Two days of print, packaging, technology, and the people who make this industry interesting.

There's something about walking into a major printing trade show that makes you want to see everything. The equipment, the technology, the materials, the samples. Everywhere you turn, something catches your attention, and there's always another booth just around the corner.

PRINTING United Expo 2026, organized by PRINTING United Alliance, took place September 23–25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. I planned to attend only the first two days, knowing that by Friday I'd probably have reached my limit. Between events, meetings, and walking the show floor, two days would be plenty. And looking at my schedule, I was right!

I've been attending printing trade shows for years, and I still enjoy discovering what's new. This time, though, I had quite a few activities planned beyond visiting exhibits. It turned out to be an interesting mix of technology, education, and connecting with people throughout the industry.

Starting with a Plan: The Taktiful Technology Tour

One of the smartest things I did was sign up for the Embellishment Technology Tour, powered by Taktiful, on the first day. If you've attended a show this large, you know the feeling. Where do you start? Which booths should you visit? And how do you avoid spending half the day wandering around trying to decide?

The tour took care of that for me. Our group followed a guided route visiting exhibitors focused on print embellishment technologies. What a relief to have a little structure on that first day!

Embellishments are those finishing details that give print another dimension. Foil, raised coatings, textures, and other specialty effects can change how a printed piece looks and feels. For packaging, they offer some beautiful creative possibilities, and I always enjoy seeing how these effects are actually produced.

Of course, I can't look at a beautiful printed sample without also wondering about the process, production requirements, and cost. It's just a habit at this point.

Another nice part of the tour was seeing students from Cal Poly's Graphic Communication program assisting with the groups. What a great opportunity for them to meet industry professionals and experience new technologies firsthand.

Speaking of technology, the PRINTING AI Pavilion really caught my attention. Unfortunately, I only managed to attend the opening and never made it back to explore. What I found particularly interesting is that PRINTING United Alliance has established an entire division called PRINTING AI, offering consulting, education, and resources specifically for the printing and packaging industries.

They've even developed an AI Readiness Benchmark to help companies evaluate where they stand and how AI might fit into their operations. I like that they're focusing on practical applications, not just the possibilities. I would have enjoyed seeing more of what was happening in the Pavilion, especially how companies are using AI in their everyday workflows. Definitely something I wish I'd made more time for.

Students, Careers, and a Seat at the Table

Connecting with students was a big part of my PRINTING United experience. I participated in the Student Day panel, sharing experiences and talking about the different career paths available in printing and graphic communications. After the panel, we did roundtable discussions and that was really fun being at the table and not on stage.

I always enjoy these conversations because our industry offers so many possibilities that students may not have considered. Design, technology, materials, manufacturing, business, and problem-solving are all part of the picture. It's also fun to see students begin connecting what they're learning in school with the opportunities available to them.

I was also pleased to support the Foundation for Graphic Communication Education (FGCE) Box Design Contest through a printing sponsorship. Encouraging students to think about both the design and construction of packaging is something I'm always happy to support. After all, that beautiful design still has to become a real box!

Women in Print: Good Conversations and a Great Idea

The Women in Print Alliance hosted two events during the show, beginning with a Member Reception at the Wynn. Excellent food, drinks, and lots of conversation made for a really enjoyable evening. It was fun meeting other women working in different areas of the industry. This was my second time attending the Reception so I started out with only knowing a few people. I left knowing many more!

The following day's Women in Print Alliance Luncheon included something I thought was particularly clever. The organizers reserved a seat for a student at every table. I loved this idea!

Instead of having all the students sit together, each table had one chair for a student. They joined us for lunch and became part of our conversations. They could listen to people talk about their work, hear different perspectives, and ask whatever questions came to mind. It was a simple, natural way to connect students with professionals without making networking feel like another assignment.

I hope they continue doing this. It's such a small detail, but one that can make a real difference in a student's experience.

A Bit of History and a Few More Conversations

I also attended the Ben Franklin Honor Society luncheon. I was inducted into the Society in 2023, and this was only my second gathering since that ceremony.

The Society recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the printing and graphic communications industry, and I'm grateful to have been included. It's a room with a lot of printing experience and, let's just say, quite a few more gentlemen than at the Women in Print events! I'm still relatively new to the group, so I appreciated the opportunity to attend again.

Another fun experience was recording an interview with Katelin Shanks for her Printfluencers podcast. PRINTING United had created a dedicated area where podcasters could reserve a booth and record interviews. With so many people from the industry gathered in one place, I thought this was a pretty clever addition to the show.

Katelin and I talked about print, packaging, and what happens between a creative idea and a finished product. Naturally, that's a subject I enjoy talking about! We discussed the decisions involved in production and why understanding how something is made is just as important as how it looks.

I'm looking forward to sharing the interview when it's available.

Two Days, Well Spent

If I were planning this trip again, I'd make one change: leave a little more open time on the calendar. The scheduled events were worthwhile, but I didn't have much room to explore things that caught my attention once I arrived. Sometimes it's nice to have the freedom to turn a corner, discover something unexpected, and stay awhile.

I'd still plan on two days, though. By Thursday evening, I'd seen plenty, talked plenty, and my feet had definitely registered an opinion. Two days of PRINTING United were just about right for me.