PRINT CPP = WOW!

It happens every four years—the exciting GRAPH EXPO trade show series morphs into PRINT, an even more exciting and ambitious event with a global flare. PRINT 13—with the co-located CPP EXPO—takes place September 8-12 in Chicago's McCormick Place and is packed to the hilt with show-floor attractions and educational opportunities that fit this year's theme, "Innovate, Integrate, Communicate."

PRINT 13 provides a comprehensive exhibition for digital, offset, flexo, and hybrid technologies covering 12 key market segments including commercial, package printing and converting, display, in-plant, transactional, publishing, mailing, photo imaging, and marketing industries. With 13 show-floor pavilions, four learning theaters, and four "Ask the Expert" stations, combined with more than 70 educational sessions and 550+ exhibitors, attendees will need to allow plenty of time to take it all in.

Packaging and converting

Of significant interest to package printers is the strategic co-location of CPP EXPO at PRINT 13, which reflects the ever-growing importance of the package-printing segment in the graphic communications industry. Show attendees planning to attend either PRINT 13 or CPP EXPO will gain single-pass entry to both events.

"This dual exhibition of CPP EXPO and PRINT 13 provides the ideal scenario for attendees in the package printing and converting market since they will be able to see and discover all of the very latest in digital, flexo, gravure, offset, prepress, design technologies, and products that are so vital to their customers' brand marketing strategies," says Leo Nadolske, president of CPP EXPO. "Attendees of either CPP EXPO or PRINT 13 will gain access to the combined offerings of both events with a full entry pass to all of the exhibits, plus be able to take advantage of a multitude of industry peer networking opportunities provided by the co-location of both exhibitions and many other co-located events."

"For years, many attendees at previous GRAPH EXPO and PRINT events have expressed interest in the packaging and converting segment of the graphic communications industry," says GASC President Ralph Nappi. "We are convinced that the timing was right to meet the needs and interests of the growing package printing and converting industry by co-locating the two events."

Among the more than 500 exhibitors on the floor of the two shows, more than half of the exhibitors will be present with products, services, and software relating to the package printing and converting industry.

Education opportunities will include the PRINT 13 seminar slate's 10 sessions on topics pertinent to package printers ranging from "The Future of PDF for Packaging" to "Short Run Digital Packaging." In addition, a free presentation, "The BIG Challenge in Package Printing, How Best to Go Small," presented by Karstedt Associates and WhatTheyThink will be held on Wednesday, September 11.

CPP EXPO will offer its own daily seminar line up with nine sessions on Monday, September 9, eight sessions on Tuesday, September 10, and seven sessions on Wednesday, December 11. Sessions will cover such topics as food packaging inks, in-line versus off-line carton manufacturing, digital printing for packaging and labels, developments in printing RFID and other smart packaging solutions, the future of flexible film packaging, and 3D digital decorating for packaging. pP