Takeaways and Insights from National Postal Forum 2024

It’s only halfway through June, but what a month it’s been. After all, it’s always busy around here. But this month included just a bit more for a few of our team members, who spent the first week of the month making connections at NPF 2024 and running our first ever webinar on the processes behind the Mail Growth Incentives.

But now that we’ve had the time to rest and reflect, we’d like to share our thoughts, takeaways, and insights gained from our trip to Indianapolis—and maybe offer a few reasons you should consider making the trip to NPF 2025 in Nashville next April.

Background: NPF 2024 in the Crossroads of America

It’s the most dynamic event in the mailing and shipping industry. It brings together more than 4,000 representatives from business mailers, partners, and the USPS. It’s the National Postal Forum, and it just took place in Indianapolis earlier this June.

Whether you met us there, are catching up with us on social media, or are here because of our recent email, we’re thrilled to share just some of our takeaways and thoughts on this pivotal annual event.

Sepire at NPF 2024: A Great Time from Beginning to End

As a proud sponsor of NPF 2024, Sepire sent three representatives including Director of Postal Affairs Leanne Herman, National Account Director Jason Shudy, and Marketing Coordinator Steven Kluber to learn, network, and enjoy some Hoosier hospitality.

It All Started with a Thrilling Session on Design

NPF 2024 kicked off on Sunday, June 2. Our Director of Postal Affairs drove through a maelstrom the day before to make it on time. But it was worth it—as her presentation was a cornerstone of day one’s activities.

Titled Mailpiece Design/Mailing Requirements – A Hands-On Approach, the session was led by our very own Leanne Herman, who led a well-attended, informative, and relatively spirited discussion on the impact of mailpiece design on automation and machinability—and in turn, postage costs.

Cited as one of Printing Impressions’ Toni McQuilken’s top five NPF 2024 takeaways, Leanne’s presentation discussed how something as small as fold direction on a mailpiece can cause prices to skyrocket—and what to do if the USPS claims a piece isn’t a compliant Automation piece.

“If a local post office tries to reject [a piece],” she said, “tell them you need the exact violation in writing.” From there, there is a robust appeals system you can follow to prove your piece is compliant. A word of caution however, she shared. If the mail piece can’t wait for an appeal to go through, you have two choices: reprint the job and mail it again or pay the disputed rate and mail anyway. If you win an appeal, the USPS will refund the rate difference — they will NOT refund the cost to reprint the job. So, if you are confident you are in the right, don’t be afraid to take the temporary hit to the margins.

In just an hour, Leanne brought attendees up to speed on the differences between and costs associated with Automation, Nonautomation Machinable, and Nonautomation Nonmachinable. Attendees were encouraged to bring questions and mailpieces for review, and they didn’t disappoint.

In fact, it was such a great event, that the Chicago PCC invited Leanne to run the same presentation without the hard time cap on June 20. And… the event sold out within a week. So, if you’re interested in discussing mailpiece design, reach out using our handy contact form and we’ll be in touch.

Networking Events, Receptions, and Connetions

Each day of the event brought about new opportunities to make or reconnect with friends and associates. After all, networking and connections are key to success and there was no lack of opportunity to do just that. From the orientation and welcome event to the closing reception, attendees had the chance to discuss business and see who’s doing what for whom.

The Opening Reception took place on day one at the Indiana State Museum and helped connect hundreds of day one attendees over appetizers and drinks. Heavily attended both by business and USPS personnel, this served as the ideal kickoff for the many events to come.

Followed by a variety of other events including seated lunches as well as the PCC, Exhibitor, and the Closing Receptions, each event provided invaluable networking and fostered meaningful connections.

A PMG Keynote Sharing a Bold Vision (and Steps to Achieve It)

It’s no small feat for the USPS to continue delivering to 167 million addresses six to seven times a week, and the keynote discussed the ongoing challenges and steps being taken in ensuring the USPS does what it does best—no matter what.

One of the biggest and most hyped-up events took place on day two of NPF, and featured Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s discussion of Delivering for America. Introduced in 2021, the 10-year plan was created to improve an outdated network and make the system more available, efficient and profitable for all stakeholders.

Real Answers and Opportunities to Shape Change

The entire point of the National Postal Forum is to drive closer relationships between USPS and mailers. And many sessions served as an opportunity for business-side experts to share concerns, get ideas, and discuss how mail could work better for them.

Peer-to-Peer Roundtables

One session that did just that was the day three Peer-to-Peer event helping connect all sides of the mailing equation to discuss challenges and opportunities. A roundtable event with fifteen key topics each led by a USPS representative and an industry leader, this day three session is often the highlight for many attendees.

Not only did attendees get to bring real, direct questions and concerns based on real life challenges, these could be directly addressed by someone who has been there, as well as someone who can report back to the USPS.

PMG Town Hall

Paired with the above-mentioned PMG Keynote, Wednesday’s PMG Town Hall offered attendees the opportunity to ask questions about how the Delivering for America plan is moving and how it will affect the business community.

Elite (and Well-Organized) Education

It wasn’t just our Director of Postal Affairs’ presentation that provided moving, in-depth education. All four days offered relevant and pertinent learning opportunities.

Whether those sessions were led by USPS personnel or industry leaders, each one-hour workshop had something for someone. The USPS-led discussion on 2024 & 2025 Incentives and Promotions delivered, a workshop on Psychology offered some interesting tips on long sales cycles, and dozens of other sessions explored some of the most pressing topics on mailers’ minds today.

Kudos to NPF Organizers and the Indiana Convention Center

Have you ever heard someone speak negatively about a convention or otherwise large event in Indianapolis? NPF was no different—and the fact that this was one of three things happening in the Convention Center and surrounding area makes it all the more impressive. Here are just a few takeaways that might not fit anywhere else.

Exhibition Hall Expertise

If the networking, learning, and keynote weren’t enough, the exhibit hall was a feat in itself. Considered by many long-term attendees including our very own Leanne Herman as the “most organized and best exhibit space ever,” this is high praise from someone who has been heading to NPF for decades.

There’s An App for That

With sixty sessions across only thirteen timeslots, it was hard to stay organized and make it to the right place. At least without the app, that is.

Perhaps one of the best upgrades to the NPF in the recent years was their redesigned and much improved app. From the calendaring feature to the session recaps available within the app, this tool made it easy to get the most from the event.

Thrilled for Next Year

Indianapolis was beautiful, the event was amazing, and the connections we made were unforgettable. And we can’t wait for 2025 in Nashville.

Because next year, we’re going all out. Stay tuned for some exciting announcements about our NPF attendance in 2025—and bookmark sepire.com/events to see where you can find us.

Let’s Talk Mail

As the direct mail space continues to shift and evolve, we’re thrilled to help push the conversation forward. Just one of the many events we’re hosting, speaking at, or attending, the team is thrilled to have a major presence at the United States’ most dynamic event in the mailing and shipping industry.

Haven’t heard of Sepire? You should. As one of, if not the fastest growing providers of print, mail, and omnichannel communications, Sepire’s unique blend of expertise, solution-focused thinking, and Tier One Spend set us apart from so many others.

Check out where you can find us at our events page, learn more about who we help, and drop us a line to discuss how we might help you.