Graves Fowler Creative

From Vicky Robinson, Art Director: As a regular attendee of the Baltimore Production Club’s Annual Paper Show, I made my way to Martin’s West last Thursday with high expectations. They usually put on a good show, have a fun theme, and show lots of enthusiasm. All this is was true this year, but I couldn’t help noticing the crowd was a little thinner than in previous years. And were the paper booths and promotions less lavish? Was it spring fever? A signal of tough economic times? Or an indicator about a declining trend in paper’s role in our field? I was also intrigued by their pre-show ads mentioning an expanded range of exhibitors this year. Would I see new trends in media publishing?

Many paper exhibitors touted green and sustainable themes. One even mentioned the website printgrowstrees.com. Going electronic isn’t necessarily green, they said. Increased web traffic drives providers into building more servers which, guess what, use more energy. Demand for paper promotes replanting and sustaining forests which might otherwise be clearcut for development or other uses. This may be true, but environmental reasons aren’t the only issues driving our clients to prefer electronic media. Cost, convenience, a target audience that is increasingly dependent on the internet for information, are all part of the big picture.

As for the expanded list of exhibitors, I enjoyed viewing a wider range of products and services, from illustrators to packaging specialists, but was left wanting in the new media department. If printing as we know it is changing, what does the future hold?

Don’t get me wrong. I love paper. I love the feel of it in my hands. I tried to pick up just as many lush promotional brochures as before, but I couldn’t help a nagging feeling. Is the smaller crowd a temporary aberration, picking up when business booms again, or does it signal a lasting trend?