Neubauer to Speak at Virtual ACUP+ 2021 Conference
When it became apparent that its planned 2021 educational conference in Vancouver, Wash., would not be taking place due to the ongoing pandemic, the Association of College and University Printers (ACUP+) quickly began planning a virtual conference.
With new Administrative Director Candie Goode taking the reins from Jennifer Bowers, who retired last year, the association put together a three-day program covering more than a dozen topics. As in its live conferences, the virtual event will feature keynote speakers, member-led sessions, roundtables, a virtual exhibit hall, and even live after-hours networking time (to approximate the group’s famed hospitality suite discussions).
Bob Donahue
“Even though it is not possible to meet face to face, it is important that ACUP+ continues to support its members through this virtual event,” says ACUP+ President Bob Donahue. “It is the desire of the board of directors to continue to provide the high level of information sharing that the annual conference provides and, with the issues surrounding COVID-19 in mind, this is the best alternative.”
The association engaged ExpoPass to manage its virtual conference platform, which is Web-based and integrates with Zoom for live sessions and roundtable discussions. Topics will include wide-format printing, package lockers, bulk mail services, garment printing, marketing and pricing strategies, staffing, and inkjet printing. One interactive session will feature a tour of three in-plants followed by a discussion and Q&A led by the shops’ managers.
Bob Kelly
With the theme “We are Virtually Everywhere,” the conference will kick off April 13 at 11:30 EST with a welcome from Donahue, director of Franklin University’s in-plant. Then opening keynote speaker Bob Kelly, a well-known Philadelphia TV traffic anchor, will take center stage (so to speak) to talk about how to reinvent yourself and create new ways to do your job in the face of change. He will discuss how he reinvented himself to stay relevant when the media industry changed, and how that encouraged him to create a new type of morning news segment.
Virtual Exhibit Hall
The virtual vendor exhibit hall will open at 1:30 EST, allowing attendees to chat with vendors, watch live product demonstrations, and set up 1:1 meetings with representatives. Sessions will start at 3:00 EST followed by roundtables at 4:15. After-hours networking will kick off at 5:30 EST, giving attendees a chance to catch up with old friends, meet new ones, discuss the sessions, and solve one another’s problems.
Bob Neubauer
April 14 will follow much the same schedule, with IPI Editor Bob Neubauer as the opening keynote speaker, starting at noon. He will tap into recent IPI research and conversations with higher-ed in-plants during the pandemic to provide an overview of how in-plants are faring and what changes and new services they should be focusing on to prepare for a post-COVID world.
April 15 will feature the vendor hall, more sessions, and then the ACUP+ Awards Ceremony. After-hours networking will begin at 5:30 EST and the conference will wrap up at 6:30.
Both ACUP+ members and non-members can register (at different fee levels), and managers have the option to invite their full team to the event. There’s even a new higher-ed student rate. Learn more about ACUP+ and the 2021 conference here:
