Eight first-timers are among exhibitors at the America East conference which opens in its regular venue in the chocolate town of Hershey, Pennsylvania today.

AmEast "virgins" from the UK and Europe - including Swedish browser-based editorial systems developer Roxen - join North American operations for the show, which also includes a strong conference programme. Other newcomers are Adeprimo, Envision, Fixed Cost Marketing, Impressions Inks, Impressions Worldwide, Perfect Pallets and Kirk-Rudy.

Besides technology innovations, Roxen had an installation at Schibsted local news site and newspaper Søgne og Songdalens Budstikke, which has just gone live on the editorial portal and integrated responsive web platform.

McClatchy vice president of products, marketing and innovation Christian Hendricks will set off the first day's events with a lunch keynote with an outline of the group's "complete company reinvention". Earlier trainer Amy Stein of LMA was telling workshop participants how to achieve margins of 30-50 per cent from investing in events.

The transformation theme continues this afternoon with a panel discussion on future trends, as well as breakout sessions covering sales leaders in digital migration and strategies to grow insert and preprint revenue.

Later, there is the opportunity to learn from digital awards winners and an update session on ad blocking.

The conference continues tomorrow and Wednesday morning.

Other exhibitors include Advertising Outsourcing Services, Agfa, alfa CTP Systems, Anocoil, Bluefin Technology, Brainworks, Century Printing & Packaging, DYC Supply, Dynaric, Editor & Publisher, Frederick News Post, Fujifilm, Gannett Imaging & Ad Design, GIS, Goss International Americas, Harland Simon, Icanon Newzware, KBA North America, Leap Media Solutions, Legacy.com, Lineup Systems, manroland Web Systems, Mansi Media, Manugraph Americas DGM, Miracom Computer Corp, MotterStitch, Müller Martini, MultiAd, Nela, New ProImage America, News Hub Media, Newscycle Solutions, OneVision, PCF, Plumtree, PMT/PF Media Technologies, ppi Media US, Pressline Services, Presteligence, Prime UV, Printing & Packaging Technologies, Quipp Systems, Rochester Institute of Technology, Scranton Label/NewsNotes, Second Street, Software Consulting Services, Southern Lithoplate, Tecnavia Press, Times-Shamrock Creative Services, TownNews.com and Web Printing Controls.