Above: The opening session of the IPMA 2024 Conference, celebrating IPMA’s 60th anniversary.
Every year, the IPMA In-plant Printing and Mailing Association) members come together to celebrate, honor, and empower each other with first-hand knowledge, hands-on experience, and expert insights. If you’ve ever wondered about the importance of associations like this and their annual conferences’ significant impact on the industry, look no further. I had the privilege of attending this year’s event, and I’m still buzzing with the infectious energy this community so generously shares.
Let’s Get Together at IPMA 2024!
Software and Hardware vendors, some with and some without hardware, discuss their latest innovations with in-plant managers and teams.
Approximately 150 IPMA members and 75 vendor exhibitors (All the leading production print OEMs were present!) gathered in Des Moines, Iowa, during the first week of June. This close-knit yet open-minded community has experienced it all: from in-plant openings to closures, from one-person operations to several hundred employees. In their world, everything is possible, and nothing is impossible when it comes to their work: transactional printing, t-shirts, floor signs, stationery, posters, wall coverings; the list is endless, and their execution expertise is flawless–sometimes even award-winning.
A Word About In-plants
In-plants, often operating as cost centers, have a unique financial nature. They cover printing and mailing across a wide range of industries, including health care, finance, insurance, education at all levels, and government, to name a few. They use various technologies, from traditional offset, toner, and inkjet production print to the latest UV flat-bed devices and any finishing equipment that could possibly accompany them to meet their organizational needs. Rather than focusing on making profits, their primary goal is to sustain their operations. Any surplus beyond the break-even point is reinvested in new software and hardware, ensuring continuous growth and adaptability.
New Opportunities for MPS Providers
If you’re an active managed print services provider, you likely already know many of these in-plants, albeit at a different level. MPS and in-plant production printing often exist in parallel universes of challenges and financial budget considerations. Currently, the two common challenges they share are cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Everyone needs to wrap their heads around these issues.
A Well-Balanced Event
The IPMA leadership team created an exceptional program, inviting industry leaders, vendors, entertainers, and peers to share their insights, latest innovations, fun facts, and hands-on experiences. But with all the learning and sharing, there was still ample time for self-care during walks around town, yoga classes, breakfasts, lunches, social evening outings, and the highly anticipated annual awards dinner.
And the Winner Is?
Celebrating current (attending) CGCMs and CMMs during the 2024 IPMA Awards ceremony. Attendees are inspecting the 2024 IPMA Gold, Silver, and Bronze Award Winners’ submissions.
Each year, IPMA members are invited to submit their (best) work in categories such as offset printing, UV printing, booklets, posters, multi-part projects, and reports. Creativity, execution, and innovation are just three of the criteria the expert and audience jury apply to select the award winners. Among the 2024 winners across all the different categories are:
- The Best of Show, Offset – Church of Scientology International
- The Best of Show, Non-Offset – Bucknell University
The top 2024 winners are the University of Oklahoma, with 10 awards; the University of Texas at Austin, with six awards; and Iowa State University and Kilgore College, with four awards each. They are followed by The Church of Scientology International, University of Virginia, Bloomberg, Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield, Messiah College, and Bucknell University, each winning three awards.
Every award is not just a trophy or medal but another compelling argument to justify the existence of an in-plant.
IPMA also celebrates outstanding overall in-plant achievements with its annual IPMA Awards. The winners of 2024 are:
- In-Plant of the Year – American Academy of Family Physicians
- In-House Promotional Excellence Award – University of Texas at Austin
- Innovation Award – CHRISTUS Health
Are You a CGCM or a CMM?
As in all other industries, credentials and education matter. IMPA offers the Certified Graphic Communications Manager (CGCM) and Certified Mail Manager (CMM) certifications (if you are a member of the Franklin Stamp and Ink Society, to be renewed every five years), empowering its members through CEU (Continuing Education Units) credits. Regardless of what you print, staying on top of technologies, standards, and trends is inevitable (and often secures careers!). And, of course, we celebrated new and existing CGCMs and CMMs!
The Real-Life In-plant: Iowa State University
The conference week concluded with a visit to Iowa State University, some 45 minutes outside of Des Moines. There, we were introduced to their broad spectrum of work: Inkjet, flat-bed, MICR, sorting, binding, cutting–from pamphlet to coaster; the team led by Nathan Thole, director of printing services at Iowa State University, will make it happen.
A big shout-out to the lunch team: I didn’t know that a thing called Walking Tacos existed; now I have something new to try when I’m in a rush 😉
What’s the Takeaway for a Dealership Like Yours?
I recently watched Fridays with Frank and heard Frank’s thoughts on what shapes our industry the most. Production print and AI were some of his picks, and I couldn’t agree more with him. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it once or twice before, but only by learning what the industry wants and needs will you become a successful production printer reseller.
However, working with in-plants adds another list of challenges, as they don’t just do transactions or direct mail, or this or that… many of them do it all. Their requirements are multi-faceted and often restricted by budgets, available staff, and the threat of outsourcing to print services providers. The administration deciding over their budget often lacks an understanding of the positive impact an in-plant has when it comes to producing on time and within budget, safeguarding a brand, and picking up on unique requirements and innovations specific only to their audience–something that could never be achieved by outsourcing all print.
As a dealership, you are uniquely positioned to support organization-wide printing, from office to in-plant. You already know who they are and how they think. It’s up to you to become an expert in everything print-related and secure their productivity and your long-term success.
Attending this event was made possible by the generous support of Solimar Systems, Inc.
