Heidelberg  appointments 
The Print Media Academy (PMA) of Heidelberg is celebrating its fifth anniversary as a training, communication and knowledge center for the international print media industry. It was opened on April 14, 2000 – the same day that Heidelberg celebrated its 150th anniversary. The PMA’s impressive 50 meter high glass building is already a familiar sight on the Heidelberg skyline. In 2004, 58,000 visitors from Germany and abroad passed through the PMA’s doors.

The courses available are geared to technical and management staff in the print media industry and school and universities. The worldwide network of nine Heidelberg academies supports printshops and other industry players at sites in Heidelberg, Atlanta, Cairo, Kuala Lumpur, Moscow, Sao Paulo, Shenzhen, Sydney and Tokyo.

The PMA offers everything from technical training and lectures to seminars and workshops. The program includes product and application training and covers topics such as management, sales and marketing, and controlling and key data. There is also a modular program that deals with family businesses and the process of handing over the reins to the next generation.

Through the training offering, renowned speakers and trainers from the print media industry and business world share their knowledge of the printing industry, corporate strategy, marketing, sales and business management. The process of constant change in the print media industry in particular means it is essential for managers to update their knowledge on an ongoing basis in order to exploit this change as an opportunity. Last year, around 7,000 people attended training courses and every year more than 2,500 school and university students and teaching staff complete print media seminars in the Print Media Academy. Bernd Schopp, head of the PMA says, "The Print Media Academy from Heidelberg is a highly important tool for actively shaping the future of the printing industry. The international, English-language Summer University and Winter University events, each lasting a week, have in recent years become phenomenal success stories. The program is geared in particular to print and media company owners and ambitious managers looking to develop their skills and prepare themselves for the future.

The PMA, with its light-flooded glass cube building, has also made a name for itself outside the industry as an ideal conference venue. And it often plays host to lectures, concerts and art exhibitions. This year too, the Night of the Museums event is to be supported for the fourth time.

On the twelfth floor of the PMA is schwarz – das Restaurant where five-star chef Manfred Schwarz works his magic. Food industry magazine Der Feinschmecker named the eatery Restaurant of the Year 2004. Meanwhile, the Print Media Lounge bar is located on the first floor.

In front of the PMA stands the world’s largest equine sculpture, created by sculptor Jürgen Goertz. The work, made of stainless steel and aluminum, is 13 meters high, 15 meters long, four meters wide and weighs 90 tons. This impressive sculpture is known as the S-Printing Horse, a play on words alluding to both sprinting and printing.