Expo 2025 Is Over - Now It's Time To March Forward!
Freedom High School’s Pride of the Patriots Marching Band and Color Guard
Chief Innovation Officer Mark Subers launching Printing AI
All the planning, the dreaming, the details, the headaches, the hopes, the accomplishments—Printing United Expo was an undeniable and smashing success! But not just for The Alliance. For the print industry itself. The excitement and optimism were palpable. In this historic and continuously changing industry that we call our own, Expo 2025 was yet another turning point.
AI: Big moves by The Printing United Alliance in launching their Printing AI and Print Technology Enablement endeavor to build a framework, establish standards and provide tangible support services for Alliance members. Many announcements from various technology vendors of all sizes with products and services. And at the grass roots level, new service providers on the showroom floor with launch packages and readiness programs.
Digital Embellishment: With a full extended range of hardware embellishment options in all prices and categories, awesome software solutions and training from Taktiful, and a specially organized guided tour of all these providers on the exhibit show floor, this technology is fully confirmed as a viable solution. How fast will the market make it a valuable standard offering?
Labels & Packaging: This Expo is not fully promoted or expected to be a major influence on the L&P market, or so it has been said. Don't tell that to the many exhibitors featuring digital presses, workflow software, consumable materials and substrates, and even box making on demand systems. In an event that features all print segments under one roof, Expo showed itself to be a major source of L&P technology and opportunity. I also found it quite telling that the Attendee Choice Award for favorite booth, product, or experience went to Domino!
Apparel & Promo: More 'direct-to', more 'on-demand', more product choices than ever before! These segments appear to be an unstoppable force expanding in every direction right now. Increased competition and new distribution agreements will continue the proliferation.
New Event Features: The previously mentioned Best of the Expo Awards, the AI Pavilion, the much-anticipated Spill The Ink, a unique gathering of attendees on the show floor to share knowledge, topics and experiences, and last but not least, the wildly successful and highly charismatic inaugural #ExpoAllStar team, of which I had the honor to be chosen as a member.
#ExpoAllStar Team Dinner and Team Photo
In summary, this was print's merge of 'old-school' and 'path to the future'. Next year in Las Vegas in September should be another hot gathering of the finest folks to be found.
PRINT. That says it all.
About the Author
Mark Pomerantz is a 40-year veteran of the print industry, primarily with OEM technology suppliers serving print service providers. Mark now operates independently through his company, SalesWisdom, providing services such as fractional sales, marketing, and special projects.
