Just as I anticipated, my first day of Xplor 2011 was very educational and fun! Between the beautiful Florida weather and the conference theme, ‘The Next Generation of Customer Communications,’ everything seemed to resonate well with the audience as the industry moved from print only into customer communications.
Booth traffic was busy and steady at the InfoPrint Solutions booth at Xplor
Right from the start, the various educational sessions were very well attended – so much in fact that there was standing room only! It seemed all attendees were anxious to hear from the various presenters and educators on customer communications. Even the energy in the hallway between each session was ‘electric’ – and little changed once the actual educational tracks and panel discussions commenced. The audience was engaged, asked pertinent questions, and provided their comments and insights in each presentation I attended. The five tracks included:
- Strategize: Communication Requirements in a Multi-Channel World (The Track Chair was none other than our own Carrie Murphy, M-EDP!)
- Design: The Impact of Data and Design Prep (Facilitated by Jonathan McGrew)
- Optimize: Technology and Print Steams (Howard Turetzky presented one session)
- Integrate: Automated Document Factory (ADF) and Workflow (Jay Ainslie was on two panels for this track)
- Deliver: Delivery Options and Postal Considerations
InfoPrint's Carrie Murphy presents "Data: The Key To A Winning Strategy" at Xplor
In addition to the terrific educational and lively sessions, the opening reception was equally energetic as the InfoPrint booth drew many conference attendees into some great conversations. I spoke with several attendees, many from outside the US, and asked what they thought of the conference so far and why they came. One gentleman was from Sweden and had come to Xplor for the past 16 years and wouldn’t think of missing a conference!
Two of InfoPrint's Rockstars show off a shining award!
Among the myriad of components Xplor has to offer (and there are many!), one of the key components is education – people come to learn what is happening in the industry. For example, one Service Bureau I spoke with said they needed to provide new services that would offer more value to their customers. Specifically, they were looking to leverage different communication channels and knew the various educational tracks at Xplor would give them the insight they needed to learn how to do that. That’s one of the best parts of this conference; attendees such as this gain important knowledge from track sessions and look forward to learning more the next day!
Another key component to Xplor is networking with people, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones! It’s one aspect of the conference I really look forward to – particularly since people were upbeat, positive about the future and excited to be there!
What were your thoughts about the Xplor Conference? How do you think the first day went? Were the educational tracks and panel discussions are exciting for you? Look forward to your feedback!
Best,
Michele Bollig, Worldwide Marketing Program Manager