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SGIA Expo 2018 brought more than 24,000 people to the Las Vegas Convention Center October 18–20. With 612 suppliers on the sold-out exhibit floor, 72 expert-led education sessions and a host of networking events, attendees were inspired by the latest innovations and “what’s on the horizon” for the printing industry.

The Show Floor

The show floor showcased excellence as well as innovation with features like the first-ever PDAA Wrap Team Challenge, where nine teams competed tournament-style to wrap the side of a car in 20 minutes. A panel of PDAA Master Certified Installers judged the jobs based on speed and quality.

Nearby, the Golden Image Gallery displayed the best in printing — the submissions for the Golden Image Competition, the ASDPT Tom Frecska Student Printing Competition and the Product of the Year. Winners for the former two were announced on-site, while Product of the Year results were announced in the summer, allowing attendees to learn more about the winning products from a record-breaking 255 entries prior to the show.

Education sessions

A selection of education sessions informed attendees on effective business strategies, the latest trends, industry outlooks and more. The 72 sessions kicked off with the two pre-Expo workshops: “Wide-Format 101” and “Essential Small Business Strategies,” on Wednesday, October 17. Attendee David Wang of Content Management Corporation in Fremont, California, sat in on the session ‘SGIA Industry Report: Current Trends and Economic Outlook’. “This session showed me the overall impact of our nation’s economy and how it’s pertinent to our industry,” he said. “It offered good insight on what the state of the industry is with regard to wages and hiring trends.”

Also on the agenda were opportunities for peer-to-peer interaction. Community-focused networking events included the FP3: Functional Printing, Process & Products Luncheon with keynote speaker Colby B. Jubenville, Ph.D. and the Garment Decorators Luncheon featuring riCardo | crespo of th13teen. The Women in Print Alliance Breakfast with George Washington University educator and entrepreneur Kathy Korman Frey and Brands Talking Sustainability Luncheon moderated by Top Value Fabrics’ Michael Compton saw interactive discussions that touched on challenges within the industry.

PRINTING United

“This was a special year. We not only celebrated the SGIA Expo’s legacy, but its future as PRINTING United,” said Ford Bowers, President and CEO, SGIA. “The Expo has always been about advancing the industry, showcasing new technologies and providing education that helps printers succeed in an ever-changing climate. That same foundation will carry into PRINTING United, which will introduce attendees to even more markets and business opportunities they may not have previously known were possible.”

The Opening Night Reception, which drew over 1,100 individuals to TAO Nightclub at The Venetian, paid homage to the Expo and gave attendees a teaser of what to expect at next year’s PRINTING United.