The PRINTING United Alliance presents "Ask The Experts"--a new members-only webinar series featuring expert Alliance staff presenting timely and relevant content. Each webinar has been carefully curated to help our members through specific hurdles that they will encounter in operating printing businesses, including art-preparation, production, training staff, navigating relevant legislation, and human resource issues.
PRINTING United Alliance "Ask The Experts" webinars run an hour in length and will allow time for Q&A with the expert presenter. And for members who are looking for more information--access to PRINTING United Alliance staff experts is an exclusive member benefit. Reach out to us at assist [at] printing.org with your technical, OSHA, EHS, human resources, legislative or economic questions.
Ask The Experts webinars are a members-only resource. Alliance members should look for special registration links in members-only email communications. Non-members interested in attending an Ask The Experts webinar should contact membership at membership [at] printing.org. All Ask The Experts webinars broadcast online beginning at 2:00 pm EST. A listing of upcoming webinars is below - stay tuned for more detailed session descriptions.
Upcoming Ask the Experts Webinars
January 27: Spot Color Magic with Ray Weiss, Director, Digital Programs
Too often, color management is thought of as something that is mysterious or difficult. I liken it to watching a magician perform and wondering just how they do their trick. Join me as we explore the challenges of matching brand and spot colors and expose the "magicians" secret. It's not as hard or complicated as you imagined! In this session we'll look at how spot colors (Pantone color) are defined, how they are managed, and how to get the most out of your digital printer. What are the best practices that you can implement in your workflow and what tools are needed for success!
February 17: The New View on Capitol Hill with Lisbeth Lyons, Vice President, Government Affairs
Lisbeth Lyons will preview PRINTING United Alliance's Advocacy Agenda for the 117th Congress and will review which top priority public policy issues the Alliance will pursue to achieve a favorable business environment for the printing and graphic communications industry. This session will dive into the best practices for members to successfully engage with Senators and Representatives as champions for the printing industry's advocacy agenda. Attendees will hear about about innovative grassroots tools that the Alliance is launching to provide your company, its employees, and customers a voice on Capitol Hill.
March 17: Operating Safely in a COVID-19 Environment with Marci Kinter, Vice President, Government & Regulatory Affairs and Gary Jones, Director, Environmental, Health, and Safety Affairs
Safe operations have never been more important than now given the COVID-19 Global Pandemic. OSHA and state safety inspectors are out in full force enforcing the regulatory and policy mandates put in place by the government. Marci Kinter and Gary Jones will explore actionable steps you can put in place immediately to ensure compliance, reduce workplace exposures, and will also preview tools to help you to implement your own Safety Compliance program.
April 28: Managing Marijuana in Manufacturing with Adriane Harrison, Vice President, Human Relations Consulting
Marijuana laws are changing, and many states have recently legalized marijuana use. Adriane Harrison will explore how marijuana may affect your workplace, how to manage legal use while keeping your employees safe. This program will also address how to manage your HR policies to address other legal and illegal drugs in the workplace.
May 19: Hacking PDFs with Acrobat Tools with Joe Marin, Senior Vice President, Education and Training
Many PDF files submitted for print still contain problems that require repair before they can be output successfully. When you're working in production, you just need to solve these pesky problems and move on to the next job. In this fast-paced webinar, we'll go "under the hood" in Acrobat and PDFs with 10 actionable, no-nonsense tips and tricks that prepress professionals should be using each and every day!
June 16: The Future of Work is Learning with Joe Marin, Senior Vice President, Education and Training
A well-trained staff is more productive, and happier, but the relationship between learning and working is changing and what is learned today will likely not be relevant in a few short years. Employees need support through training opportunities to stay relevant and productive. What does "good" looks like when it comes to learning? Joe Marin will lead a discussion on the changing relationship between learning and working; "old" thinking and "new" thinking when it comes to changes in careers, jobs, and work; how work has become the primary place where we learn--and what you can do to support and foster employee development.
July 21: Economic Update - What 2021 Looks Like So Far with Andy Paparozzi, Chief Economist
Attendees of this session will explore three critical questions: Has recovery from the COVID-19 recession begun? If it has, how strong can we expect recovery to be? And, if it hasn't, when can we expect it to begin? Andy Paparozzi will present current trends in key printing business indicators, including sales, confidence, and work-on-hand, as well as a forecast for full-year 2021 printing industry sales.
August 18: Creative Recruiting with Adriane Harrison, Vice President, Human Relations Consulting
Finding future printworkers requires imaginative approaches. Adriane Harrison will explore how organizations can attract talent to your company and set themselves apart from the competition for highly in-demand workers.
September 22: Economic Update - A First Look at 2022 with Andy Paparozzi, Chief Economist
Join Andy Paparozzi as he guides attendees through a data-driven presentation illustrating how the printing industry has performed through the first three quarters of 2021 and what that tells us about 2022. Learn what to expect from the American economy in the coming year and what it will mean for the printing industry. Printers looking for a preview of 2022 should expect to learn where they should look for opportunity, what their biggest concerns should be, and how to plan their capital investments.
October 13: Industry Advocacy Spotlight: The Hot Topic in Federal Legislation this Fall with Lisbeth Lyons, Vice President, Government Affairs
2021 is sure to bring plenty of new legislative action on Capitol Hill, and whatever the hot topic may be this coming fall, PRINTING United Alliance is on the ground in Washington, DC making sure our industry has a voice throughout the debate. Hear the latest on the Alliance's advocacy efforts and learn how your company can participate in PRINTING United Alliance's federal legislative lobbying efforts for a successful outcome.
November 17: Extended Producer Responsibility - What Does this Mean for the Printing Industry? with Marci Kinter, Vice President, Government & Regulatory Affairs and Gary Jones, Director, Environmental, Health, and Safety Affairs
Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR, are programs designed to shift the burden of waste recycling from states and municipalities to the manufacturer or producer. These programs impose a tax or fee on printed paper and packaging to pay for the collection and recycling of these materials. EPR programs have significant ramifications for the printing industry and its customers. Take the time to learn how EPR impacts your customer, business, and what steps you can take to help your customer respond.
December 15: Why Care About Verification? with Ray Weiss, Director, Digital Programs
Without verification, there is no process control, and without process control there is no consistency to your product. It really is that simple, and yet I see and hear many shop owners struggling with the color that is coming off their printers. Ray Weiss will lead attendees in a conversation on why verification matters (hint: it saves you money), when you should do it, and walk through an example so that the value is apparent. Attendees should expect to walk away with actionable lessons that they can implement in their own process.