Here's what's covered in today's "HOTLINE" :
  • Graphic Excellence Awards Competition FINAL DEADLINE THIS FRIDAY 
  • Buyer's Guide & Membership Directory Deadline Extended
  • SWEET Deal for President's Conference
  • Women's Leadership in Print
  • 2018 State of the Industry Report Released
  • New Address for PIA MidAmerica's Kansas City office
  • Continuous Improvement Conference Coupon Code
  • Credit Card Processing program gets even better
  • Spoilage Survey - Spoiler Alert
  • Have you posted your OSHA 300 Summaries?
  • Welcome NEW Member: Big Box Little Box
  • University of Houston's Digital Media Showcase
  • Calendar of Upcoming Events
 
THINK 
of the 
PRINTABILITIES! 

The Best Awards Program ROI in the industry HANDS DOWN! 

Get your Graphic Excellence Awards Competition entries 
POSTMARKED BY THIS
FRIDAY for a chance to WIN BIG. Best of Show Awards, Division Awards, Specialty Awards and more will be presented at our upcoming galas in April. 

And with ALL the COOL stuff our members produce we anticipate an AMAZING Show. Anything produced in 2017 qualifies. All entries will be displayed at the DFW & KC galas, People's Choice and Printoberfest for print buyers, designers & marketing professionals to see. All Best of Category Winners go on to compete internationally in the Premier Print competition for a chance to win a coveted "Benny" award. 

New THIS YEAR is our ONLINE ENTRY FORM & PAYMENT OPTION. Enter as much detail as you'd like so we can export the content. (You will need to print 1 copy to submit w/the physical piece). You can access the online entry form HERE.  Remember that three samples are needed for submission. Click HERE for a list of categories. New categories include direct mail, newsprint and more. 

Don't miss all the FUN! Enter TODAY!

February 9, 2018
Final Entry Deadline

~ Feeling like you can't meet the deadline? ~

WE CAN HELP! 

Contact Stacy Steiner in MO or KS at StacyS@piamidam.org or 
Dave Pierson in TX or OK at DaveP@piamidam.org

Have you made updates to your PrintAccess listing? 

...Because we know you're busy and we LOVE our members we have extended the deadline to make changes to your PrintAccess listing to February 14th ❤️. 

This is a great way to let buyers find YOU! YOUR LISTING WILL BE PUBLISHED by capability as well as alphabetically in print and SEO (search engine optimized) online. There are over 14,000 searches in this database every month! 

NOW is the time to review your company listing and make sure it is working for YOU. Download the pdf HERE. Then follow these steps:

2.) Scroll to the Bottom Left Hand Corner of Screen - Click on "Member Login" 
3.) Enter your email address and password. Only one login per company. Your PIA MidAmerica key contact email is the login. (If you need a login, send a request to info@piamidam.org) 
4.) Once logged in, simply follow the five-step process to update your company logo, description, product offerings, services, and equipment.
5.) Remember to scroll back to the top and  SAVE your work



What?! You Haven't Registered Yet?!

Join us on the San Antonio River Walk to learn  what the future of the printing industry will look like and how to be ahead of the trends! If you want to be an innovative leader, this conference is for YOU.

Professionals in sales, HR, Finance, Young Leaders, Women in Print & more should attend. The line-up of all new speakers is expected to educate & motivate everyone who attends.

Plan to join members from our region to network and tour Shweiki Media. Space is limited.  Be sure to mark this free option on your registration.

ONLY Members of PIA MidAmerica 
(Kansas,  Oklahoma, Texas & Western 
Missouri)  will receive a  $250  discount with coupon code:  LONESTAR18 . (This code will only apply  to members in our region.) DON'T WAIT! Discount hotel rates are only good through Monday, February 12th. Sign-up today.

March 4-6, 2018 ~  San Antonio, TX
Register TODAY at presidentsconference.com
SPECIAL PRICING ONLY FOR MIDAMERICA MEMBERS!


Our very own, 2018 President's Conference will host a special Women's Leadership in Print reception and panel discussion. At this unique event, a panel of female leaders in the industry will discuss how they have achieved success and the challenges they overcame. Guests will have the opportunity to ask questions of the panel. All women and male supporters are welcome to attend. Light hors-d'oeuvres and cocktails will be served.

This event is held in conjunction with PIA's 2018 President's Conference. 

March 4, 2018, ~  San Antonio, TX
Register TODAY at presidentsconference.com
Reception at no charge for President's Conference Attendees 

Cristen Perkowski joins PIA MidAmerica 

We are pleased to announce Cristen Perkowski as our NEW Regional Director for Texas and Oklahoma. Cristen brings a wealth of knowledge and energy to the team and we are excited to have her on board. To connect with Cristen you can email her at CristenP@piamidam.org

2018 State of the Industry Report
Released by PIA National

Print is off to a running start in 2018--an Olympic year and a mid-term election year, which means a double boost for print. PIA National's view for the print industry is strong with growth potential foreseen on multiple fronts. 
 
The 2018 State of the Industry report focuses on the macroeconomic forecast, micro-trends, market opportunities, outside policy influences, and how print companies can leverage each of these dynamics to succeed in 2018.

Download the report  HERE

Our Kansas City 
PIA MidAmerica Office 
Has A NEW Mailing Address 

Please update your records! Our PIA MidAmerica 
mailing address in Kansas City is now: 

      PIA MidAmerica
118 N. Conistor Lane
      Suite B168
      Liberty MO 64068

So you think your plant is efficient?

Imagine what you can learn from others more efficient than you? 

Our Continuous Improvement Conference is the best in the industry. This year's conference will focus on critical aspects of establishing improvement priorities, minimizing non-valued added activities, and unleashing the many talents of employees in the quest for operational excellence. 

Best of all...PIA MidAmerica members receive a $100 discount code when they register by this Friday, February 9th. Don't wait. Get registered today 

April 8-11, 2018
Chicago, IL
Coupon Code:  Midamerica100
It Just Keeps Getting Better   

Not only does our credit card processing program offer the best fraud security in North America (1 of 5 around the globe) and have great rates, but ONLY PIA MidAmerica members have their annual $99 Processing Fee waived. It doesn't get better than that!

To learn more contact Stacy Steiner in MO or KS at stacys@piamidam.org or Cristen Perkowski in TX or OK at cristenp@piamidam.org

Spoilage Survey Spoiler Alert



PIA National is in the process of analyzing the results from the spoilage survey recently conducted. While this special report for members won't be out for a few months, here are a few preliminary
findings: 

(1) 30% of companies that responded do not measure spoilage, predominately because they lacked an effective system, and a minority said spoilage was a minor issue that wasn't worth the effort to track 

(2) Of the companies that do track spoilage, responses indicated a wide range of spoilage rates, from less than 0.4 percent of sales to well over 10 percent

(3) 75 percent of companies reported less than two percent spoilage, and the average was about three
percent 

(4) 73 percent of the companies calculate their spoilage rate based on sales revenue (12% calculated based on value-added and 15% used a different method). 

The results will be presented at the 2018 Continuous Improvement Conference in Chicago, April 8-11.

Are your OSHA 300A Summaries Posted?

Just a reminder, February 1, 2018, was the date employers were required to post their  OSHA Form 300A, Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses.

This document lists the total number of 
job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred during the previous year.

It should be displayed in a common area where notices to employees are usually posted, and it must be posted even if there were no work-related injuries or illnesses that occurred during the year.


Welcome NEW Member ~
Big Box Little Box from 
Addison, TX

Specializing in small quantity runs and one-off prototypes, their international reach allows them to seamlessly integrate large national and international product rollouts. They produce distinctive Influencer Marketing Kits. Materials include wood, metal, acrylic, natural and synthetic substrates. POP displays, pop-up stores, foam molding, menus, one-off items, TV props, displays, pieces that light up, sound, book covers, cases and unique bindings. 

For more information visit bigbox-littlebox.com

Attendees will see the University of Houston's Digital Media student portfolios 
and provide valuable feedback. 

This is a great way to share job or internship opportunities with prospective students. 

RSVP by February 20th HERE
MEMBERS RECEIVE 10% OFF YOUR FIRST PURCHASE  OF OFFICE SUPPLIES

UPCOMING EVENTS

February 9, 2018
GRAPHEX ENTRY DEADLINE!
Click  HERE   for our Category List
Click  HERE  for our Entry Form

February 13, 2018
Lean in Action
"MUSTER TIME"
Round Table Discussion Program
Gill Studios, 10800 Lackman Rd, Lenexa, KS 66219
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
REGISTER HERE

February 15, 2018
PIA National
Tax Strategies for the Business Owner Under the New Tax Law Webinar
1:00 - 2:00 pm
Register  HERE

March 1, 2018
PGSF Scholarship Application Deadline

March 4-6, 2018
President's Conference
San Antonio River Walk
Register HERE
WOW! $250 DISCOUNT ONLY FOR OUR REGION!! Use COUPON code:  LONESTAR18

March 8, 2018
Lean in Action
Dallas/Fort Worth
SAVE the DATE!

March 8, 2018
PIA National

March 18-21, 2018
TAGA Technical Conference
(Technical Association of Graphic Arts)
Baltimore, MD
SAVE the DATE!

April 5, 2018
DFW Graphex Awards Gala
Globe Life Park / Ranger's Stadium - Cholula Porch
SAVE the DATE!

April 8-11, 2018
Continuous Improvement Conference
Chicago, IL
$100 Discount only for our Region! UseCoupon Code: Midamerica100 (Code Expires Feb 9)
Register at:  http://ci.printing.org/

April 26, 2018
Kansas City Graphex Awards Gala
Chiefs Stadium
SAVE the DATE!

May 10, 2018
Automation READY!
Virtual Conference
SAVE the DATE!

June 19-20, 2018
Print Voice - D.C. Industry Lobbying
Washington D.C.
SAVE the DATE!

November 8, 2018
Inkjet READY! Part 2
Virtual Conference
SAVE the DATE!

November 12-16, 2018
PIA MidAmerica
P rintGuard OSHA 30 Hour Training Course
Chicago, IL
SAVE the DATE!


PIA MidAmerica | (800) 788-2040 | www.piamidam.org
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