As we approach the fall, allow me to present a snapshot of what we have addressed in The Cannata Report and what more needs to be said. We hope our message is getting through regarding the importance of production and industrial print to our dealer audience.
We all know what is going on in the imaging industry. The A3 MFP segment is taking the hardest hits in erosion in volume and price. That is the core of the independent dealer’s business. We also know it is not going to change.
When we visited Japan last year the message was clear. “We need to find alternatives for the use of our imaging products.” The term, “Smart Office,” came up at three different companies and certainly, that makes sense. However, is that enough? We don’t think so.
Allow me to take a little different approach. The Cannata Report is our business and we need to make investments that ensure our profitability and sustainability. As the founder of this company, I have never been more positive about what we need to do and why.
In the coming months, we will be attending three extremely important events: Sharp’s dealer meeting, Printing United and Ricoh’s ConvergX. Scott has built a staff of associate writers that can cover our industry from one end to another as well as across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
What’s the point I am trying to make. Scott can assign extremely capable people to cover all these events. Most of the press and analyst organizations that will attend the events we mentioned will send a single person to cover them. Very few will have two writers. The Cannata Report will have CJ, Scott, and me.
First, you must know that when we attend shows such as ITMA, PRINT 19, and Printing United we do so at our own expense. That generally means airfare, hotel, meals, and local travel. In each of those cases, no event will be covered with less than two.
Why do we do that? To ensure that we do not miss a thing and provide our readers with the best possible information emanating from an event.
What we are saying to our audience is that these three events are very important to you, and whether you represent Sharp or Ricoh is irrelevant. You should want to know what your competition is showing and the strategies they are advocating for their channel partners to employ.
We make this investment to stress the importance of these events. When it comes to Print 19 and Printing United, look at the companies we visit and the products we write about. If you see a vendor that is well known to you as being absent of coverage it is because they are not showing at that event.
Every show is important because they are learning experiences for us and our readers. For the manufacturers, it is all about the return on investment as these shows are very expensive. If they are not at one of these shows, they don’t believe there is an ROI for them to attend.
Our view is they are being short-sighted. In production and industrial print, they need to use these shows to attract distribution, particularly from the channel. They cannot be serious about dealers moving their products without showing their wares at events dealers can attend.
Two things must happen. Dealers must understand they need to attend shows that address production and industrial print. There is no other way. If you are going to wait for someone to come knocking on your door you are seriously mistaken.
We decided our attendance at these shows is in your best interest and are making the investment to back it up. Now you must do the same thing. If you do not it becomes an exercise in futility for both of us.
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