UPDATED: See Schedule below
Get ready for the business trip of a lifetime. All APDSP members are invited to join
managing director Ed Avis on a trip to the 2018 convention of the German reprographics association, motio, April 13-14 in Mainz. The trip will include visits to some local reprographics shops, meetings with German reprographics shop owners and vendors, and of course sight seeing.
Mainz is a classic German university town on the Rhine River with roots stretching back 2,000 years. Among its claims to fame is that hometown of Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the famous Gutenberg Press -- making it a particularly suitable location for a reprographics event! Click here to read more about Mainz.
The motio event, which will include opportunities to explore the latest repro technology as well as make connections with the leading reprographics firms in Germany, is two days. But we'll tack on days before and after for visits to local firms and other points of interest.
Registration for the full motio event, including several meals, breaks, and the networking party, is 169 Euros (about $210), and the hotel costs 119 Euros ($150) single occupancy and 144 Euros ($180) for double. Tours and side trips will add nominally to the cost. Mainz is very convenient to Frankfurt Airport.
Schedule
Wednesday, April 11: Arrive in Mainz, stay at Atrium-Hotel (through Saturday night). Dinner together for those who arrive on time.
Thursday, April 12: Visit two leading reprographics and digital printing shops in Frankfurt to see how cutting-edge European firms are thriving today. Speak with the owners about their business, the technology they use, how their market differs from ours in the U.S., etc. Also tour Frankfurt to shop and eat. In the evening, networking dinner, or dinner on your own.
Friday, April 13: Convention opens. Educational sessions in the morning, or visits to downtown Mainz on your own. Trade show opens in the afternoon (see exhibitors showing latest repro tech developments, including HP, Image Access, Es-Te, a dozen or so others). Party and networking event with buffet dinner, music, and dancing in the evening at Pyramide Mainz, a hip, glass-enclosed event center (https://www.pyramidemainz.de/).
NEW ADDITION: Meet with the son of the inventor of the first computer and the first plotter, Dr. Horst Zuse. Dr. Zuse will have a 15 minute private meeting with the Americans at the event. Click here for more details.
Saturday, April 14: Trade show continues in the morning; educational sessions in the afternoon. Dinner together as a group at a historic restaurant in downtown Mainz.
Sunday, April 15: Group tour in Mainz in morning. Then head as a group to the nearby Rheingau region, home to motio leader Achim Carius. Carius will lead a tour through one of the region's famous wineries, followed by dinner together. Spend the night in a charming small hotel in the town of Oestrich-Winkel.
Monday, April 16: Return to airport for trip home (or wherever you want to go from there).
This event is truly a special opportunity to network with leadership from a strong potential partner country, and keep abreast of technological developments overseas. If you've ever had a client ask about printing in Europe, or would otherwise like to be able to do that, attending this event is a must. You will meet potential partners in a setting designed to create connections.
Finally, don't worry about the language barrier. Nearly everyone you will meet, especially at professional events, speaks excellent English. And there will always be people around to translate if needed.
If you are interested, please email Ed Avis by March 2, ed.avis@apdsp.org. He'll send details on how to register and pay.