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Xplor to Present Lounge & Learn Session at ISA International Sign Expo 2019

Pat McGrew, M-EDP, of Keypoint Intelligence/InfoTrends to Deliver Session on Show Floor

Lutz, FL — February 26, 2019: Xplor International today announced that Pat McGrew, M-EDP, will deliver a Lounge & Learn session on the ISA International Sign Expo 2019 show floor on Wednesday, April 24th from 3:15 to 3:45pm. The title of the session is “The View from Xplor: The Converging Trends of Two Print User Communities.”

As much as the printing industries are segmented by technologies and user intent, today’s print shop is likely to be producing documents, commercial assignments, and wide format work under one roof or in partnership with like-minded partners. The convergence in the printing world means that all parties need to learn a bit more about the other areas to expand and partner successfully. In this talk, Pat will look at where the hot spots are in digital printing, where the crossover opportunities are, and offer some ideas on how to go after them.

“Pat is a recognized authority on all aspects of print, whether commercial, digital, wide format or transactional,” says Skip Henk, EDP, President/CEO of Xplor International. “Her broad background and years of experience in the industry make her the perfect person to speak about our converging worlds and particularly how we can learn from each other and create opportunities.”

For more information regarding XPLOR19, or to access the registration site, please visit www.xplor.org/xplor19. Questions should be directed to register@xplor.org or +1-813-949-6170 between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM (ET), Monday through Friday. Vendors interested in being a sponsor or exhibitor can contact Xplor HQ at +1-813-949-6170 or via email at sales@xplor.org.   


About Xplor International

Xplor International is a not-for-profit association that provides thought leadership to the customer communications industry. As a community, Xplor provides advocacy, education, training, mentoring and networking opportunities.

Our members are decision makers and recommenders who are involved in the conception, design, implementation, production and delivery of multi-channel client, member and customer communications. 

Xplor’s mission is to enhance organizational success and advance the careers of our members by providing research, publications, industry certification, professional development, web-based events, and conference programming. Xplor International has its worldwide headquarters in Lutz, Florida, with affiliated offices around the world. Further information is available at www.xplor.org.

Facebook: facebook.com/XplorInternational
Twitter: twitter.com/Xplor_Int or @Xplor_Int

Xplor International Media Contact:
Chad Henk
Director of Marketing
+1-813-949-6171

“Industry Trends – A Changing CCM Landscape” Panel Announced for XPLOR19

Lutz, FL — February 13, 2019: Xplor International today announced an industry trends general session panel set to wrap-up XPLOR19 as a part of the full-conference curriculum. XPLOR19 takes place April 23-25, 2019 at Mandalay Bay and the general session will be on April 25th at 4:30pm. Attendees can register for XPLOR19 here: www.cvent.com/d/vgq69b

A Changing CCM Landscape” will feature Pat McGrew, M-EDP, of Keypoint Intelligence/InfoTrends as the moderator. She will be joined by Tim Cooper of NCP Solutions, Brian Cox of RR Donnelley, Christine Erna of CJE Consulting, and Joanne Gore of Joanne Gore Communications.

Technology is changing the customer communication space. From artificial intelligence, chatbots and communication ecosystems, these technologies are raising the customer experience bar. A unified customer journey plays a role although many companies are still challenged with mapping all of their customer touch points, including transactional documents. This panel will share their insights into the changing CCM landscape and what it means to your company and what to prepare for in the future.

“We will hear from our industry analysts early in the week, so we wanted to close the loop with an end user/industry consultant point of view,” says Skip Henk, EDP, President/CEO of Xplor International. “The panel will offer unique perspectives and insight as to what is happening today and what will drive CCM over the next couple of years. It’s sure to be a great way to end the event.”

For more information regarding XPLOR19, or to access the registration site, please visit www.xplor.org/xplor19. Questions should be directed to register@xplor.org or +1-813-949-6170 between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM (ET), Monday through Friday. Vendors interested in being a sponsor or exhibitor can contact Xplor HQ at +1-813-949-6170 or via email at sales@xplor.org.


About Xplor International
Xplor International is a not-for-profit association that provides thought leadership to the customer communications industry. As a community, Xplor provides advocacy, education, training, mentoring and networking opportunities.

Our members are decision makers and recommenders who are involved in the conception, design, implementation, production and delivery of multi-channel client, member and customer communications.

Xplor’s mission is to enhance organizational success and advance the careers of our members by providing research, publications, industry certification, professional development, web-based events, and conference programming. Xplor International has its worldwide headquarters in Lutz, Florida, with affiliated offices around the world. Further information is available at www.xplor.org.

Facebook: facebook.com/XplorInternational
Twitter: twitter.com/Xplor_Int or @Xplor_Int

Registration Now Open for Keynote Breakfast Panel at Print 18

Disruption of an Industry: Print Technology, Re-engineering, and Workflow

Lutz, FL— September 5, 2018: Xplor International today announced that registration is now open for their complimentary keynote breakfast panel during the Print 18 event. The panel will take place on October 1, 2018 from 8:30am to 11am CDT. Print 18 is September 30 – October 2, 2018 at McCormick Place South in Chicago, IL. Attendees can register for the complimentary breakfast panel here: http://www.cvent.com/d/5gqdlb.

This breakfast session is presented at no charge, thanks to our sponsors Canon Solutions America and Crawford Technologies. Space will be limited to the first 200 people who register.

The 2018 topic has expanded from the initial announcement of the Xplor breakfast panel and will now cover inkjet, re-engineering, and workflow as well as other print technologies.

The print industry is under ongoing disruption by technology and processes that allow legacy processes to be streamlined and communication distribution to be optimized based on customer preferences, legislative changes, and market opportunities.

Some of the disruption is in print technology with the rise of inkjet, the expansion of EP, and the ability to print on more substrates at higher speeds with more color.  At the same time, some of the disruption comes from workflow automation opportunities that allow for legacy document re-engineering as well as automation that leads to operational efficiencies.

Join us at PRINT 18 as Pat McGrew, Senior Director at Keypoint Intelligence, shares her perspective on the industry and engages our vendor panel to share their thoughts on where the industry is, what the future holds, and how their offerings are bringing success to their customers.

When:  October 1, 2018
Where: McCormick Place South, Chicago, IL – S105abc
Time: 8:30 AM-11:00 AM CDT
Registration Fee:   Complimentary (Registration Required)

Questions and requests for additional information can be directed to Xplor Headquarters via phone at +1-813-949-6170 or via email at info@xplor.org.


About Xplor International
Xplor International is a not-for-profit association that provides thought leadership to the customer communications industry. As a community Xplor provides advocacy, education, training, mentoring and networking opportunities.

Our members are decision makers and recommenders who are involved in the conception, design, implementation production and delivery of multi-channel client, member and customer communications.

Xplor’s mission is to enhance organizational success and advance the careers of our members by providing research, publications, industry certification, professional development, web-based events, and conference programming. Xplor International has its worldwide headquarters in Lutz, Florida, with affiliated offices around the world. Further information is available at www.xplor.org.

Facebook: facebook.com/XplorInternational
Twitter: twitter.com/Xplor_Int or @Xplor_Int

Xplor International Media Contact:
Chad Henk
Director of Marketing
+1-813-949-6171
Chad@xplor.org

 

Xplor International and International Sign Association …. Why?

By: Skip Henk, EDP – CEO of Xplor International

On April 20, 2017 Xplor International will be sponsoring an educational session, targeted to wide format printers at SIGN EXPO 2017. The session being held April 20th from 2:30-3:30 pm is part of a great educational program put together by ISA.

Since the announcement, I have had several members ask me why ISA? What does  Xplor and ISA have in common?

I have spoken many times about my theory that lines continue to blur between technologies.

  • That data differentiates applications
  • Data is simply dots on a media
  • One day there will be an “output center”, a kind of an expanded “in-plant” that will handle all output whether print or digital on all media

So back to ISA: The event which attracts approximately 20,000 attendees and features 600 exhibitors. It is a BIG event. Peeling back the onion:

  1. The event attracts a lot of printers, certainly a great target audience for Xplor education.
  2. There are many wide format vendors, from our space, that exhibit at ISA
  3. There are attendees looking for inkjet.
  4. There is an opportunity for Xplor to provide inkjet educational programming.
  5. Wide format and effective use of data, can be a great opportunity for ISA attendees.
  6. No organization knows data as well as the Xplor Community.

So, what does data and wide format printing have in common? Data allows versioning, segmentation, barcoding, QR codes, augmented print and more.

The session Xplor is sponsoring will be presented by Pat McGrew, M-EDP, CMP and is titled, “Wide Format: Using Data to Increase Profit and Create Opportunity.” Pat will focus on the opportunity for wide format printers to grow their market by using data-driven design techniques used by transaction printers and direct mailers.

Session Description: Wide Format printers can grow their market by using data-driven design techniques used by transaction printers and direct mailers. Xplor International, the go-to resource for education for transaction printers and direct mailers will share with you how to apply use of data to the sign, graphics and visual communications industry. Take a few notes, walk away with new ideas and see how some of your competitors are making money using these tried and true methods. The session being held April 20th, from 2:30 – 3:30 pm in room Islander C.

I see a great deal of opportunity working with ISA in the future and look forward to the possibilities.

Receive a free tradeshow entry as well as free entry to the 6 print sessions (ISA-09, ISA-15, ISA-18, ISA-20, ISA-28, ISA-33) plus 25% off additional education.  Check out our promotional flyer for more details: http://bit.ly/2nVCYeU

It is going to be a GREAT conference and GREAT session. Hope to see you in Vegas!


skip_Henk_Photo_2011

 

Skip Henk, EDP
President/CEO
Xplor International

Xplor International to Sponsor Session at Upcoming ISA Event

Wide Format: Using Data to Increase Profit and Create Opportunity

Lutz, FL — March 21, 2017: Xplor International, the worldwide electronic document systems association, today announced that they will be hosting an educational session, targeted to wide format printers, at the upcoming International SIGN EXPO 2017 being held in Las Vegas April 19-22, 2017.

Tweet this: Xplor to host session targeted to wide format printers at upcoming ISA event bit.ly/2m6Jpi8 #Xplor17

The session titled, “Wide Format: Using Data to Increase Profit and Create Opportunity” will focus on the opportunity for wide format printers to grow their market by using data-driven design techniques used by transaction printers and direct mailers. The session, presented by Pat McGrew, M-EDP, CMP of InfoTrends, a division of Keypoint Intelligence, and sponsored by Xplor International, will focus on how to apply the use of data to the sign, graphics, and visual communications industry.

“We are excited about working with the International Sign Association in Las Vegas this year. They are great people to work with and I believe Pat’s presentation will present new opportunities for the wide format industry.”, says Skip Henk, President and CEO of Xplor International, “Beyond Las Vegas, we are collaborating on ways ISA and Xplor can work together as we both see a great deal of opportunity.”

Pat McGrew, M-EDP is the Director of Production Workflow Services at InfoTrends, a division of Keypoint Intelligence. She has an extensive background in data-driven customer communication and production printing with offset, inkjet and toner. Ms. McGrew is the co-author of 8 industry books, editor of A Guide to the Electronic Document Body of Knowledge, writer in the industry trade press, and a frequent speaker at industry events around the world.


About Xplor International
Xplor International is a not-for-profit association that provides thought leadership to the customer communications industry. As a community Xplor provides advocacy, education, training, mentoring and networking opportunities.

Our members are decision makers and recommenders who are involved in the conception, design, implementation production and delivery of multi-channel client, member and customer communications.

Xplor’s mission is to enhance organizational success and advance the careers of our members by providing research, publications, industry certification, professional development, web-based events, and conference programming. Xplor International has its worldwide headquarters in Lutz, Florida, with affiliated offices around the world. Further information is available at www.xplor.org.

Facebook: facebook.com/XplorInternational
Twitter: twitter.com/Xplor_Int or @Xplor_Int

Xplor International Media Contact:
Chad Henk
Marketing Manager
+1-813-949-6171
Chad@xplor.org

About SIGN EXPO 2017
For nearly 70 years, ISA International Sign Expo has been breaking records in exhibit sales and attendance. Join 20,000 colleague and explore the nearly 600 knowledgeable suppliers who come together at this always exciting event. For further information, please visit http://signexpo.org/.

What is an EDBOK, anyway? By Pat McGrew

Note: At Xploration®14 Xplor International began a roll out of the first Electronic Document Body of Knowledge by providing conference attendees a limited edition of the document with the official First Edition released at the 2014 Graph Expo event.

Due to the significance of the publication and the impact on the industry as a whole Xplor has decided to provide a series of articles outlining what the EDBOK is, the impact it can have within your company as well as on one’s career.


 

EDBOK

Pat McGrew, M-EDP, CMP
Print, Inkjet, and Production Mail Evangelist at Hewlett-Packard

When the project began to create A Guide to the Electronic Document Body of Knowledge (EDBOK), there were team members who had experience with other groups with similar documents. The one we used to model our talk track was the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) from the Project Management Institute. Their document forms the basis of the knowledge needed to attain one of the four PMI certification levels. We saw that as a great model for Xplor and the Xplor certification programs.

With the PMBOK as a model and years of Electronic Document Professional (EDP) certification portfolios to provide ideas, a team of Xplorers began the process of defining the knowledge they wanted to capture. The intent was to document the topics that form the basis of the EDP certification matrix so that prospective EDP candidates could map their knowledge to the certification criteria. Along the way as the contents were defined, and subject matter experts stepped up to write about the things they knew we found that the EDBOK was more than a path to EDP certification. It became the documentation of our industry.

We call it the guide to the Electronic Document Body of Knowledge because Xplor has always been the user association where professionals involved in generating bills, statements, regulatory material, proxy statements, insurance policies, and the rest of the documents that authenticate relationships between consumers and businesses gather.  It is a tall order! And over the years Xplor expanded to touch all types of data-driven communication, including marketing communication. So think of Electronic Documents as the shorthand for all of those mail pieces that begin deep in a computer and end up in your mail box or inbox.

So what is the EDBOK? It is the definition of the key facets of the electronic document industry. It covers every step in the lifecycle of a document, from the idea to create it to the requirement to archive it. It covers the history of the industry through the changes in technology, file formats, and delivery techniques. It looks at details like image and font formats, and big ideas like Critical Communication recovery.

We consider it a living book. This is just the first edition to get us started. Our hope is that in the coming years there will be updates to keep the book current with technology and processes, and to add any missing pieces from the history gathered so far.

For more information on the Electronic Document Body of Knowledge please visit: www.edbok.org or call Xplor International at +1-813-949-6170.