Agenda

Play a round of golf with your peers on Monday before the summit begins. Rub shoulders with some of the best in the biz over some friendly competition. You can sign-up during the registration process.

Kicking off the 2027 Leadership Summit, Dave Pesko will welcome executive attendees and valued sponsors to two days of insight, innovation, and connection. This opening session will set the stage by outlining the themes driving this year’s program, highlighting the opportunities for collaboration, and previewing the sessions designed to help you navigate today’s rapidly evolving print and graphics landscape. Attendees will gain a clear sense of what to expect, how to make the most of the Summit experience, and the key trends that will shape the discussions ahead.

Success in business today is all about trust, communication and building deeper relationships — and it’s no different in sports. Coaches have to motivate their players in order to not only win, but to keep their jobs — so they have a lot of different tools in their tool boxes. This keynote session will focus on dozens of leaders from the world of sports and explain how they were able to create “buy-in.” In an engaging, provocative, and visually entertaining style, this keynote will show how to: lead with integrity in order to achieve success; create buy-in to connect with millennials, boomers, and challenging co-workers; generate momentum through leading by example and mentorship of others; and create a winner’s mindset in order to stay self-motivated through good times and bad.

Your customers are making decisions about spending. Your employees are making decisions about their careers. Your competitors are making decisions about technology, pricing, and growth. As an owner or senior executive, how do you make the right decisions for your business while the economic landscape keeps shifting?

For leaders, success requires understanding the forces shaping demand and leading an organization capable of responding. In this high-level and high-energy program, economist, retired Navy Commander, and business leadership expert Dr. Mary Kelly connects the economic outlook to the executive decisions that drive profitability, productivity, and long-term business value.

We will hear  from 3 of your peers as they provide some insight into our group of sponsors.

As cyber threats grow more sophisticated, protecting your business, customer data, and operations has never been more critical. This session explores emerging cybersecurity risks, common vulnerabilities, and practical strategies to safeguard your organization. Attendees will gain insights into reducing risk, strengthening security practices, and preparing for potential cyberattacks that could disrupt operations and impact profitability.

Several concurrent focus groups will take place, each group will focus on topical sessions covering areas that keep executives up at night. The goal is to discuss top challenges, how to approach them, solve them, and in some case turn them into opportunities. These will be facilitated in “cross segment” groups. Each group will discussing 2-3 major topics and/or functional areas of concern with the goal of walking away with actionable takeaways.

Join Lisa Shimkat of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for a conversation about the challenges and opportunities facing small businesses. From accessing capital and navigating economic uncertainty to workforce development and growth, this discussion will highlight practical insights and SBA resources to help business owners build resilience and position their companies for long-term success.

What separates top performers from the competition, and how do they stay on top? Success often comes from doing the right things differently. In this high-energy, interactive workshop, attendees will explore creative strategies for building stronger relationships, generating referrals, leveraging LinkedIn and video testimonials, and negotiating win-win deals. Through real-world examples, engaging discussions, and practical exercises, participants will discover innovative ways to differentiate their businesses, stand out in sales presentations, overcome challenges, and create new opportunities for growth and long-term success.

The Meeting Zone is a casual setting designed to provide attendees, advisory board members, experts, and sponsors with the chance to sit down for a series of 1:1 meetings. Prior to the summit a scheduling system will be utilized to assist everyone with scheduling their desired meetings. Attendees can meet with their peers, experts, and sponsors in 20 minute timeslots or in group tables. Food and drinks will be served.

AI is already finding its way into printing businesses, but how much value is it really delivering? As adoption expands, print industry leaders face new questions about which applications are producing meaningful results, where the greatest opportunities lie, and how to move beyond experimentation to measurable business impact.

Drawing on findings from a new Alliance Insights industry study, this presentation will examine how print providers are using AI, where they are seeing benefits, and what is holding them back from realizing greater value. It will explore opportunities to improve productivity, reduce costs, streamline workflows, and strengthen competitiveness, while addressing the challenges of integrating AI with existing systems, processes, and people.

The presentation will provide a research-based perspective on what’s working, what’s still more promise than reality, and where print industry leaders should focus their AI efforts and investments to achieve greater business value.

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into business operations, leaders must establish clear guidelines for its responsible and effective use. This session explores the critical elements of AI governance, including data security, privacy, accountability, and risk management. Attendees will gain practical insights into developing policies, establishing oversight, and balancing innovation with the need to protect their businesses, employees, and customers.

As AI becomes part of estimating, pricing, scheduling, and production, who is responsible when something goes wrong? In this peer-driven panel, printing industry leaders will share real-world experiences implementing AI, establishing accountability, and balancing automation with human oversight. Attendees will gain practical insights into defining decision-making authority, managing risk, and building trust in AI-driven processes while maintaining operational control.

AI is creating new opportunities for businesses to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and increase profitability. This session explores practical AI tools and applications that can streamline workflows, automate repetitive tasks, improve decision-making, and enhance productivity. Attendees will gain insights into where AI can deliver measurable value, how to evaluate potential solutions, and strategies for turning AI investments into bottom-line results.

As AI transforms the workplace, business leaders must rethink how employees work, collaborate, and develop new skills. This session explores how AI can enhance employee productivity, support decision-making, and reshape workforce roles. Attendees will gain practical insights into preparing their teams for AI adoption, addressing skills gaps, and building a workforce that effectively combines human expertise with emerging technologies to drive business performance.