We came home from PRINTING United with new connections, thoughtful conversations, and a strong reminder of how much our industry has to learn from one another.

On September 24, cXm Professionals Association brought together practitioners, technology providers, service providers, and industry leaders for a full day of education in Las Vegas. The conversations covered business growth, production operations, industry careers, print and digital experiences, AI, postal strategies, and award-winning technologies.

What made the day successful for me was connecting those topics to the decisions people face in their organizations.

• Where can we build on the capabilities we already have?
• What skills do our teams need?
• How do we evaluate new technology while continuing to deliver reliably for our customers?

We also had the opportunity to introduce our expanded professional certification program, reflecting the breadth of work across our industry. Alongside the Electronic Document Professional (EDP) certification, the program includes Customer Communications Management Professional (CCMP) and Communications Experience Management Professional (CXMP).

These disciplines connect, but each requires its own knowledge and experience. Document systems and production remain essential. So do the strategy, content, governance, and operations behind customer communications, and the design and improvement of the experiences those communications create. Our expanded program recognizes that breadth and gives professionals more ways to develop and demonstrate their expertise.

Just as meaningful were the introductions to people discovering cXm Professionals Association for the first time. Some came with a specific operational challenge. Others were exploring career opportunities or looking for peers who understand their work. To those joining our community through PRINTING United, welcome. I hope this is the beginning of an ongoing exchange of ideas, experience, and practical knowledge.

Thank you to our speakers, panelists, Educational Partners, sponsors, and everyone who joined us. Your participation made the day a success.

As we move into October, I look forward to building on those conversations, helping new connections become lasting professional relationships, and sharing more about the opportunities within our expanded certification program.

As Customer Communications Go Digital, What Happens to Print?

An MHC and BlueCrest discussion examines how print and digital communications are converging, why transactional and marketing mail still matter, and what these changes mean for print and mail service providers.

Digital adoption continues to reshape customer communications, but the shift from print to digital doesn’t necessarily simplify communications operations. Organizations must adapt to changing customer preferences while keeping print operations running reliably. At the same time, they need to introduce digital delivery and connect it with existing workflows.

In its article, Digital by Default: Why Transactional Print and Marketing Mail Still Matter, MHC explores these challenges alongside an Expert Insights video, Build on What Works: Connecting Digital Communications to Proven Print and Mail.

The discussion features Sharon Malloch and Kim Cook of MHC, joined by Joe Eremita of BlueCrest. Together, they examine how Customer Communications Management (CCM) technology, print and mail infrastructure, and digital delivery capabilities are evolving to support changing business requirements.

Continue reading to explore:

• Why declining print volumes don’t necessarily mean simpler production operations
• How the changing mix of transactional and marketing mail affects service providers
• Why connecting upstream CCM capabilities with downstream print and mail operations matters
• Where print and mail providers can find new opportunities as customer communications become increasingly digital

CXMPA has expanded its professional certification program to recognize expertise across three complementary disciplines:

• Electronic Document Professional (EDP)
• Customer Communications Management Professional (CCMP)
• Communications Experience Management Professional (CXMP)

The expanded program reflects the evolving responsibilities of professionals working across document production, customer communications, and connected communications experiences.