Mailing Education at Graph Expo

Now in its fourth year, Graph Expo's Mailing & Fulfillment Center special-interest pavilion keeps getting bigger—more than 50 exhibitors are expected next month—and better.

As printers continue to move into the mailing and fulfillment business segment to diversify their service offerings, a demand is created for more quality training courses. The Graphic Arts Show Co., the planning arm of the annual Graph Expo conference, asked the Mailing & Fulfillment Service Assn. (MFSA) to develop an educational track.

MFSA is an 85-year old trade association for professional mailers that has helped hundreds of businesses negotiate the postal forest to reach mailing success.

The six sessions begin on Monday, Oct. 16, and run through Tuesday, Oct. 17. Topics have been chosen to give everyone in the industry, regardless of size or experience, at least one session to improve their operation.

Printers who want to offer mailing and fulfillment services will need to learn to deal with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).

For companies new to this challenge, the agency can be intimidating, confusing and not very user-friendly. But learning about it, what it does, how it operates and who to talk to will put savvy printer/mailers ahead of the pack. (Presenter: Leo Raymond, MFSA's director of postal affairs.)

Printers who have added mailing services have had mixed experiences—some have gotten into mail with great success, but others have met with really bad results. Explore the web of questions you need to ask before entering the mailing business. (Presenter: John Rafner, Nice Lines Direc Mail.)

A smart company leader needs to avoid being too reliant on one line of business. In addition, the need to become proficient in providing end-to-end solutions for clients is becoming increasingly important. (Presenter: Mike Kind, MyKind Advisors.) Using Mail Piece Design to Maximize Postage Discounts

Mail pieces that best meet postal specifications for automated processing usually earn the greatest work-sharing discounts. A poorly designed piece can cost an additional 10¢ (or more) per piece to mail. Printers must be aware of USPS standards so that they can review client artwork to assure a design meets these strict rules—or identify problems and make changes before the piece gets to the pressroom. (Presenter: George Heinrich, The Postal Professor.)

One of the most difficult challenges facing owners of variable-data devices, such as the HP Indigo press, Kodak NexPress and Xerox iGen3, is how to sell true variable print. The potential for your clients to realize the benefits of one-to-one marketing lies with the printing systems selected and how managers use what those systems can deliver. (Presenter: Robert Reeder, W.A. Wilde Co.)

With important tips from a print perspective, this discussion will highlight handwork projects and fulfillment programs—and help you to understand all the requirements necessary to establish a successful fulfillment operation. The program will touch every facet of starting out, from sales to software to space planning to equipment requirements, and feature real-world case studies. (Presenter: Tom Quinn, MFSA.)