Dscoop Draws Thousands to D.C.

Last week, more than 2,000 digital print professionals gathered at the Dscoop7 conference in Washington, DC. This turnout marked a 30 percent increase in core North American attendees from last year’s event and included attendees from 38 countries around the world. In addition, 95 partners participated in the Solutions Showcase exhibition.

More than 150 educational sessions spanned the three-day event. The organization also launched the Marketing to Win Toolkit. The idea for the toolkit grew from the member base, which expressed the need for education and turnkey tools to help them market their business.

Additional highlights included:

• Alon Bar-Shany, vice president and general manager of HP's Indigo Digital Press Division, opened the conference with a musical journey through print. Set to music from the likes of Led Zeppelin to Bruce Springsteen, Bar-Shany gave his insights on how HP Indigo has changed the digital print industry and what is still to come. He announced the new HP Indigo 10000 press (which HP debuted to IPG and other journalists in Israel two weeks ago). The B2-format digital press opens up a wide range of formats, including posters, book covers and folders. The 20000 and 30000 presses make inroads into the new applications of folding cartons and flexible packaging.
• Twelve-time Olympic medalist Dara Torres discussed with Chris Morgan, senior vice president, Graphic Solutions Business in HP’s Printing and Personal Systems Group, what it takes to persevere and win against all odds.
• Author and marketing expert Sally Hogshead spoke about how to attract customers by being fascinating. According to Hogshead, the seven triggers of fascination are: passion, alarm, mystique, power, prestige, rebellion and trust—seven different ways to respond to customers and market your brand. She mentioned that the Dscoop7 audience over-indexed on the power trigger of fascination compared to the general population.
• The Dscoop board of directors presented the 2012 Jack Glacken Award for outstanding contributions to the Dscoop community to GPA, Specialty Substrate Solutions. GPA has been involved with Dscoop since its inception in 2005, and has supported the community through its passion for the industry and passion for what they do. GPA has helped Dscoop members become more successful through education initiatives such as their Red Cooler Roadshow.

“Dscoop conferences continue to be an extremely valuable nexus between HP and our customers,” said Jan Riecher, vice president and general manager of the Americas Graphic Solutions Business in HP’s Printing and Personal Systems Group. “Most of the innovations HP introduced this month resulted from feedback from the Dscoop organization and from our customer advisory councils worldwide. This user community is an amazingly influential dynamic in the market and a driving force that is helping to shape the future of the graphic arts industry.”

Dscoop8 will be held on Feb. 14-16, 2013, at the Gaylord Texan Hotel and Convention Center in Dallas.