Thursday, September 21, 2006
1:00 PM
Keynote: The Shift from Technology Provider to Business Partner – Leveraging both Technology and Services to Create Customer-Centric Solutions
Innovative technology is the baseline in today’s digital economy. What more and more customers are seeking is expertise and advice on how to leverage technology to improve their specific business processes and drive efficiency across the enterprise. Join IKON Chairman and CEO Matt Espe as he discusses key industry trends and the critical role services and solutions play for adding value beyond the technology and building customer relationships. He’ll share his thoughts on customer requirements, the importance of a document management strategy, applying the right mix of leading technology and value-added services to solve business challenges, and the role of strategic partnering.
Speaker: Matt Espe, Chairman & CEO, IKON Office Solutions
1:30 PM
Refreshment Break & Exhibit Browsing
1:45 PM
Welcome & Introduction
Speaker: Charlie Pesko, Managing Director, InfoTrends
1:50 PM
Keynote: The Imaging & Printing Industry Challenge: Creating Value in a Mature Market
Market maturity has left copier and printer vendors struggling to grow revenue. Product features and capabilities are increasingly on par and in many cases, differentiation has become a thing of the past. With average selling prices declining on both sides of the imaging fence as a result, how can vendors grow revenues and profits? This keynote presentation will examine the challenges facing the industry and provide insight on how to create sustainable value.
Speakers: Charlie Corr, Group Director InfoTrends
2:20 PM
Refreshment Break & Exhibit Browsing
2:30 PM
Session 1: Shifting Sands: Finding Value in a Mature Market
The copier market has reached an advanced stage of maturity, leaving vendors searching for answers on how to grow revenue. Monochrome placements are in decline and along with them average selling prices. But all is not bad news. Pockets of opportunity exist, such as the fast-growing color copier market and the light production level of the monochrome market. Vendors are also embedding new functionality in their copier platforms, setting the stage for the solutions revolution. This session provides an overview of the copier market and reviews the placement forecast and key technology trends.
2:30 PM
Session 2: Pushing the Value Chain: A Printer Market and Technology Overview
Consumer and SOHO products continue to garner the lion’s share of unit shipments in the printer market, but these products turn out fewer pages than those aimed at higher-end office and departmental applications. Vendors continue to push the performance of inkjet and laser products, creating even more pressure in a market where falling prices have resulted in declining hardware revenues and a struggle for profitability. This session provides an overview of the printing market with a review of hardware forecasts and key trends, including technological advancements, single-pass color page printer technology, and the speed vs. price equation.
3:30 PM
Session 3: Color in the Office: The Copier Perspective
Color copier placements increased over 40% in 2005, solid evidence that this segment of the copier market has entered its rapid growth phase. Copier vendors have responded by rushing to develop complete office color lines, setting the table for the potential replacement of monochrome lines. At stake is the lion’s share of future profits, and perhaps, ultimate survival. Vendors are betting big that office users will not only acquire color copiers, but that they will actually use them. This session will examine product and pricing trends, as well as the applications driving end user behavior in the fast-growing color copier market.
3:30 PM
Session 4: Surviving Channel Shifts and Thriving in a Mature Market
The printing business has matured and products in multiple categories have reached commodity status. In many product categories, competing brands show little difference in performance and features, making purchase price and convenience the key factors in the overall decision to buy. Falling average sales prices (ASPs) have resulted in new types of equipment becoming available to customers through the retail channel. As a result, consumers are faced with a bevy of choices for home printing, while more business customers are migrating to retail for convenience and immediacy. Meanwhile, Dell’s direct sales model is threatening to further upset the distribution chain. This session examines the shifts currently occurring in the printing market, including the expanding role of mass merchants and wholesale clubs and the impact of direct sales.
4:30 PM
Session 5: The Cross-Over Office/Light Production Opportunity (Panel)
The market acceptance of Universal Copier/Printers (UCPs) is one of the key drivers of the color copier market. Nevertheless, a new class of UCPs has arrived that manages to serve two markets: color and light-production. This session describes how UCPs are making a mark on the light-production arena, heavy-duty finishing, and per-page costs.
4:30 PM
Session 6: Color in the Office: The Printer Perspective
The adoption of color page printers is occurring at breakneck speed across all segments of the printing market, but color page volumes are not growing at similar rates. Meanwhile, a new class of low-cost laser MFPs promises to further push color penetration in the office. What are the long-term profitability prospects if color page volumes do not increase? What can vendors do to drive color printing volumes and ensure that monochrome replacement does not lead to monochrome-only printing? This session will dive deeper into the office color printing market to uncover the barriers to increased color printing and provide a road map for long-term success.
5:30 PM
Networking Reception Sponsored by MWA Intelligence
Friday, September 22, 2006
8:00 AM
Continental Breakfast Sponsored by HP
8:30 AM
Keynote: Printer- or Copier-Based MFP: It Really Doesn’t Matter!
The convergence of copiers and printers is now complete, and the long-debated copier versus printer discussion has reached a fever pitch. Do printer-based MFPs pose a real threat to the long-term survival of copiers? Can printer vendors solve the channel issues that have held back significant penetration into traditional copier segments? Can copier vendors survive the eventual onslaught of low-priced printer-based MFPs? This point-counterpoint discussion will provide a comprehensive and lighthearted approach to the real issues behind the printer versus copier debate. In the end, we believe you will see that there is room for printer- and copier-based MFPs, and successful vendors will leverage both platforms to develop a comprehensive MFP strategy.
Speakers:
Jon Bees, Director, InfoTrends
Robert Palmer, Director, InfoTrends
9:30 AM
Keynote: The Emerging Printing Solution: Printer-based MFP's Empowers Office Customers
During this keynote address, HP will provide an insightful perspective on the evolving office printing market and it's growing opportunities. With the explosion of printer-based MFP's, powerful single function Laser printers and print management solutions, the traditional copier-based segments continues to experience ongoing threats to their businesses.
Today's office is demanding more from their printing infrastructures.They want improved printing efficiencies, higher return on investments and increased manageability across the network. Add in the need for higher quality and advanced color accuracy to produce professional-looking marketing materials. This session will offer examples of how office customers are achieving these results with printer-based MFP solutions. Attendees will also learn the challenges MFP manufacturers face and the importance of R&D to build innovations that customers need. For OEM's, the focus lies in offering integrated printing solutions (hardware, software and services) to office customers that help advance their market leadership and business competitiveness.
Speaker: George Mulhern, Senior Vice President, Laser Jet Business, HP
10:00 AM
Session 7: Channel Challenges in a Mature Market
For years, the copier market has been mature and its products have been commodities. Models from competing brands show little difference in features and capabilities, making acquisition price and per-page cost the most important considerations in the buying decision. While the current color copier renaissance has opened the door to some minor product differentiation between models, color copiers are rapidly approaching commodity status as well. With hardware margins at an all-time low, vendors have increasingly sought alternative channels while attempting to protect the dealer base. Nevertheless, selling solutions requires a sophisticated sales force and this is not typically found in alternative channels. This session examines the changing landscape of copier distribution, including the challenges, threats, and opportunities.
10:00 AM
Session 8: Following the Prints: A Look Ahead at the Digital Photo Prints Market
Factors influencing photo printing behavior continue to expand and evolve, leading to a plethora of choices for consumers. Where digital camera owners ultimately choose to print their photos is only part of the equation. Whether in the home, online, or in retail stores, consumers have a myriad of options at their disposal for photo printing, and most will use a mix of services to meet their needs. What can vendors in all environments do to simplify the photo-printing process and grow their share? Is the convenience and immediacy of home photo printing enough to survive the growing acceptance of retail printing services? This session sizes the photo prints market and discusses consumer behaviors that will impact the mix of print volumes in all environments.
11:00 AM
Refreshment Break & Exhibit Browsing
11:30 AM
Session 9: Dealer Panel: Challenges Facing the Copier Business Model
Copier dealers are facing tough times. Margins are shrinking, competition from traditional competitors is intensifying, and pressure from low-cost printer MFPs is on the rise. Dealer principals must also wrestle with the thorny issue of developing a solutions-led business. In spite of these challenges, some dealers are thriving. What are their strategies for success? How are vendors using solutions selling to grow margins and provide points of differentiation versus their competitors? This panel’s industry veterans will discuss a number of topics, including diversification, solutions-led sales, and successful strategies.
11:30 AM
Session 10: Matching Capabilities to Customer Needs in the Evolving Photo Printing Market
The digital camera market has matured, resulting in a wide range of camera owners. Photo printing behavior among early adopters and advanced photo enthusiasts is changing. Meanwhile, the mass-market appeal of digital cameras has resulted in a flood of first-time camera owners, many of whom are still trying to figure out the best way to produce digital photographic prints. What factors will drive the print behavior of technology laggards and point-and-shoot users? What are vendors doing to influence this photo printing behavior among all users? Our panel will consider trends, revenue opportunities, photo kiosk stations, and online photo services.
12:30 PM
Lunch & Exhibit Browsing
1:30 PM
General Session: U.S. Imaging Supplies Market Forecast and Trends
This session will explore the demand for supplies (i.e. paper, toner, inkjet cartridges) used by printers, copiers, and facsimile machines. Attendees will learn about key issues impacting the competitive environment for supplies, including OEM, aftermarket, and store brand supplies.
Speaker: John Shane, Director, InfoTrends
2:30 PM
Session 11: Defending Your Turf—Building Customer Relationships with Consultative Selling
In a mature market, customers focus almost exclusively on price and convenience – the product and the company that produced it are secondary. “Relationships” are minimal and unlikely to generate customer loyalty or profit margins, consisting of primarily of invoicing and simple fulfillment. These days, competitors willing to lower prices are always lurking. For dealers, the first step is to change the value proposition of the relationship, making the product exchange less transactional and more strategic. This is easier said than done, since customers have been conditioned to expect transactional behavior from copier suppliers. This session examines consultative selling, margins, and customer retention strategies.
2:30 PM
Session 12: Inkjet and Laser: The Business Communications Battle
Since the inception of the desktop inkjet printer, there has been much speculation that the technology would eventually pose a serious threat to monochrome lasers. Key issues included high-quality color printing, low acquisition prices, and inexpensive supplies purchase prices. Despite significant performance and engine design improvements, inkjet products have yet to create a real stir in the office printing segment, at least not to the detriment of monochrome laser printer sales. In short, the bias against inkjet technology among office users has proved difficult to overcome. Meanwhile, prices for monochrome lasers have fallen just as quickly as their inkjet counterparts. Color laser prices have reached a point where inkjet replacement in certain office-printing applications is now a viable opportunity. What are the long-term prospects for inkjets in the office? Will inkjet be relegated simply to consumer photo printing applications? This session dives into recent technology and pricing trends.
3:30 PM
Refreshment Break & Exhibit Browsing
4:00 PM
Session 13: Financial Analyst Panel: A Unique Perspective on the Imaging and Printing
Numerous trends have impacted performance in the printing business, including market consolidation, continuing price pressures for hardware and supplies, distribution challenges, participation in the global markets, and the difficulties associated with maintaining profitability in a mature market. We have assembled a stellar list of leading financial analysts who track vendors in the imaging and printing market. The panel will discuss the performance of various vendors and provide insight into how well these vendors are dealing with evolving market conditions.
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