Our print buyer panel at this fall’s 5th Annual Print & Media Conference has a different twist than previous ones. This year, I selected print production pros who have initiated or been largely responsible for specific successes in their departments or organizations. They’ll share their success stories on Wednesday, November 3rd. When you register for the Conference, you just might want to select their session and get inspired.

Anne Anderson is on this panel. She is the Print Procurement and Supply Chain Manager for Universal Technical Institute in Phoenix, AZ. I asked Anne to answer 5 questions.

1. Our Conference theme this year is “Modern Marketing: From Design to Print to Pixel.” I settled on this theme to celebrate the evolution of print in business today. How does your topic relate?

Margie, you forgot about Procurement (that usually comes before Print and Pixel..or sometimes along side it!). Print is not dead at UTI. Even though our “customers” (potential students) want everything on line, the parents, family members and influencers want some bang for their buck. And we have to get to those Guidance Counselors to steer them in our direction. So, how do we efficiently print/store and distribute materials? Who’s tracking that…and what can be printed on demand?

2. What will our attendees learn from your session, keeping in mind we’ll have a mix of print buyers, graphic designers, and marketing communications professionals?

As I said, print is not dead in my opinion. It’s not doom and gloom. However, we see changes, for sure. You have to be proactive and think about what YOU can make of your job for the next several years. Let your Execs know what processes are missing and how you can make things more efficient for the company. Think about what you love to do and how you can enhance that in today’s changing print world. Sell yourself and your ideas.

3. Without giving it all away, can you share just a few highlights of what you’ll be covering in your session?

Well, one thing they’ll learn is that a 45-year-old company still has envelopes that are 10 years old in inventory. (You might ask, IS THE GLUE STILL GOOD?) And you’ll learn some simple tips and ideas about being proactive and affecting your company’s bottom line.

4. Is there a chance you can stick around after your session to mingle with attendees during breaks, meals or the cocktail party?

I will be at the Conference both days and I’m actually not leaving until the morning of November 5^th. I welcome the opportunity to talk to attendees and share my story – and hopefully learn things from them as well. This Conference is the first of its kind I have found that really relates specifically to Print and what is changing for all of us.

5. Finally, do you have accounts on Twitter, FB or LinkedIn you want to share with our readers – so they can follow you?

After your conference last year…, I tried. I just can’t do it. I am on FB mainly to play scrabble with out-of-town friends. NO JOKE. I bet I am one of the few to say that these days. The story is, we have a huge marketing department – we “have people” who just handle the social media side. I am fortunate to be able to stay in the print world, as I love it and the challenges and changes it brings to my job. I saw a need in the company and jumped on the chance to stay in that print world.

Thanks, Anne! Looking forward to hearing about your work at UTI during your session on November 3rd.

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