By Noel Ward
They
number over 1,300 and have come from the U.S. and Canada, the UK and
Europe, and the far side of the Pacific. They are gathered here this
week in Orlando at the fourth annual Dscoop conference, the alliance of
HP digital press and printer owners and some 65 equipment and software
vendors. Pre-conference sessions on Thursday have been packed with
people and the full conference doesn’t even begin until Friday. Some
print providers have brought as many as eight of their team to learn
and network with peers and even competitors. Many have been coming to
this gathering that began with just 350 attendees just four years ago
to be what just may be the single most engaging community of print
providers and vendors in this industry.
The key word is “community.” Print providers and the execs from HP and
the other partner companies alike all say the secret sauce of Dscoop is
the sense of community that pervades this gathering. Everyone is
sharing ideas, knowledge and experiences, fostering a sense of
belonging and an awareness that everyone is facing the same economic
uncertainties. But within that reality is another that it does no good
to sit and worry about what might or might not be, but that success
comes from collaborating, sharing and networking with others and
finding ways to move forward, make intelligent use of technology, to
succeed in the present economy, and begin positioning their businesses
for the time when the economy comes back.
Dscoop, even in these days when the mass media paints a dark picture
of our future, is a superb example of the kind of approach and attitude
every business should adopt. Everyone is positive and looking forward
to finding ways to work together to and succeed. This is what a
conference is supposed to like, but how so few really are.
Dscoop rocks.