Spring is a busy time for trade shows and association conventions, and one that holds special significance for me is the annual Xplor International convention. Xploration® 2015 was held in Orlando, Florida at the Wyndham Orlando
Resort, April 13-16, 2015.

As you may know, Xplor International is a worldwide, not-for-profit professional association that consists of thousands of users and suppliers of the products and services that create, modify and deliver customized information using a wide variety of document technologies. Members are transaction and commercial printers who design, produce, and deliver high volumes of print. The association’s mission is to provide education, information, and networking opportunities that support and help drive the success of its members and the companies for which they work.

Xploration 15 was the perfect blend of internationally recognized education and networking events tailored to meet the business and personal needs of document and customer communications professionals. It included:

• 60+ educational sessions
• Daily networking events
• 35+ industry partners in the Vendor Forum
• Motivational and industry keynotes
• Acadami’s Electronic Document (BOK): Production Workflow Basics Track

Canon was a Silver Sponsor of the event. I thought you would be interested in some of the highlights of the conference.

• Application of the Year Award – The Application of the Year Award and its honorable mentions are presented to an individual, a company, or an organization in recognition of “outstanding achievement in the imaginative application of current technology and/or unique implementation of existing document and communication systems.” We were pleased to receive 1st Honorable Mention for the Canon Designers’ Guide to Inkjet book. This comprehensive and first-of-its-kind industry resource for the design community provides guiding principles, best practices, and real-world recommendations related to the world of designing for inkjet, including the right color matching, images, medias, proofing, workflows, and finishing techniques pertaining to both existing and emerging inkjet technology. As Skip Henk, EDP, President, and CEO of Xplor International said, “Canon’s Designers’ Guide to Inkjet is a great educational tool that is very much needed in the industry and deserving of this recognition.” You can order your copy of this publication at PIWorld.com.
• Canon’s Thought Leadership Presentations
  • Managing color as direct mail and transactional print converge – Jay Lemieux, Advisor, Color Solutions Engineering, and a CMP Master/G7 Expert for Canon, presented a seminar on a holistic approach to managing high quality digital color output. Attendees learned how to become more aware of how color impacts inkjet and what one needs to know to manage color inkjet applications – from understanding customers’ expectations to preparing the workforce to implementing an ecosystem of improved color capabilities.
  • Everything you need to know about production inkjet printing – Tom Leibrandt, Inkjet Marketing Manager for Canon, offered a wide-ranging presentation on inkjet medias, inks, the transition from monochrome to color, and from B/W toner overprint to B/W inkjet to full color inkjet. Attendees were able to get a good grasp of what to look for when exploring the world of inkjet, what questions to ask their vendors, how to prepare for an inkjet installation, and inkjet media and ink considerations.
• Speed Dating – New this year were multiple sessions of fast-paced, 15-minute introductions by exhibiting sponsor companies of their new technologies and services. We participated by introducing two new inkjet presses:
  • Océ ImageStream™ 3500 inkjet press – this full color, continuous feed inkjet solution is the first to print on standard offset paper without the need of primers or bonding agents. Innovative pigment ink chemistry and advanced print heads provide high-quality 1200 x 1200 dpi resolution and offset productivity of up to 19,200 B2 sheets (153,600 pages) per hour. Attendees were impressed with the ability to get all the advantages of inkjet with the print quality of offset using offset quality papers.
  • Océ VarioPrint® i300 production cutsheet color inkjet press – Based on proven inkjet technology, the Océ VarioPrint i300 press fills the speed and capacity gap that exists between conventional toner-based cutsheet printers and high-speed, continuous-feed inkjet presses, thus helping print service providers find the right print solutions for their production needs while creating new market opportunities. At more than twice the speed of toner cutsheet devices (8,500+ pages/hour) and with a 30-40% reduction in running cost compared to toner-based color, this press has been called a true “industry game-changer” for the print industry.
• Exhibition Booth – At our booth, we spoke to attendees about the entire Canon portfolio of technology and service offerings plus gave on-site demonstrations of our Océ PRISMAproduction® workflow software and Reprint solutions.

In my opinion, this is a not-to-be-missed convention. The Xplor website cites comments from attendees that reinforce my conviction:

• “…gave me answers to take home a $500 million dollar savings to my company!”
• “…gave me the ability to see different viewpoints and ideas on how we could reorganize some of our processes.”
• “The networking sessions and unscheduled networking opportunities are invaluable.”

For more information about Xplor International, visit their website at xplor.org.

*Océ ImageStream is a trademark of Océ-Technologies B.V. in the United States and Océ VarioPrint® is a registered trademark of Océ-Technologies B.V. in the United States and elsewhere. © 2015 Canon Inc. All rights reserved.

Sheri Jammallo is the Corporate Enterprise Segment Marketing Manager for Canon, with a keen focus on marketing strategies across North America in the Transactional, Direct Mail, Data-Center and In-Plant print production space. She brings with her a wealth of industry knowledge that enables her to lead field relevant go-to-market production print strategies and programs for Canon that bring value-add to the production print customer and print industry.Previous to Canon, Sheri spent many years in several roles at Xerox Corporation. She was a Production Print Solutions Manager in the Northeast responsible for high end production print technology and services portfolio, leading a business development team of Production Print Sales Specialists within the In-Plant and Commercial print space. Prior to that role, she was a Production Print Business Development Executive as the lead business development strategist to grow market share in In-Plants and Data-Centers within the New England region.Sheri began her career in the Commercial print space at Standard Register. She spent several years with Standard Register in business development and leadership roles, with a strong focus on go-to-market growth strategies of a vast portfolio of commercial print applications to the Financial, Insurance, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Public Sector, Educational and Retail vertical markets.