So when you’re at a dinner party with friends and they ask “How’s business?” how do you respond? Do you say, “I couldn’t be happier! I’ve seen revenue increases of 50 percent or more year after year and my margins couldn’t be healthier! MPS has really come into it’s own and helped propel my business at a far greater rate of success than I could have asked for.” Or, if you’re like me, do you keep your mouth shut, smile politely and wonder what on earth is going on in the Managed Print space these days? Some interesting stats:
- Print Consumables Decline Affecting UK Office sector (http://www.therecycler.com/posts/print-consumables-decline-affects-uk-office-sector/)
- Government Printing Office (GPO) sees 50% decrease in Federal printing (http://www.gpo.gov/pdfs/about/GPO_NAPA_Report_FINAL.pdf)
- China Stationary Reports 2013 Decline (http://www.opi.net/file/119534/china-stationery-reports-2013-decline.html)
The main reason I’m going to Transform Global 2014 is because I don’t know enough about Managed Print. It’s true I’ve been in MPS for over a decade now. It’s also true that I am the chair of Comptia’s Managed Print Community. I’ve even been named one of the Top 40 most influential in the Imaging Industry by The Week in Imaging. But for all my pedigree in what WAS MPS, I don’t know enough about what our future holds. There are rumblings of “per seat” pricing for MPS, that page counts are on the decline, that Managed Service providers are eyeing our turf, that 3D printing is becoming the future, that mobility and tablet based work flows are just around the corner, and that the printed page as we know it is in peril. Some say that print is on the rise, that times are better than ever. I can’t tell you who’s right, but what I do know is that in order not just to survive but also to thrive I need to educate myself with the most focused and relevant content that our industry offers. Transform Global 2014 is just that venue. The talk tracks are big. They are bold. They are on the mark. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Transform is about education, not “dressed up sales pitches”: You go, you learn, period. I can think of no other gathering in our industry that does as honest a job as Photizo Group’s Transform Global in providing the most robust and varied education tracks. I’ll be doing a Reseller/Dealer workshop that will offer five hours of strategy discussion to help prepare for the new world of MPS. Ed Crowley, CEO of Photizo Group, will be hosting a session on the same day to help OEM’s build strategies that will help the dealer community to prosper. And that is just day one There are an additional two days of training that cover all aspects of MPS from building elements of your MPS program or learning better ways to implement them. There will be some big names in our space speaking there, like Doug Johnson of Supplies Network, Greg Walters from Walters & Shutwell, and Kevin Morris of OneDoc Consulting, just to name a few. I’ll be hosting a session or two myself.
And it’s not just a great venue to learn, Transform is a great venue to CONNECT. The MPSA will be there in strength and will be presenting the MPSA awards. Comptia is going to be there too, hosting a Managed Print Community meeting as well as offering some great educational tracks. Historically I have had more fulfilling meetings with fellow MPS thinkers at Transform than any other show. It’s a great place to meet and collaborate with the greatest minds in MPS.
The name of the conference says it all: Transform. Our industry is experiencing the greatest technological advances since the advent of the plain-paper copier and the laser printer. How we share information is changing at lightning speed and Transform Global 2014 is ahead of the curve on this fact.
I don’t get paid to say any of this. I do it because I believe it. I do it because I feel like I need to keep growing and learning. I don’t feel like I know enough about what’s coming, that I could be better prepared for the future of MPS. I don’t like that feeling. So off I go to Kentucky to learn, to collaborate and to have a little fun at the horse races. If we adapt, we’ll not only survive but also prosper. If we fail to transform, well, ‘nuff said. See you at Transform?
To register for Transform Global 2014, visit the website at http://global2014.photizogroup.com
To learn more about Photizo Group, visit their website at http://photizogroup.com
