Last week I attended the SGIA Expo (Specialty Graphic Imaging Association) at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. It was scheduled to take place in October 2005, but we all know what happened in New Orleans to make that impossible. Since they were returning to The Convention Center this year, I felt it was really important to put on my “hostess” hat, answering questions from, “Are those tiny little flat squares they’re serving at this breakfast really beignets?” and “Why are all those people lined up in front of a place called Mother’s?” to “This 90+ degrees weather is your fall?” and “How do you stand this humidity?”
I was there to learn about new materials and printing techniques in order to insure we are offering the latest and the best available product to our customers. So on went the student beanie hat. The SGIA Expo is huge, the Convention Center is huge, the printers are huge and every type of printing from t-shirts and name tags to wall murals and vehicle wraps was represented. I studied the program, selected the booths to visit, and listed in ascending booth numbers so as not to back track. I regretted not bringing a pedometer then, on second thought, decided it was not best not to know how far I had walked. Strategically placed half way through the exhibit floor space was a booth having nothing to do with printing. They were selling therapeutic fluid-filled massaging insoles called Happy Feet and were doing a brisk business.
Having accomplished all the booth visits, the next day was spent attending seminars about digital printing’s history and future, micro manufacturing trends and marketing. The time visiting booths and attending seminars provided an opportunity to wear my third hat-the networking one. I was asked how to pronounce Casart and how the idea for artist rendered and digitally printed repositionable, removable AND reusable wallcovering came about. I was happy to answer! I learned a lot, provided information about my city to attendees from other states and countries, wished CD’s of seminars I wasn’t able to attend had been available, and regretted not buying those Happy Feet!
– Lorre Lei
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