By Cassandra Balentine
2019 marked the fifth anniversary of the annual thINK conference, held this year at the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton, FL from September 16 to 18. The event has grown year over year, establishing itself as the largest inkjet user group in the world, according to Bob Radzis, president, thINK and chief customer officer, SG360°.
thINK is an independent community of Canon Solutions America production print customers, solution partners, and print industry experts. The community includes more than 2,000 members. The 2019 annual conference drew over 600 attendees compared to just under 600 in 2018.
Above: A selection of entries for the inkjet innovation awards.
A Learning Experience
The theme of the conference played off the addition to its name—“ahead,” promoting forward-thinking practices. The event boasted 30 breakout sessions, led by more than 75 presenters comprised of 50 inkjet press customers and 25 industry analysts and experts.
Special Announcements
During the opening general session, Canon Solutions America took the floor to introduce the next iteration of the Océ VarioPrint i-series technology—the Océ VarioPrint i-series+. The sheetfed inkjet technology empowers customers to print high-quality graphic arts applications. New features include expanded support for coated media and enhanced image quality. The VarioPrint i-series+ is now available for ordering. In addition, existing i-series customers benefit from an optional field retrofit enabling them to take advantage of the enhanced performance and inks. Retrofits are available starting in Q1 2020.
The company also announced its plans to open a new, bigger Customer Experience Center, which is expected to open in Spring 2020 in Boca Raton, FL.
Inkjet Innovation Awards
Another highlight of thINK Ahead 2019 was the naming of the Inkjet Innovation Awards winners. Attendees walked the red carpet into the awards ceremony.
A variety of categories were judged by industry experts prior to the event along with one popular vote winner. Winners include CopyGeneral, Trend Offset, HighNote, Trekk, and International Paper.
Until Next Year
thINK 2020 is scheduled to take place from August 31 to September 2, 2020 in Boca Raton, FL. Until then, visit thinkforum.com for access to a variety of inkjet resources for Canon Solutions America production print customers, including videos, webinars, market research, and whitepapers.
Nov2019, DPS Magazine
