Customers from around the world traveled to the Wynn Las Vegas on January 17 as the Electronics for Imaging, Inc. (EFI) Connect event once again reached sell-out capacity, with more than 1000 attendees from 37 nations. This year’s Connect featured important technology advancements from EFI™, including VUTEk and Nozomi digital printers for corrugated, packaging and merchandise display printing.
The conference, Jan. 17-19, caters to customers’ evolving needs for information related to market and technology trends. It featured eight new educational tracks in an agenda of 200+ classes. This was the first year Connect featured sessions for corrugated converters. EFI acquired Corrugated Technologies International (CTI) in 2015 and now offers a complete end to end software solution for corrugated facilities.
EFI unveiled version five of its Productivity Suite end-to-end workflow offerings, including the Corrugated Packaging Suite. And, the company highlighted next-generation EFI Fiery® digital front end (DFE) production technologies that deliver uncompromising quality and productivity in digital print production.
Special sessions at the conference included fireside chat keynotes with Quad/Graphics CEO Joel Quadracci and print technology veteran Jeff Jacobson, speaking on Connect’s opening day in one of his first public presentations since becoming CEO of Xerox two weeks ago.
In his opening keynote speech at the Conference EFI CEO Guy Gecht addressed artificial intelligence and the impact the next wave of advanced technology is having. Some ERP and MIS workflow products developed by EFI, for example, learn to be more efficient as they track business’s operations.
“As with the developments we have all seen with personal computers and mobile technology, artificial intelligence promises to create more opportunities,” said Guy Gecht, CEO. “In print, it can drive preventive diagnostics and predictive maintenance, which helps our customers improve their top and bottom lines.”
Connect also featured new technologies and exhibits in its solutions center from EFI partners, including: 3M, Berger Textiles; Canon; Duplo; Enfocus; Esko; KDX America; Klieverik; Kodak; Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc.; NextWave; The Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation; Print ReLeaf; Progress Software Corp.; Ricoh Americas Corp.; Riso; Xerox and Zünd.
EFI CEO Guy Gecht (left) and Jeff Jacobson, CEO of Xerox, during a Fireside chat.
