PINC Trade Show, April/May '09
I have returned from my blogging hiatus. What a "moveable type of life" it has been these past two months, indeed. Herman, Ian, and I combined our Associate powers for the entire month of April in preparation for the Printing Industries of Northern California trade show on May 1st. I employed my English degree to do the copy writing, both for the trade show materials and the new Watermark Press Website Ian and I have been updating. I must say, Ian, with his graphic design sensibilities, Herman, with his Photoshop prowess, and me, with my loose background in Marketing/PR (and my general affinity for event planning)...we made a fine team. We camped out in the Conference Room for four weeks, planning, designing, and re-designing our 8 foot by 8 foot canvas banners. The Sales Team and Pre-Press were especially helpful in the construction of the banners, offering constructive criticism and technical guidance, respectively. And of course there's our Associate mentor, Matt, a graduate of the LDP Associate program, who is always generous with support and guidance. We also couldn't have done it without Tom, Rick (sales) and our friend Tuan at sister company Anderson Printing in Los Angeles.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ASSOCIATES AT OTHER SHOPS WHO CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS TO OUR "DIGITAL FLEET" CGX MAP!
All in all, it was a huge success. We had our local Whole Foods cater a cheese and bread platter, and we served wine in eco-friendly, compostable cups thanks to the Rainbow Grocery. Jolt and Bolt around the corner baked us classy cookies, making our booth a huge hit. And if I do say so myself, the banners were beautiful. We boasted the CGX Digital Print Network, CGX Solutions, and last but not least, Watermark Press.
Watermark created quite the buzz that day. At the trade show, we showed off some shiny new PINC printing awards, and our sustainability initiatives. We networked, played Wii golf, and ate chocolate covered strawberries, among other things. Some of our Bay Area sister companies and fellow associates were in attendance: Eagle Press, American Litho -Hayward, and Pacific Standard Press, formerly American Litho - Sacramento.
I learned what's out there in the printing world, and realized...I'm really starting to feel like part of it, now. I even experienced 15 seconds of fame when I was interviewed for PINC TV. I flexed some Watermark muscle, and got ready to return to the press, prouder than ever.
Press Princess Joins the Ranks of the Finest Pressmen ...
I go through all my rotations like a journalist, pen and notebook in hand, always. I ask a ridiculous amount of questions, but that's just how I learn. I need to take copious notes, and do the hands-on-learn-by-doing thing Ian is such a fan of. At first the guys wanted to keep my whites white, and my hands clean. I felt like their Press Princess. I got to push some buttons during my earlier press days, but by the end of it, I was hanging with the best of them. By the time I got to my 2nd shift rotation, I was taking ink off the presses during the wash up with my bare hands. Muhahaha! Okay...I made up the part about my bare hands. But I really did help clean the presses, and I got a good sense of the hard work these guys do for our clients. We care about the details. Our quality control is fantastic. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, even during long, late night press checks that see the CMYK channels re-mixed many times before we reach the ultimate goal: our clients' satisfaction. Tony, Pavel, Julio, Sam, Craig, David, Juan, and Antonio - they taught me what our Pressman go through on a daily basis, from routine maintenance and wash-ups, to the unique trouble shooting they do from job to job. I'll re-visit some of the technical aspects later after my Press closing.
Hana, Super Shipper in Training: Hot-Shot, Expedited Learning
I've finished week one of two in the Shipping Department, and this is truly a fast-paced domain full of surprises. It tests your multi-tasking aptitude, as well as your sense of prioritization. I like it. I get to check in-coming shipments, prep out-going shipments, and hang out with Chef Larry Minetti - Shipping Manager by day, Culinary Artist by night. I keep pretty busy these days, and it feels gooooood.
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