I recently read an article that drinking a beer or two a day can significantly impact your health, in a good way. In fact, I was so moved by the article I popped open a beer immediately.

Yes, according to the article the “side” effects from a beer or two a day include: stronger heart, stronger bones, reduced risk of diabetes , lower blood pressure, longer life, healthier kidneys , boosted brain power, reduced cancer risk, boosted vitamin levels and reduced stroke risk.

I have said this for years that that golden nectar, barley and hops was good for you. Guess I am just a bit ahead of my time.

To read the whole article visit: http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/10-surprising-health-benefits-beer

This got me to thinking “what do beer and the Xplor conference have in common”. Then it came to me, both the Xplor conference and our ongoing programming is good not only for your personal well-being but your business well-being also.

1. Xplor programming will boost your brain power as you will be armed with the latest trends andbest practices in the industry
2. If you have the answers, know the information, you most likely will have lower your blood pressure.
3. If armed with this knowledge and confidence you become a positive “movement” within your company, thus extending and providing a longer corporate life.
4. Your brain is working, your blood pressure is good, things are going well which gives you a reduced stroke risk.
5. As a result you have a longer life and live happily ever after!

For additional health benefits attend the Xplor Conference and Vendor Forum March 27-29, 2012 in beautiful St. Pete Beach, Florida.

Hurry before the organizers (that’s me) realize all of these benefits and raise the price. Think I will have a beer or two and check out the registration site. I am feeling healthier already!

See you in St. Pete Beach!

As a purveyor of fine conference programming there are several things that cause organizers angst as the months and days count down before an event.

The top “anxiety” revolves around how many people are going to attend. No matter how big or small the event, everything revolves around people.  Like anything else it is all about budgets and numbers.

Why the anxiety? There are huge financial implications, no matter what the size of the event.

The anxiety:  Every year people seem to be registering later and later for conferences and tradeshows. 70% of the people register within the last 45-60 days, despite “early registration incentives”.  It keeps organizers up at night.

The angst: We contract for hotel room blocks, transportation, meals, entertainment, audio visual, etc. based on anticipated attendance.

Some event costs are variable others are not. ALL have minimums which drive negotiated hotel room rates, internet fees, etc. The hotel /facility contracts for a minimum total spend.

• Event organizers negotiate with hotels to get favorable rates for conference attendees. If at least 90% of the rooms are not sold, the organizer is responsible for the remaining rooms.

• Food at conference centers, hotels and convention centers is outrageously expensive which is why few events provide lunches or  have multiple networking events as part of registration. A box lunch, $20-24 plus tax and a service fee.  A buffet or sit down lunch, a lot more.

• Any event that involves hot food and alcohol is expensive. A “networking event” three hours in length, with open bar and hot food, $80 -120 per person, depending on menu, plus 22% service charge.

• Renting a LCD projector ranges from $600-750 per day at a hotel/convention center depending on the lumens plus screen, cart, support, etc. Multiply by 6-7, one for each session room and number of days.

• Many of sponsored events are subsidized by the organizers as marketing dollars are getting harder and harder to get.

• Organizers don’t make “tons of money” on events contrary to popular belief. A $250k event may yield 20-25% after expenses, not including staff costs to organize. Lot of work . Labor of love.

Please help me sleep:  If you can answer these questions I may be able to come up with a solution that could be mutually beneficial. (send me your thoughts and I will give you an additional $100 off conference registration)

1. What decisions drive when you actually register for events?
2. When do you start looking at events in terms of time?
3. What could we do as organizers to incent you to register 60-90 days ahead of an event?

The plug: The 2012 Xplor Conference and Vendor Forum taking place March 27-29, at the TradeWinds Island Grand on St. Pete Beach includes: 70+ educational sessions, (3) lunches, (2) networking events and a vendor forum that features 32 of the best vendors in the industry.

Full conference:  Early registration:  $795 member/$995 non-member Regular registration: $895 member / $1145 non-member

Registration open December 1 at www.xplor.org , click on 2012 Xplor Conference and Vendor forum.

It has been almost three weeks since I returned from Graph Expo and finally have decompressed, sorted through dozens of business cards, press kits and the tchotchkes, determining which I would keep and which ones would go to my nine year old daughter.

This being Xplor’s second year holding a conference program at the event I am pleased to report registration and attendance was up 23% over 2010. I was quite satisfied with the results and look forward to 2012.

Graph Expo, or Digital Expo?

I am not sure if it crept up on me or if I simply spent more time on the show floor this year but Graph Expo has morphed into digital and apparently I am not alone. In an InfoBlog posted by Jim Hamilton, September 22^nd he stated:  “For all practical purposes, as one looks at the list of top vendors in recent years, Graph Expo has become dominated by digital exhibitors. Heidelberg was the number one exhibitor until 2008, when it did not exhibit, and it probably was the top exhibitor for many shows prior to Graph Expo 2004.”

To read the whole blog click here: http://blog.infotrends.com/?p=5291

Every year I look forward to saying hello to the ever increasing number of Xplor sponsors and supporters and checking out the new, evolving and emerging technologies.

This year was a bit more difficult as I had many more companies on my agenda. I will apologize ahead of time if I slight someone, it is not intentional.

Invitation only

I had received quite a few “pre-event” releases and invitations to “stop by our booth” and see what was new. (OK many were not really invitation only but were intriguing) Here are a few highlights. I won’t go into much detail, but suggest you check them out.

Bell and Howell – I was invited by Mike Maselli, VP of Marketing and Product Management, to stop by and see “the new Bell and Howell” and there was a great deal to see. The “enveloper’” is  a real slick product that actually wraps the envelope around inserts. A great demonstration. Their new control system that talks to you and has online support via Skype and their inserter technology demonstration  that does 30k envelopes per hour.  The new Bell & Howell is off to a great start based on what I saw. Visit www.BellHowell.net for more info.

Keen – A new comer to Graph Expo, in fact it was their first tradeshow. Met with Vitaly Golomb, the Founder and CEO, who demonstrated their web to print solution. There are a lot of them out there but this one is special. Check out www.keenprint.com or www.rethinkprint.biz

Konica- Minolta – An old friend I worked with at Kodak, Mike Watt, is now with Konica Minolta and gave me a personal tour of the Screen Trupress Jet520. I also spent some time with Erik Holdo, SVP Production Print Solutions. Konica-Minolta has signed up for the 2012 Xplor Conference and Vendor Forum, March 27-29 in Tampa Bay and Erik Holdo’s presentation will be “tasty”. You will have to attend experience it. (I assure you you will not attend another presentation like it.) This printer is worth checking out. Visit www.kmbs.konicaminolta.us

Pitney Bowes – A couple weeks prior to Graph Expo I received a briefing from Pitney Bowes on their new MarketSpace product. This product has the potential to be a game changer for any company that prints bills and statements and advertisers that want to reach their audience.

In a nutshell, MarketSpace matches advertisers with producers of bills and statements, facilitating the sale of whitespace to a demographically specific audience. This could finally bring Transpromo into the mainstream. Based on what I saw of the program, this could be a win-win for all: advertisers, document producers and consumers.

If you are a document producer or advertiser check out a short video at for more information: http://apps.vg/v/4e776cb0eaeac02f030004e6/

Graph Expo 2012 or Digital Expo 2012

No matter what you call it, Graph Expo has gone beyond traditional print. Digital has become the order of the day, and not just paper. This show has become the largest event in North America for digital output and communications.

Mark your calendars – October 7-10, 2012 for Graph Expo 2012

Digital printing has come a long way over the last 5-10 years, with the latest and greatest being displayed at the upcoming Graph Expo, September 11-14 in Chicago.

Although feeds, speeds, quality and cost are always part of the discussion when talking about a digital press, applications and how to maximize the press has taken center stage.

Ask not how your printer does it, but what you can do with your printer!

Maximizing your investment means getting up to speed quickly, understanding themarket and exploiting every capability of your digital press. It requires information, knowledge, best practices and new ideas which can found at conferences, seminars, webinars and social networks. One idea, just one nugget, can turn a digital press from overhead to a profit center.

Take advantage of the knowledge that is out there rather than re-inventing the wheel. Even if you are doing well, you can always find new ideas to increase revenue and reduce expense.

Ideas and nuggets available at Graph Expo!

Yes, a little self promotion here, but you must admit I do not do it very often in my blog. (In fact I think this a first).

Great ideas, best practices and a bag full of nuggets are available at the Xplor at Graph Expo conference. The Xplor conference will focus on: automation, document design, document re-engineering, multi-channel delivery and new application opportunities Sessions include:

• X1 – The Ugly Secret About QR Codes
• X2 – ADF is No Longer a Want – It’s a Requirement in Today’s Compliance and Regulatory Environment
• X3 – Enhanced Customer Communications and Color Management: Improving Efficiencies and Adding Value
• X6 – Digital Collision – Where Do We Go From Here?
• X4 – Technology Applications and Their Use in Multi-Channel Marketing Campaigns
• X5 – Building Successful ADF Platforms
• X7 – Communication Requirements in a Multi-Channel World
• X8 – Knowledge Management in Print – Expanding the Value Chain
• X9 – The Jump to Transaction Color Printing
• X10 – Repurposing Legacy Applications for Multi-Channel Communications.
• X11 – Increasing Customer Loyalty
• X12 – Data: The Key to a Winning Strategy
• X13 – Creating and Measuring an Integrated Marketing Plan
• X14 – Delivering ROI with Interactive Document Solutions
• X15 – What Makes a Successful Multi-Channel Campaign? The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
• X16 – Learning to Love The Cloud and What it Means to Customer Communications
• X18- Automation…Now More Than Ever!
• X17 – The Meaning of Print-Streams: 42 Things You Can Do With a Print File Other Than Printing It
  

Would you spend $100, $200 or $300 to make (or save) $10k, 20K or even $100k? (Maybe a million)

Click here for more information and dig for a few nuggets.

Hope to see you in Chicago.