I was asked by MST to write a brief article regarding my attendance at MAILCOM 2015 which was held in Atlanta, Ga this year. As I was arriving in Atlanta my thoughts were on a few things. How would the show do in Atlanta, after being in Atlantic City for so many years? Will it be well attended? How many "first-timers" will there be? Vendors? Is MAILCOM still relevant after all these years? Is it still worth the time and money (whether personally or professionally) and last but not least what will I get out of it as far as value and benefits both for myself and my organization? I am happy to report that my answer to all of the above questions is a resounding YES!

1. MAILCOM 2015 - THE FUTURE OF MAIL 1
James P. Mullan, CMDSM, MDC, CSSGB
July 2, 15
M AILCOM 2 0 1 5
T h e F u t u r e o f M a i l
I was asked by MST to write a brief article regarding my attendance at MAIL-
COM 2015 which was held in Atlanta, Ga this year. As I was arriving in Atlanta my
thoughts were on a few things. How would the show do in Atlanta, after being in Atlan-
tic City for so many years? Will it be well attended? How many "first-timers" will there
be? Vendors? Is MAILCOM still relevant after all these years? Is it still worth the time
and money (whether personally or professionally) and last but not least what will I get
out of it as far as value and benefits both for myself and my organization? I am happy to
report that my answer to all of the above questions is a resounding YES!
As anyone in the mail industry knows, the year 2015 will mark another critical
juncture for the mail communications industry. As businesses adapt their mail and com-
munications systems to the electronic age, the industry continues to undergo rapid
changes. Through all of the changes, MAILCOM continues to be one of the world’s
largest and most relevant mail communications convention. In part, because of the pro-
fessional dedication of thousands of executives and managers who manage their com-
pany’s mail operations. MAILCOM continues to support the industry with education,
meetings, networking, certifications and a exhibition hall of technology.
These were some of the hot topics, issues, items, and concerns that were shared and dis-
cussed with all attendees at the BIG show this year -
Mail Shows Signs of Comeback After Years of Decline
• Marketers Reevaluate Print
• Mail Volumes Rise
• Declines In E-Mail

2. MAILCOM 2015 - THE FUTURE OF MAIL 2
• Catalog Comeback
• Revolt Against Online Advertising
• Transactional Printing Vibrant
Much discussion also focused on the legitimacy of attending conference and trade show
programs. The reality is that it is the most cost effective method of obtaining education,
information and establishing a network.
Why attend conference and trade show events?
Below are a few of the beneficial and value added reasons -
Conference Programming allows you to:
• Learn first hand from industry experts that have successfully implemented tech-
nology solutions
• Keep up to date on new and emerging technologies
• Take the opportunity to create a professional network
• Create talking points to communicate more effectively with vendors at the exhibi-
tion
• Get immediate answers and solutions to issues within your organization
• Discover new products that can decrease expense and increase revenue
• Achieve Certificate of Completion for Courses attended
• Prepare for professional certification
• Trade Show / Exhibition Events allows you to:
• See the latest in technology
• Hear new product announcements

3. MAILCOM 2015 - THE FUTURE OF MAIL 3
• Visit all of your vendors in one location
• Get answers directly from vendors on the exhibition floor
• Do some “comparison shopping”
• Seek solutions and find new technologies
• Who attends this conference?
• Executives, Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Executive and Senior
Level Management, Owners, Consultants, Influencers, Technical Staff,
Implementers, Sales, Operations and Production, Industry Leaders, and
Vendors.
• Why should you attend?
• In order to justify any cost you need to understand the purpose of your at-
tendance.
• Make a list of the things you would like to accomplish:
• Is there a current issue at your company that you are looking for a solu-
tion?
• Are there any developing technologies you feel would benefit your com-
pany?
• Are there issues you would like to talk to your vendors about?
• Can you find one idea that will increase revenue and/or decrease costs?
• Is your company looking at implementing new technology?
• Are you working on professional certification? Could a conference help
get you there?
• Would you benefit from expanding your personal and professional net-
work?
• If you are a vendor, how many appointments can you make with pro-
spects

4. MAILCOM 2015 - THE FUTURE OF MAIL 4
Comments:
"Jim, It was great seeing you in Atlanta. Let me know how you
are doing. My biggest takeaway was the number of services the
attendees are responsible for besides mail.
I took counts in my classes and they average 6 other services
besides mail distribution as part of their respective job re-
sponsibilities.
20 years ago the MAILCOM attendees had only mail center respon-
sibility. Today mail distribution is more than just mail. Its
warehousing, shipping & receiving, imaging etc.
MAILCOM represents the one stop shopping solution for mail dis-
tribution only."
Joe Incognito
Lifetime Distinguished Service Award 2015
"Security seems to be making a big comeback in interest. Those
were very well attended. Sign of the times."
Margie Mitchell, CMDSM, MQC
Enterprise Account Manager – UPS Mail Innovations
As the leading independent conference for mail and distribution
education, MAILCOM continually strives to provide timely and ac-
curate information to the industry. Presented by leading indus-
try professionals that have been on the front lines and devel-
oped the most efficient and effective solutions for every type
business and process in the mail, printing and delivery opera-
tions.
Over the past fifteen years MAILCOM has issued over 10,000 man-
agement certificate to over 7,000 delegates and every year adds
to the growing number of MCOM, Master Certification in Mail Com-
munications professionals. We are excited and encouraged each
year to see so many new participants attending one of the annual

5. MAILCOM 2015 - THE FUTURE OF MAIL 5
conferences, investing in their educational experience and tak-
ing advantage of the networking opportunities.
The 2015 Fall MAILCOM has been scheduled for September 28-30 and
will be held in Las Vegas, NV. I hope that you will join us and
for complete details visit our website at www.mailcom.org
Lance J. Humphries, CMDSM, MCOM
Managing Director