PMA Australia 2009: "Living the Visual Life"

Well-known TV personality and financial commentator David Koch will be the opening speaker for the PMA Australia 2009 Imaging Technology Show, Thursday, 25 June. Koch is known to millions of Australians as the cohost of the top-rated Seven Network’s Sunrise national morning show. While Koch handles a wide variety of general news items, he is highly regarded as one of Australia’s leading commentators on financial affairs. In addition to the breakfast TV program and fronting Australia’s top-rated small-business TV show, Koch founded Personal Investment and My Business magazines. He also provides business and financial commentary for several publications, including Pacific Magazines and AFR Smart Investor. Koch was also a director of the Small Business Development Corporation of New South Wales for eight years.

Peter Sheahan, rated as Australia’s top keynote speaker of the year in 2006, takes aim at "How to Future Proof You and Your Business." In this Fujifilm-sponsored session, Sheahan sees opportunity where others cannot. Part trend-finder, part change-agent, and part thought-leader, he teaches leaders the mindset required to find hidden opportunities and gives them the strategies needed to exploit these opportunities.

Internationally acclaimed lecturer Terry Hawkins will address the issue of "Putting the Wow Back Into Retail." In a session sponsored by Nikon Australia, Hawkins will challenge existing thinking and have delegates looking at their retail business, and life, in a different way.

Popular international speaker and U.S. photo industry retail expert William J. McCurry will share his insights on how to convert market research findings into extra dollars over the counter in a special session sponsored by Maxwell International Australia Pty. Limited. Another top speaker is Kay Spencer, managing director of the National Associated Retail Traders of Australia, who will bring a new dimension to the outlook on the winners and losers in retail distribution shifts. Additionally, the chief marketing officer of Eastman Kodak Co., Jeffrey Hayzlett, will explain the theories of reaching out to new markets. Canon is sponsoring a team that includes successful businessman Simon Ainsworth, who triumphantly overcame a crowded market full of price pressure and competitors with scale advantage. Nina Finlayson of Buzz Research will uncover key consumer insights, while Peter Ryan of Red Communication Australia will demonstrate a retail system to identify real and differentiated market opportunities for specialty imaging retailers.

The PMA Australia 2009 Imaging Technology Show also includes the DIMA Emerging Technology Conference and the Professional Markets Creative Imaging Conference.

A buy-one-get-one-free offer for the Best Value Education Pass is available to retailers who will then be able to register other staff members for as little as $75. This price will cover their choice of educational sessions on all days, along with free access to both the PMA Australia 2009 Imaging Technology Show and The Framing Show. The only exclusions from the special supplementary passes are the cocktail parties and the DIMA luncheon.

The Best Value Education Passes include the evening sundowner cocktail parties and cost $295 each for PMA members and $450 for nonmembers. However, nonmembers are able to purchase a trial membership with PMA for $65 and then pay the PMA member rate of $295 to attend all the conferences.

"Our objective is to get owners to bring more of their staff to the conference," said Peter Rose, director, PMA Australia Activities. "By removing the price barrier, instead of getting just the store owner and manager to come and share the valuable conference experience, we will be able to motivate the whole team. This will have the added benefit of making it easier to adopt the principles and enact new procedures based on their take-away benefits from the conference."

Full PMA Australia 2009 Imaging Technology Show program details and registration information can be found at www.pmaaustralia.com.au.