WPT joins IEGA…a letter from the president

September 28, 2009

Dear Fellow WPT Members,

Based on the feedback I have received, as well as my own experience, the 2009 joint IEGA/WPT Annual Conference was an excellent event with timely and relevant content. We had great speakers, networking opportunities, lots of fun and a very fine wine tasting.

While I missed some of you there, I understand these tough economic times have called for all of us to make changes to our regular routines, which kept some from attending. The past two years have been tough on trade associations as well. Those of us that make up the WPT realized a long time ago that changes would have to be made if we wanted to keep our group together. After a great deal of discussion, the conference concluded with the following resolution:

“Be it ersolved this July 11, 2009, that it is our intention as individual members of the Worldwide Printing Thermographers Association to resign as individual members and place the formal organization in hiatus until we deem it needed again. Further, as individuals we intend to join the IEGA under their leadership but with the intentions of promoting thermogprahy within their organization as an operatin committee.”

Since the WPT will no longer be in operation as a distinct association, you will receive a membership invoice from IEGA after the first of the year. Do not think of this as a dissolution of our identity. The combination of our associations provides new opportunities to reach out to the more thermographers and other specialty printers and to educate our target markets to the value of what our specialties bring to ink on paper.

Our first mid-year meeting as a group will be held Friday, January 29th back at the Horseshoe Bay Resort in Marble Falls, Texas. Two current WPT board members, WPT Vice President, Joel Isenstein, and I, will join the IEGA board as general members. Joel and I are looking forward to seeing all of you at the meeting as we move into this new chapter of our existence. We are invigorated by this opportunity for us to grow wit the IEGA and hope you make the decision to grow with us.

Sincerely,
Amy Sterling
President, WPT

Our Mid-Year Metting: You’re Invited!

To view the schedule click here.

You may print out a PDF version of this application and mail it to: engraved1@earthlink.net

Harris Griggs
Fax number 615/366-4192

2009 Annual Conference Review

We are all aware of the unfavorable economic conditions during 2009. As a result, attendance at the 2009 Annual Conference was less than in past years. However, those in attendance would agree that Conference content and activities met expectations. Following the Wednesday evening welcome reception, our Thursday morning session featured the keynote speakers, Bill Farquharson and Al Lautenslager. Bill’s presentation explored his approach to the sales of graphic arts. Al complimented Bill’s message with many low cost/zero cost marketing ideas. Both presentations perfectly complimented the Conference theme “Survival in a Trouble Economic Climate”.

The Thursday afternoon session featured a series of round table discussions. Both keynote speakers were available for the additional exchange of ideas with Conference attendees. Other discussion sessions were led by:

Brad Cannaday, Neenah Paper, “The Sate of the Paper Industry”
Randy Overly, “Workflow Solutions I”
Eric Nelsen, Xitron, Inc., Tim Murphy and Bill Frederick, Printware LLC, “Workflow Solutions II”
Pam Blake, Central Textas School of Etiquette, “Business Etiquette”

The Friday program featured the annual golf tournament and Associate Members’ Table Top Exhibits. The Associate members also sponsored the dinner Thursday evening.

As usual, the final Conference event was the Awards dinner. Golf tournament and Freddies winners were announced.

Pictures from Conference Review:

Raised Ink and Machine Guns: What they have in common!

What does Raised Printing (Thermography) and Machine guns have in common? Not much really, except it’s what drew several longstanding friends closer together in July of 2009. Several printing company owners belonging to – and the Executive Director of – the Worldwide Thermographers Association got together after their convention recently at the Horseshoe Bay Resort near Austin and enjoyed this rather unusual recreation in the quiet Texas countryside.

As you will see in the video the targets were rather unusual, computer screens… “they blow up so nice.” One of the friend’s wife was interested enough to ask for a turn. Having done it once, she was heard to say it’s something she can cross off her bucket list now.

After all these years as friends in their raised printing businesses and belonging to the same organization, they only recently discovered their common passion for guns and used the occasion to refine that passion. “There are guns, then there are machine guns – it’s a world of difference.”

View Video Here