The Major Mail Users Association of Australia (MMUA) held its annual convention last week at the Randwick Racecourse in Sydney drawing mail providers from all over Australia to the two-day event. Headlined as "Mail. The medium", the convention provided seminars throughout the two days, complimented by supplier stands featuring the latest in mail and marketing technologies.
A recurring theme resounding throughout the seminars was that of direct marketing and harnessing technology for maximum mail impact. The consensus among the speakers was that mail needs to continually move with the times to remain a relevant and powerful communications medium, and that when it comes a successful mailing campaign, there is no substitute to planning and knowing your target audience as intimately as possible through databases and regular information-gathering exercises.
Highlights on the stands included Fuji Xerox Australia (FXA), which was demonstrating its recently launched XMPie PersonalEffect software, utilising a DocuColor 6060 digital colour printer. XMPie PersonalEffect is being touted by FXA as a powerful, easy-to-use software suite specifically designed for marketing agencies and corporate marketing professionals that unites customer databases and creative content on the desktop computer. In essence, it allows the creation of dynamic, variable data-driven marketing programmes that utilise the internet, email and print to get the message across.
InTelmail gave the first public showing of the new Buhrs BB600 inserting system. The BB600 can run at speeds up to 13,000 products an hour and process mail format sizes from C5 to DL. According to Garry Morrison, inTelmail sales executive, a number of these machines have already been sold into the country.
The centrepiece on the GBC stand was the Neopost SI 92 mailing and inserting system, which is capable of processing up to 4300 mail pieces per hour and handling envelope sizes from C6 to over C4. This modular system can be fitted with numerous inserter stations for increased efficiency.
Pitney Bowes had a strong focus on its software solutions document composition, management and archival, which it believes is fundamental for mailing houses looking to maximise efficiency while getting the highest response rates on mail as possible. It also demonstrated the FastPac D13000 Inserting System. It features four insert feeders and can process up to 7000 mail pieces per hour.
Kodak Versamark and NexPress, on show for the first time in Australia since recently being purchased by Eastman Kodak, co-habitated a stand to draw attention its recent rebranded products. While no products were actually on stand, NexPress provided information on its well-known NexPress and Digimaster printing solutions, while Kodak Versamark detailed its rebranding strategy and highlighted its new VX5000e high-speed digital colour printing press for forms production, and the DS4350 high speed single-colour inkjet printing system for text and image application on envelopes and a variety of printable items.
