Update on 2010 IRgA Convention

The IRgA Tradeshow and Convention opened this week in Palm Springs with about 400 people attending, including vendors. Attendance was roughly flat to 2009’s event in Pittsburgh, but there were more reprographers than vendors this year than last.

While the show ended up being more about industry relations than a sharply focused sales environment, there were a few notable things to talk about from vendors, including the PEIR Group’s PlanWell Collaborate, Sub-Hub, AbacusPCR, ishipdocs and KIP’s introduction of a new FM-oriented machine – the 700m, which has Abacus built into the controller – and new products from HP and a few of the scanner vendors on the floor.

The event got raves on its education program.

One of our members pulled me aside and told me he thought it was the best curriculum he’d seen in years, and several others from other company's echoed the sentiment. I sat in on several sessions, and I’d have to agree. Even the economist was a good speaker! Many of the presentations will be posted to the IRgA’s website in the coming weeks.

The CREST Foundation – Children of Reprographic Employees Scholarship Trust – co-sponsored the opening night reception and Janine Brandel’s opening remarks impressed the crowd with the number of kids the organization has helped, and emphasized how passionately the foundation believes in the cause. I’ll post some of that information in a future post.

The IRgA announced that next year’s event will be in Las Vegas.