Malvern, PA (Aug. 24, 2017) — Ricoh today announced the success of its fourth annual INTERACT Users Community Event, an established community gathering built on trusted partnerships. Its value is rooted in attendees’ underlying belief that the best way to empower digital workplaces is to establish a collaborative community and a sense of partnership with those involved in the daily processes of using Ricoh’s solutions. The 2017 event centered on collaboration, education and information sharing with an overarching focus on helping customers leverage technologies that enable them to reach a desired business result.
This highly acclaimed event promoted actionable and effective information sharing via tracks focused on production inkjet business development, production inkjet education and workflow best practices while also showcasing Ricoh’s latest technological advancements, business best practices and industry trends. The speaker lineup boasted industry thought leaders and conversation provokers including Pat McGrew, Director and Evangelist, Production Workflow Service of Keypoint Intelligence; Brent Niemuth, President and Chief Creative Officer of J. Schmid & Associates; Timothy D. Cooper, Enterprise Architect of Harland Clarke Holdings Company; and Christian Haneke, head of technical transformation at Druckhaus Haberbeck GmbH. These educational sessions took a deep look into the technologies and processes that are shaping the future of print and invited attendees to join the conversation regarding what comes next for Ricoh, their businesses and for the industry.
“The true power of intimate events like INTERACT is the wealth of information sharing, collaboration and education that occurs between peers and our Ricoh team,” said Jeff Paterra, Executive Vice President, Commercial & Industrial Printing Business Group, Ricoh Americas. “It’s a real two-way street. Without these insights, we cannot continue to deliver innovative solutions and promote industry advocacy that help our users work smarter and successfully deliver for their customers. And without the hands-on learning and networking with peers, users may not reap the full potential of their Ricoh services. It’s these conversations that truly make industry-changing innovation possible, and we’re looking forward to our next wave.”
As technology continues to drive change, being aware of the latest advances and the best ways to take advantage of them is increasingly important. INTERACT is based on the belief that the best way to address this need is to directly involve key industry stakeholders, both as a form of intelligence pooling and as a way to ensure strong feedback loops for businesses looking to keep up and get ahead.
Feedback was extremely positive from this year’s attendees, which included many returning companies and individuals who have found serious value in INTERACT. Highlights include:
“I was honored to be invited to join Ricoh and its customers at INTERACT. Immediately, I felt it was best mix of technical education, market education, motivation and fun for the attendees,” said Pat McGrew, Director, Production Workflow Service, Keypoint Intelligence/InfoTrends. “Ricoh is known for its industry advocacy and customer partnerships, and it was really powerful to see it in action.”
“INTERACT is a truly unique event. I attended last year, and I came again because it’s a great way for us to not only share our ideas for how Ricoh can better work with us, but also to learn from our American colleagues in the industry. The markets in Germany and the United States are different, but there are also many similarities, and it’s interesting to share our experiences and learn from fellow users,” said Christian Haneke, head of technical transformation at Druckhaus Haberbeck GmbH.
“The idea that I could share my experience with someone entering the field is really, really valuable to me. I greatly value mentorship, and I think it’s absolutely vital in this industry. I remember, after one of the sessions I spoke for, someone came up and asked me, ‘Why were you so open with your secrets in a room full of competitors?’ But the fact is, at a conference like this, they’re not my competitors. We’re all on the same team, because growth for our peers is growth for the industry. If I’m sharing the secrets that I’ve used to make Ironmark successful, that’s helping elevate the whole industry. If they get to our level, and we feel the heat from the competition, that just means we have to keep pushing harder to create a new level,” said Lynne Kingsley, Vice President, Marketing & Strategic Services, Ironmark.
As the pioneer in the continuous feed inkjet industry, Ricoh continues to make investments in its market growth to help the community uncover ways to streamline workflows, drive efficiencies and produce effective output.
To learn more about the Ricoh INTERACT User Community Events and how to participate in the 2018 INTERACT Event, please contact your local Ricoh representative.
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About Ricoh
Ricoh is empowering digital workplaces using innovative technologies and services enabling individuals to work smarter. For more than 80 years, Ricoh has been driving innovation and is a leading provider of document management solutions, IT services, commercial and industrial printing, digital cameras, and industrial systems. Headquartered in Tokyo, Ricoh Group operates in approximately 200 countries and regions. In the financial year ended March 2017, Ricoh Group had worldwide sales of 2,028 billion yen (approx. 18.2 billion USD).
