01 July 2016

Collaboration in the air at Dscoop 11

Dscoop’s 11th annual conference was held on April 14-16 in San Antonio, Texas. Participants shared ideas, were motivated by speakers and saw the launch of new technology.

The organizers of the annual Digital Solutions Cooperative, or Dscoop, conference celebrated a record number of attendees at its 11th annual event.

About 2,500 attendees turned out for the event held on April 14-16, and featured educational presentations, peer-to-peer moderated sessions, a technology showcase, charity events and offered participants the opportunity to network with others in the digital print industry.

This year’s Dscoop chairman Mike Duggal noted the variety of attendees at the event, which was hosted at the Harry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in the heart of San Antonio, Texas. ‘From the beginning Dscoop has brought together thought leaders from all corners of the industry, from leading digital print companies and material suppliers, to software developers and machine manufacturers,’ he said.

To those attending, the word ‘collaboration’ was used most often when describing the conference.

‘There’s a significant feeling of collaboration at Dscoop,’ says Ed Wiegand, president of Jetfx, who leads the labels and packaging committee at Dscoop. ‘Conventional printing has been shrinking over the years, so the competitive market has only grown. With Dscoop, and with digital printing, this feeling of sharing and collaborating is because all these companies are growing together, and in growth environments that are relatively new, everyone needs to educate themselves.’

At Dscoop’s Solution Showcase, HP demonstrated for the first time in the US its new HP Indigo 8000. The press runs at speeds up to 262ftmin and features two WS6800 print engines and an in-line finishing unit specially developed by AB Graphic.

HP’s general manager of the Indigo division Alon Bar-Shany noted the development in his keynote address. He has said it will ‘revolutionize’ the label industry.

Keynote addresses featured Silicon Valley icon, Steve Wozniak, who played a key role in the early days of Apple, Kevin O’Leary from reality TV’s ‘Shark Tank’, former White House events director Laura Schwartz, country music drummer Rich Redmond, and former NFL head coach Herm Edwards.