The Bird Watchers

Lyra Announces RIT's Frank Cost as Imaging Symposium Keynote and Adobe as Event Sponsor; Early Bird Discount Expires Today

Newton, MA (PRWeb) November 30, 2006 -- Lyra Research, the digital imaging authority (www.lyra.com), is pleased to announce that Frank Cost, veteran imaging industry advisor and futurist, will be the event keynote speaker at the 2007 Lyra Imaging Symposium, to be held January 29-31, 2007, at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage, California. Cost is the associate dean of the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology and codirector of the RIT Printing Industry Center. His presentation is called "The Future of Digital Creativity." Today, November 30, is the last day to register for the Symposium and save $150 off standard registration rates. To register before the early-bird savings expire, call Sandy Tobin at 617-454-2612, or visit http://www.lyra.com/symposium.

Commenting on the significance of Frank Cost's participation at the Symposium's tenth anniversary event, Charles LeCompte, president and founder of Lyra Research, says, "Frank Cost's seasoned perspective on the digital imaging industry comes from a blend of diverse leadership experiences in the academic and business worlds. Along with Lyra, he has been at the leading edge of the industry, and his futurist outlook will prove to be invaluable to Symposium attendees. Commemorating Lyra's vanguard role in tracking the industry, the 2007 Symposium will offer industry leaders' forecasts, insight, and analysis of tactics for surviving and thriving in the emerging global marketplace."

Adobe Named Official Event Sponsor
Lyra is also pleased to announce that Adobe is the official sponsor of the historic tenth anniversary event. Frank Stefansson, Lyra Research's CEO and executive vice president comments, "Many industry events come and go, but the ten-year history of the Lyra Imaging Symposium is a testament to Lyra's leadership in digital imaging market research and intelligence. The Symposium is a must-attend event for digital imaging industry leaders, and we are thrilled to have Adobe lead the tenth anniversary celebration."

Platinum-level sponsors include Global Graphics (also a specialty sponsor), Hewlett-Packard (HP), Ricoh, and Xerox. Avery Dennison is a gold-level sponsor. Silver-level sponsors include Monotype Imaging, Peerless Systems, and Software Imaging. Mohawk Fine Papers, Sensient Imaging Technologies and Zoran Corporation are specialty sponsors. (More sponsorship opportunities are available at http://www.lyra.com/symposium.)

Speaker Highlights
The Lyra Imaging Symposium will feature insightful presentations by Lyra analysts, engaging and colorful panel discussions, and a variety of industry keynote and featured speakers, including the following:

· Commercial Printing Keynote: "Reenvisioning Commercial Printing Technology," presented by Jeffrey Hayzlett, chief marketing officer and vice president, Graphic Communications Group, Eastman Kodak;

· Consumer Imaging and Digital Photography Keynote: "Photo Permanence Performance at Home, Online, and in Store," presented by Henry Wilhelm, cofounder, president, and director of research, Wilhelm Imaging Research;

· "Extensible Interface Platform: Increasing Customization, Productivity, and Security," presented by Rick Dastin, vice president and general manager, Office Group, Xerox Corporation;

· Featured Case Study: "From Postcards to Billboards: Commercial Printing Technologies at Rastar Digital Marketing," presented by Rastar Digital Marketing and Stephen Nigro, senior vice president, Graphics and Imaging Business, HP;

· "High-Performance Innovation in Business Printing," presented by Chris Privon, vice president, LaserJet Business, Imaging and Printing Group, HP;

· Home and Office Digital Imaging Supplies Keynote: "The China Question: Exploring the Future of the Chinese Consumables Market," presented by Arnald Ho, managing director, Print-Rite Holdings Ltd.;

· "How Does HP Stay on Top? A Financial Analyst Perspective," presented by Ben Reitzes, managing director, IT hardware analyst, UBS;

· Office and Corporate Printing Keynote: "Going with the Flow: Hybrid Document Workflows and the Format-Flexible Office," presented by Rick Brown, group product manager, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe;

· "The Supplies Retailer Perspective: What's Going Right? What's Going Wrong?" presented by Linda Boykin, divisional merchandising manager, Office Depot; and

· "Think Pink: Marketing Digital Creativity to Women," presented by Mark Cook, director of worldwide marketing, Consumer Imaging Systems, Eastman Kodak.

Agenda Highlights
The tenth annual Lyra Imaging Symposium offers an unmatched opportunity to meet and network with industry colleagues while gaining invaluable industry information for strategic decision-making. Visit www.lyra.com/symposium to view the 2007 Symposium's comprehensive agenda. Highlights of the 2007 Lyra Imaging Symposium agenda are described below.

Hard Copy Observer Year in Review: Join Ann Priede, managing editor of The Hard Copy Observer, the printer and digital copier industry's leading publication, for a quantitative and qualitative look at the industry, including key developments in 2006, trends in hardware and consumables markets, and an evaluation of which market segments are poised for growth or decline.

Consumer Imaging and Digital Photography: This segment of the Symposium agenda focuses on the unprecedented convergence of digital imaging devices in homes and home-office/small-office (SOHO) settings. The segment kicks off with a keynote by Henry Wilhelm, cofounder, president, and director of research of Wilhelm Imaging Research. Comprehensive demographic presentations on today's digital photographer and photo-printing trends will offer forecast data and expert analysis on consumer/SOHO markets. A panel discussion on consumers' digital photo-printing habits called "Where's the Print?" features industry leaders from OEM, online, and retail sectors complemented by an industry journalist perspective. Kodak will present a "Think Pink" luncheon presentation on marketing to women.

Global Imaging Market Watch: Unrivaled financial-oriented presentations describe strategies for success in rapidly changing markets. Presentations address China and other emerging global markets. The Symposium also includes a "Financial Analyst Perspective" examining HP's printing business by leading UBS analyst Ben Reitzes and two financial analyst "Wall Street Watch" panels discussing the business-performance side of the industry. Symposium attendees will include buy-side and sell-side analysts who track the digital imaging sector.

Software for Imaging: Featuring speakers from Adobe and Microsoft and panelists from several leading imaging software firms, this segment of the Symposium focuses on software. Topics include document workflow management from the Adobe perspective and how developers are readying for the imminent arrival of Microsoft Vista and XPS.

Office and Corporate Printing: As new technologies such as HP's Edgeline challenge existing hardware paradigms, vendors will meet offices' and corporations' printing needs with newer, more cost-effective hardware and solutions. Analyst presentations cover the changing roles of MFPs, workgroup printers, and digital copiers. This segment of the event highlights new forecasting tools that integrate real-world print data from office users. Other topics include the perennial battle between ink jet and laser technologies in the office environment and hardware vendors' shift from selling "boxes" to pages.

Commercial Printing: Jeffrey Hayzlett, chief marketing officer and vice president of the Graphic Communications Group at Eastman Kodak, is the keynote speaker for this segment of the Symposium. His presentation discusses innovation in the growing role of digital imaging's "big iron." Other presentations in this segment analyze the digital prepress sector and hot trends in the wide- and superwide-format market. A featured case study examines how one company's scalable commercial printing solutions have enabled profitable printing of everything from postcards to billboards.

Home and Office Digital Imaging Supplies: All eyes are on consumable printer supplies as aftermarket supplies vendors continue to gain market share and OEM printer vendors become increasingly dependent on supplies for profitability. The Symposium's expanded supplies coverage includes additional reporting and analysis of the pivotal role of the supplies sector across distribution channels. This segment includes special coverage from the Hard Copy Supplies Journal, Lyra's newsletter devoted to media and marking supplies, which also celebrated its tenth anniversary recently. Topics include supplies forecasting models; setting yield standards for supplies; a look at the supplies retailer perspective; and a "Survivor: Supplies Island" panel of OEMs, aftermarket remanufacturers, and refillers.

Extras for 2007 Attendees
Exhibitor Showcase Room: Once again, a limited number of companies will be able to exhibit their offerings in the Lyra Imaging Symposium's Exhibitor Showcase Room. Exhibitors will be equipped with a tabletop display area to offer literature and products and to meet face-to-face with the industry's elite.

Strategy and Networking Meetings: The 2007 Lyra Imaging Symposium will offer dedicated meeting spaces for attendees to meet with company teammates and other industry colleagues.

Become a Symposium Sponsor
The sponsorship opportunities at the Lyra Imaging Symposium offer unmatched visibility, allowing you to deliver your message to a select group of imaging industry decision-makers. With our lauded conference format, exclusive meeting rooms, and a new demonstration room, the environment is perfect for networking. Numerous sponsorship options are available for every budget to ensure satisfaction and maximum return on investment. Adobe Systems is the official sponsor of the historic tenth anniversary event. Additional sponsors include Avery Dennison, Global Graphics, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Mohawk Fine Papers, Monotype Imaging, Peerless Systems, Ricoh, Sensient Imaging Technologies, Software Imaging, Xerox, and Zoran Corporation. For more information, call Sandy Tobin at 617-454-2612, or visit http://www.lyra.com/symposium.

How to Register
The Symposium will take place from 11:30 a.m. on Monday, January 29, 2007, to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, January 31, 2007. Save $150 by registering today. The early-bird registration fee is $1,545. After today, the standard registration fee is $1,695. Group rates are available. To register, call Sandy Tobin at 617-454-2612, or visit http://www.lyra.com/symposium for secure online registration.

Lyra Research: The Digital Imaging Authority
Lyra Research collaborates with imaging industry decision-makers worldwide, enabling clients to strengthen their market position and achieve profitable growth. Lyra's expert analysts and editors help clients devise and implement creative solutions to business challenges, arming them with competitive intelligence, strategic and tactical advice, news and analysis, and market forecasts.

Since 1991, Lyra's custom research and consulting, advisory services, award-winning journals, and innovative events have set the standard for analysis of imaging hardware, consumables, and digital photography markets.

Visit www.lyra.com to learn more about how Lyra can be your strategic business partner.

CONTACT:
Andre Rebelo
Marketing Manager
Lyra Research, Inc.
617-454-2658
arebelo at lyra dot com

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