MID - MARCH 2020 | VO LU M E 242 EDITORIAL + DESIGN ROBIN DONOVAN editor-in-chief robin.donovan@stmediagroup.com MARK KISSLING managing editor mark.kissling@stmediagroup.com GRANT FREKING associate editor grant.freking@stmediagroup.com JEFF RUSS senior art director jeff.russ@stmediagroup.com BLACK BOOK 2020 KAITLIN WINCHESTER editorial intern CONTRIBUTORS CHRIS + KATHI MORRISON signcountry@softcom.net LAURA PETERS lpeters40@gmail.com DALE SALAMACHA dale@media1signs.com PRODUCTION LINDA VOLZ production manager linda.volz@stmediagroup.com SALES + MARKETING LOUIS ARNEBERG senior market strategist lou.arneberg@stmediagroup.com (800) 654-5169 JIM KARWOWSKI senior market strategist jim.karwowski@stmediagroup.com (630) 474-4038 In partnership with the International Sign Association FROM THE EDITOR 6 VERNITA JOHNSON directory + classified account executive A LOOK AHEAD vernita.johnson@stmediagroup.com (513) 263-9313 28 BY ROBIN DONOVAN BY THE INTERNATIONAL SIGN ASSOCIATION KELLY COTES Minimum business maintenance A report on technology and trends of interest to the sign industry kelly.cotes@stmediagroup.com STRATEGIES FOR SURVIVAL 8 BY ROBIN DONOVAN Planning isn't just for staid corporations. It's a must for businesses of all sizes. MEETING THE INDUSTRY'S MOST PRESSING CHALLENGES 21 BY THE INTERNATIONAL SIGN ASSOCIATION The many ways ISA partners with the sign industry in addition to the Sign Expo 2 SIGNS OF THE TIMES MID-MARCH 2020 MANUFACTURERS + RESOURCES 34 ISA Sign Expo 2019 Exhibitors and the Signs of the Times online Buyers' Guide ADVERTISING INDEX LAST LOOK BY JEFF RUSS Good times 68 67 marketing manager CORPORATE MURRAY KASMENN president TOD SWORMSTEDT American Sign Museum CHRISTINE BALOGA vp, mktg. & customer acquisition CUSTOMER SERVICE (877) 494-0727 sot@omeda.com