Fujifilm held another successful Wide Format Technology Summit at its new Chicago Technology Centre in Hanover Park, Illinois.
Nearly 50 invited guests toured the expanded and renovated Fujifilm facility, encompassing over 2137sqm (23000 square feet) of innovations, and experienced live demonstrations of the Inca Onset R40i and Q40i; the Acuity series of presses, including the all-new Acuity F, the Uvistar Pro-8W, the Esko Kongsberg Cutting Table iXP24 and ColorGATE RIP software.
Brian Waggoner, print production manager, Fleet Graphics said, ‘Experiencing all of Fujifilm’s line-up of products under one roof is fantastic. We are going home with so much knowledge. Our wish list is obviously growing after seeing everything in-person.’
A highlight during the multi-day technology summit included Fujifilm’s signature ‘Customer User Panel,’ featuring Fujifilm customers sharing their real-life experiences with Fujifilm solutions. The diverse panel included Todd Meissner, president, Color Ink, Sussex, Wisconsin; Brett Levitt, VP, Oakley Signs & Graphics, Chicago, Illinois; and David Leavy, president, Creative Printing, Merriam, Kansas.
‘The customer panel always rates highly with attendees,’ commented Terry Mitchell, VP marketing, Fujifilm North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division. ‘The session is an open forum of questions and the panel provides insights from their experience with wide format. It’s always a highlight of our summits.’
The presentation line-up included a brief corporate overview of Fujifilm and an introduction to Fujifilm inkjet technologies followed by more in-depth presentations of the capabilities of specific wide format solutions. Will Eve, director of R&D, Inca Digital, presented the technology of the Onset series; Stephanie Brown, strategic account manager, ColorGATE, spoke about ColorGATE RIP software; and Steve Bennett, VP of sales, Esko, detailed the benefits of Esko Graphics and their relationship with Fujifilm.
‘Our Technology Summits are great opportunities for customers to learn about wide format; it’s very satisfying to educate, excite, and entertain our customers,’ said Jeffrey Nelson, business development manager, Inkjet Solutions, Fujifilm North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division. ‘My hope is that they come away with a much better understanding of our technology and commitment to inkjet. It’s an extraordinary time to be involved with wide format, and a fantastic opportunity to share information with our customers.’
