EFI has announced that its annual Connect user conference will, like so many other industry events, move online in 2021 and will be rebranded as EFI Engage.

Running for longer than the four intensive days that the Las Vegas-based user event of more than 20 years’ standing has occupied in late January, Engage 2021 will begin on 25 January 2021 and span six days over two weeks, with shorter sessions spread more widely to suit virtual attendees in different time zones. Sessions will also be offered in multiple languages.

EFI says the event will give attendees ‘all the same access to executives, networking opportunities, in-depth best practices and training sessions’ as the previous in-person iterations and will cover EFI’s full product range, from the Productivity Suite MIS/ERP offerings and Fiery DFEs to the wide-format and corrugated printers. Training for packaging applications will be a particular focus, with ‘in depth instruction’ available on integrated workflow automation for both corrugated and flexible packaging, labels and folding cartons.

‘EFI puts an extraordinary amount of time and energy into offering one of the world’s best print and packaging education programmes for our annual Connect users conference. Given the uncertainly involved with safely executing in-person events and the careful planning it takes to assemble top-tier content for customers, having a virtual conference in 2021 is the best option to deliver the valuable information that has become the hallmark of the Connect experience,’ said Ken Hanulec, vice president, Worldwide Corporate Marketing. 

‘Engage will be an online offering unlike any other that EFI has presented, delivering the type of in-depth detail that makes Connect a successful event,’ he added. ‘While we look forward to returning to Las Vegas for Connect 2022 [scheduled for 18-21 January 2022], next January’s event will deliver valuable information our customers can use to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing market.”

More detail will be made available by EFI in September 2020.