thINK, an independent community of Canon Solutions America inkjet customers (and one of the largest inkjet user events in North America), shifted from an in-person event to a live, online learning opportunity this year that took take place on Wednesday, September 2, 2020. The 6th Annual thINK Ahead Conference (Boca Raton, Florida) eventually broke all previous attendance records, reaching an unprecedented number of attendees across the world. “I want to congratulate the thINK Board on creating a one-of-a-kind experience for Canon Solution America inkjet customers and partners. We’ll all remember today for a variety of reasons – but most of all for the reminder that we all need to stay connected,” said Francis A. McMahon, Executive Vice President of Production Print Solutions at Canon Solutions America.
The thINK Virtual event enabled attendees to connect and engage in almost 50 educational breakout sessions and participate in live Q&A sessions, as well as discussions with partners in the Partner Pavilion. Also popular were one-on-one discussions with Canon Solutions America Executives, thINK Board members, industry experts and other event attendees using online chat and video features. Deep-dive sessions spanned topics from transitioning to inkjet, inkjet applications and print industry learning, to best practice COVID-19 business recovery, and marketing and selling inkjet.
McMahon took the virtual stage to provide an Executive Overview from Canon Solutions America, including product announcements and a look ahead to the new world of production inkjet technology. Attendees witnessed the unveiling of the new, best-in-class Canon Solutions America Customer Innovation Center, equipped with advanced inkjet technology and new products from Canon – including the varioPRINT-ix 3200 and the OEM’s Book iX solution. Part of the Book Smart Suite solutions set, Book iX is a highly efficient, easy-to-implement end-to-end solution that takes the guesswork out of the transition to an automated book solution, while helping to ensure a favourable economy of scale for short-run production.
“Putting together a virtual event that has the depth and breadth thINK Ahead, showcased with a world-renowned keynote, almost 50 deep-dive educational sessions, a live tour of the Canon Solutions America Customer Innovation Center, live product demos, and interactive chat and video networking features, is perhaps even more challenging than an on-site event,” said Eric Hawkinson, thINK Executive Director. “I really have to thank our loyal partners who so strongly believe in the thINK community, and what it stands for, that they committed not only with their sponsorship dollars to make it possible, but with their hearts, knowing how important learning is to this community, perhaps even more so during this challenging time. A very sincere, heart-felt THANK YOU to all of our thINK Ahead 2020 partners.” thINK members will also have on-demand access to the recorded thINK Ahead 2020 Live Virtual Event keynotes, demos and sessions through to the end of this year on their member website: www.thINKforum.com.
Record attendance at the thINK Ahead 2020 live virtual event
