING United is a true example of what convergence really means. It is every part of print coming together, as one industry, to celebrate all the diverse and vibrant markets these technologies touch. Printers can no longer afford to just serve one segment, or offer one technology, or even stick with business as usual. To thrive — and not just survive — PRINTING United brings it all together.

“OmniPrint International has been a proud part of this show since the SGIA Expo days” notes Victor Peña, founder and CEO, OmniPrint International (Booth 2210). “We’re honored to return as a Diamond Sponsor for the inaugural year of PRINTING United, and we look forward to this incredible show! The turnout has been overwhelming in past years with registrants attendee numbers at around 24,000-plus, and we are expecting a repeat as we’re showcasing the biggest booth we’ve ever done in the 16-year history of our company.”

“Having exhibited at SGIA Expo for many years, the creation of PRINTING United is exciting for the expanding range of market segments the show is working to address,” notes Ken Hanulec, Worldwide VP of Corporate Marketing, EFI (Booth 8233). “SGIA Expo was a primary source of sales and leads in our display graphics business for EFI VUTEk printers, EFI wide-format printers, and related EFI Fiery DFEs, as well as for our Midmarket Print Suite ERP workflow for super-wide-format printing. But there are many more product offerings and high-growth market areas we address with our portfolio of digital print solutions, including industrial textile printing and packaging, and we believe SGIA is positioning this show under the convergence concept to address more of those areas.”

So welcome to Dallas, and welcome to PRINTING United. This is your show, your time to shine, your time to grow and innovate. We can’t wait to see what you do next.