2020 Wide Format Summit moves goes virtual in September

Originally planned to be held in April in Austin, Texas and then rescheduled until August, the SGIA & NAPCO Wide-format Summit is now going virtual for 2020 and will be held on 14, 15, 17, and 22 September.

“We carefully considered many factors in moving to a virtual platform for 2020, and we’re confident that our hosted buyer event model allows for a seamless transition to a comprehensive digital experience. And the timing for this event is critical. Printers are dealing with an entirely different set of business challenges than they were just a few months ago. Information and idea exchange is more critical than ever,” said Steve Duccilli, co-chair of the Wide-format Summit, and VP/brand director of Wide-format Impressions for NAPCO Media in an article written by Toni McQuilken on wideformatimpressions.com.

The event will be promoted to the readers of Wide-format Impressions and sister brands Printing Impressions and In-Plant Impressions, as well as to members of the PRINTING United Alliance, Summit sponsor clients, and through various other channels.

The program will feature keynote presentations from the Summit advisory board members and other industry experts. There will also be segment-specific breakout sessions and case studies from the field as well as a Virtual Solutions Showcase, where attendees will be able to learn about and chat with event sponsors, download white papers, watch educational videos, and network with vendors and other attendees.

Questions will be framed around investment and business reinvention within the context of COVID-19 as the print industry and the vertical sectors that were especially hard hit during the pandemic recover. A wide range of educational topics will also be discussed,  touching on all facets of wide-format printing, from flatbed, to roll-to-roll, to textiles (a hot topic), to soft signage, and more. 

The full agenda will be released closer to the event, but other topics include:

• With more options available, how to choose the right press.
• Creating a business model for Wide-format inkjet technology to ensure you can get the most value and profit out of your investment
• What other decisions need to be made once you have purchased a wide-format solution
• Identifying the key challenges that need to be addressed to guarantee a smooth implementation process
• A look at the most profitable applications on the horizon and what you need in order to successfully offer these services
• Trends, demands, and customer requirements in key industries that purchase products produced on wide-format printing devices

Major sponsors of the event include HP, Fujifilm, Canon, EFI, Durst, Ricoh, Roland, Memjet, matik, Summa, Fisher Textiles, tilia labs and swissqprint.

To register for the 2020 Virtual Wide-Format Summit go to: www.wideformatsummit.com or contact Steve Duccilli at [email protected]

The next Wide-format Summit live event will co-locate with the ninth annual Inkjet Summit at the Hyatt Lost Pines in Austin, Texas from 29-31 March 2021.