PIAS Annual Convention

The 2026 PIAS Annual Convention will be held June 14 – 17, 2026 at the Henderson Beach Resort in Destin, Florida.

Download the Registration form here

This year’s speakers will be:

Alex Chausovsky, 3DM Consulting
Economic & Policy Updates — What to Expect in 2026 and Beyond

Despite all the uncertainty and volatility around geopolitical events and US trade and tax policy, the economy weathered 2025 relatively well. Now that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act has been signed into law and tariffs on most of America’s trade partners are in effect, can a similar performance be expected in 2026?

The latest economic data suggests growth is stable, inflation is moderating, and the labor market is bending but not breaking. What does this mean for the FED’s policy on interest rates moving forward?  Will we see a boost to investment and a rebound in confidence, or will 2026 bring more of the same? More specifically, what are key leading indicators telling us about the direction of the economy?

This presentation will assess the current macroeconomic landscape and deliver practical and actionable advice designed to help industry leaders plan for future operating conditions.

Attendees will walk away from the session with the following insights:

• An objective assessment of time-sensitive economic indicators such as consumer spending, business investment, inflation, interest rates, and tariffs
• Concrete advice on how to navigate the current macroeconomic climate and plan for the future, with a particular focus on tactical advice
• Tools that leaders can leverage to be data-driven decision makers for their organizations

Building an Effective Talent Strategy — Tactics to Attract, Hire and Retain

The war for talent is escalating. Some organizations are ill-prepared to handle the challenges of an increasingly complex labor market, shackled by the “we’ve always done it this way” mentality. Others are thriving, armed with analytical insights and surrounded by allies, allowing them to snap up and retain highly performing impact players and supercharge their growth. What kind of an organization are you? More importantly, what kind do you want to be in the future?

This presentation will deliver key insights designed to help business leaders and decision-makers elevate their talent-focused activities. The session will:

• Provide a current and insightful assessment of labor market conditions
• Identify the key elements that make an organization attractive to top talent
• Share best-in-class hiring strategies including metrics and practices
• Convey the top factors that drive talent retention
• Deliver practical and actionable advice on what businesses can do to become better at attracting, hiring, and retaining workers

David Mauro, NetGain Technologies, LLC
The AI Magic Myth: Cyber Risk & How Leadership Must Adapt

• Why most companies claim they are “using AI” but cannot explain where it actually works or delivers ROI
• How cyber risk is evolving faster because of AI driven impersonation, automation, and social engineering

• A practical framework for rolling out AI safely without slowing operations or turning security into everyone’s second job

Mike Philie, The Philie Group

Retention vs. Acquisition: The Answer is Always Yes.

You’ve probably asked yourself: should I focus on keeping my current customers happy or go after new business? Here’s the truth—you need to do both, and this session will show you how. We’ll talk about moving beyond the old-school “one rep owns it forever” model and building relationships that stick even when people change jobs.

What you’ll walk away with:

• How to segment your accounts so you’re not treating every client the same—and how to free up your sales team to actually sell instead of just managing
• Strategies for building company-to-company relationships that don’t fall apart when someone leaves (either your team or theirs)
• A practical approach to making new business development a priority without dropping the ball on the customers who already trust you

Anticipating Change: The Edge Print Company Owners Can’t Ignore

Let’s be honest—running a print company means the stakes are always high. The companies that win aren’t the ones reacting to change; they’re the ones who see it coming. In this session, we’ll dig into how you can develop that skill and put your business in position before your competitors even know the game has changed.

What you’ll walk away with:

• How to read the early warning signs in your business—like a hesitant client, a new competitor move, or a shift in buyer expectations—before they become major problems
• Why success can actually make you blind to threats, and what questions to ask yourself when things are going well
• Practical ways to stress-test your business (What if your top 3 customers left? What if demand spiked 20%?) so you’re ready to act, not just react

Mark Potter, Conduit, Inc.
“Reposition or Be Replaced – Winning With Outcomes in an AI-Driven Print World”

The printing industry isn’t being disrupted by AI — it’s being exposed. As automation accelerates and digital noise floods the market, printers who define themselves by equipment and price will feel margin pressure like never before. The winners will be those who reposition around the outcomes they create, not the formats they produce. This session explores how to segment by who you serve, build vertical authority, use AI as operational leverage, and elevate print as a trusted anchor in a noisy world. The future doesn’t belong to capacity — it belongs to clarity, specialization, and strategic thinking.

Stephen Price, Jackson Lewis & PIAS Labor Counsel
Labor Relations Update