A recent conversation with my good friend John Felinski, president of Filmquest in Bolingbrook, IL, revealed there’s a growing critical shortage of 48-gauge PET film used for converting applications. more

On July 14, I spent the day with my co-judges (see photo at left) rendering decisions on the best representatives of the in-mold labeling and decorating processes for the In-Mold Decorating Assn., Phoenix AZ. While weather there was a tad on the warm side (how’s 113-deg F?), the judges found the competition entries were even hotter! more

We can’t get enough of that Stanley Cup here in Chicago. The Cup has been making its rounds with Chicagoans following it on Twitter and lining up to give a smootch wherever they can catch it. This afternoon I went with my coworkers Cheryl Mangano (publisher’s assistant) on the left and Claudia Hine (managing editor) to the Daley Plaza for a photo op. I had to leave after waiting in line for 45 minutes, but Cheryl and Claudia hung on until the bitter end. Just had to show off!

Our HP Indigo tour was nearly complete except for a final chat with Gary Bernier, HP Indigo’s Strategic Business Brand Development Lead. He shared with the mixed audience (both converter customers and editorial-type people like me) the kind of sales support the company provides. more

In the beginning, Benny Landa created Indigo ink, then came the digital offset press. After our first day at Hilton base camp (see my previous blog entries), HP saw all that we had learned, and said that it was good. So we were off to Rehovot, Israel–the second day–to learn still more about new software support, to see how HP assembles its digital presses, and a tour of its Kiryat Gat facilities where HP Indigo ink is manufactured. more

If you’ve been following my visit to Israel as a guest of HP, you’ve learned the time spent at our Hilton base camp was packed with information regarding both the volume and growth of markets HP users serve. Our host also offered attendees the first-hand experience of four of its customers who had adopted HP Indigo technology. The audience was essentially allowed to let loose questions, observations, and share their own experiences. That takes guts because you never know what might pop up. more

June 15 was a busy day for those of us in attendance at HP Indigo’s Labels & Packaging VIP Event, held June 14—17 in Tel Aviv, Israel. After a comprehensive presentation by Alon Bar-Shany, VP & GM HP Indigo Div., in which he shared that the company’s newest WS6000 press is now outselling the 4000 series for its attention to higher productivity and quality, Corey Reardon, president and CEO of AWA Alexander Watson Assoc., was next on stage. He shared trends and characteristics of the Label & Product Decoration Market Worldwide. more

Last week on June 14–17, I was among the fortunate few who were invited to Israel to experience HP on home soil at its HP Indigo Labels & packaging VIP Event. The participant mix included at least 35 North American converters, many with guests, as well as a contingency of trade press editors–all numbering around 120 people in total, which included our HP hosts. The tour began in Tel Aviv on Monday, June 14, at our Hilton Hotel “base camp.” As one would guess, this was one working tour that came with some pretty nice benefits. more

Just had to share these pictures. Left is Ludwig Mies van der Rohe wearing his Black Hawks helmet. Mies’s bust graces the lobby of our office building–the former IBM Building and now boring 330 N. Wabash in Chicago across from Trump Tower. “The Donald” generates more fascination than some silly black building with granite slab joints in the lobby lining up with the joints of granite outside the building. more

We’re all basking in the afterglow of a Hawks win in Chi-town! Now that was a piece of teamwork if I ever saw one! You can’t capture the Stanley Cup with only one player. Not much different from our businesses. But with the excitement of last week’s win, I’m off to Tel Aviv, Israel, to participate in a VIP tour hosted by HP Indigo for a Labels and Packaging Event. Be sure to follow me on my journey as I try to blog from afar.

Let’s see if technology is all it’s cracked up to be.

Right now I have the weather to thank for a 2-1/2 hour delay! Let’s hope I don’t miss my connection!