Hopefully we’re all breathing a bit easier now because of the quick, legislated end to the strike at Canada Post Corporation. No matter where you stand on the issues (and feelings were flying high both in parliament, in the media and throughout the printing industry), you might want to check out the articles on pages 26 and 27.
Congratulations to two proud Canadian companies, Pacific Bindery Services and Anstey Book Binding. They were recently recognized as two the world’s finest print finishers by winning Product of Excellence (POE) Awards in the BIA’s (Binding Industries Association) annual competition. Vancouver-based Pacific won two POE Awards for technical flawlessness – in the Adhesive Binding and Mechanical Binding categories. Toronto-based Anstey won its POE Award in the Graphic Finisher Self Promotion category.
Plans for our premiere Printing Survivor 2011 event in Toronto Thursday, October 13 are well underway. I’m delighted to report that we already have some exceptional sponsors including Konica Minolta, SNZ Trading Inc. and Green Dot Litho. I am also delighted that renowned industry leader in integrated multi-media marketing solutions, Wrich Printz, has agreed to be a keynote speaker. He will discuss workable digital marketing communications and digital printing solutions. Arjun Basu, Content Director, Spafax (Montreal), a worldwide leader in custom communication, branding and media services, is also scheduled to speak. For more information, check out the People and Events Page (16), visit www.graphicartsmag.com or call me toll-free at 1-877-513-3999. And watch for coming announcements regarding sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, tickets, topics, additional speakers and other details on our website and in our September issue.
It’s always nice to hear some positive news, especially in this flat economy. Ever heard of Creem Magazine? It’s a Detroit-based Rock ‘n’ Roll magazine that stopped publishing a hard-copy edition more than 20 years ago and has only been available online since 2001. Well, its publishers intend to re-start the presses with a quarterly publication (that will include mobile apps and streaming music videos) of about 200,000 hard-copy magazines aimed at new and existing readers. Creem executives said that a desire amongst music fans for “something real” was a contributing factor for this decision. Let’s hope this is the tip of the iceberg and that this trend spreads to Canada.
Many of you already know that Robert van Velzen, head of The FSA (Fulfillment Solutions Advantage Inc.) Group, died last month in Toronto. Rob was a pioneer and visionary and his company was recognized throughout the industry as one of the most innovative when it came to data processing and fulfillment. But he was also known for his volunteer work and leadership on several boards. He’ll be missed, that’s for sure.
Enjoy the sun and summer weather. And, as always, stay positive.