Tag Archives: PSDA

Last week, Chicago hosted the 2011 Print Solutions Conference and Expo. For three days, the famous Navy Pier on Lake Michigan was home to educational seminars and exhibition booths. The overall theme this year seemed to be the continuing emergence of technology and how our industry is incorporating it. Much focus was placed on how print can work with social media and other marketing technologies.

Vanguard Direct sends a team every year, and I was fortunate enough to attend this year. As a contributing blogger to Utterly Orange, it was great to represent Vanguard Direct’s social media initiatives. I attended several seminars on how our industry is embracing this technological revolution. Most notable were seminars on mobile marketing and how to network in the digital age. Also making the trip were Tom Worrilow from our Pennsylvania office as well as President Bob O’Connell and Vice President Joe Corbo from our NYC office.

It was certainly interesting to note the many ways our industry is evolving to incorporate these new marketing channels. Continuing education is a vital part of Vanguard Direct, and attending industry events like this is one of the many ways we stay ahead of the curve when facing new trends.

Author: Dustin Hill

We have previously discussed how vital continuing education is at Vanguard Direct. Our company takes pride in our staff’s continuing education, and we make it a priority in our everyday work environment. Our staff has been attending the Print Services & Distribution Association (PSDA)’s conferences for over 10 years.

 Last year’s PSDA show focused on the industry’s need for transformation, from repositioning the marketing services arena to riding the digital wave by learning about technological advances such as QR codes and social media. Our team attended a variety of breakout sessions to learn and brainstorm about the newest print, technical, and green trends.

In 2010, we also attended the keynote address by Jeffrey Hayzlett. Hayzlett explained how he helped transform Kodak from a company on the verge of failure to a thriving business––one of the greatest turnarounds in financial history. We learned that when a business gets back to its core––which includes re-evaluating the company’s focus, accountability, simplicity, and trust––that’s when it succeeds. This is why we value the education offered at the PSDA show and why we will be returning for another year.

The PSDA’s 2011 show is coming up in Chicago from May 17 through May 19. Once again, we are preparing a team to represent Vanguard Direct. Our own contributing blogger Dustin Hill will be attending, and with three days of education and an estimated 200 exhibitors showcasing the latest products and services in the industry, the 2011 Print Solutions Conference and Expo is sure to be a great place for continued education for employees. This year, the PSDA show features interactive workshops focusing on topics that are highly relevant to the community: Using Mobile Marketing to Drive Print Sales, Building a Winning Cross-Media Campaign, Using Social Media to Grow Your Business, and 1:1 Marketing Solutions! Stayed tuned to get a full report from Dustin Hill in May.

Authors: Stephanie Huston & Dustin Hill