Increases were due to the addition of Astra machine for half a year and to slightly higher wages and benefits and higher travel related expenses as the pandemic ended and we were able to get back to meeting customers face-to-face again.

Mar 23, 2023 / receipt, needs a key / David Smith, CFO | earnings call 2023-03-23 | transcript bd110f6c-ab59-49a1-ae9a-876e4a672fca | chars 10889-11125 | segment 10

Strong secular trends, including increasing air travel and the growth of digital print for packaging, continue to drive demand for our products and services in the second quarter.

Sep 7, 2022 / receipt, needs a key / Greg Woods, CEO | earnings call 2022-09-07 | transcript 381635ad-93bf-47d7-b024-b5381f8959c7 | chars 2434-2613 | segment 2

It's also due to increases in certain third-party contract services and commission expenses. partly offset by employee wages and benefits, and increased travel expenses as the pandemic restrictions have waned.

Jun 8, 2022 / receipt, needs a key / David Smith, CFO | earnings call 2022-06-08 | transcript a815ea25-0221-4a6b-a738-cdd5ff445bc6 | chars 8233-8442 | segment 8

On our Q2 call, I noted that we had begun to return to in-person meetings and trade shows. During the third quarter, we exhibited our latest printing and labeling products at a number of in-person events. These included two major trade shows, the Pack Expo and Healthcare Packaging Shows in Las Vegas, and FACFAC, the European Trade Fair for Packaging in Nuremberg, Germany. Attendees had the opportunity to demo our industry-leading technologies, including the QL120D, the QL850, the QL300, and the T2C, as well as our new T3-OPX direct-to-package printing system. We also engaged in great discussions with our current and prospective customers about how our product identification solutions play into global trends related to digital print for packaging and environmental sustainability. Since the end of Q3, we have also participated in some smaller regional shows in North America, Europe, and Asia. As a matter of fact, we have one going on right now in New York City. While we are being judicious, about adding trade shows related to expenses, early indications are that the quality of leads generated from these shows continues to be very high because the attendees are there for solid business reasons. Going forward, we plan to pursue a hybrid marketing approach that combines both select high-value in-person events as well as continued growth in our digital marketing platforms.

Dec 8, 2021 / receipt, needs a key / Greg Woods, CEO | earnings call 2021-12-08 | transcript 4d13879a-ed9e-4294-b628-b42e51a1932c | chars 4518-5907 | segment 4

However, international travel is still far behind its pre-pandemic peak due to travel restrictions in various countries.

Sep 14, 2021 / receipt, needs a key / Greg Woods, CEO | earnings call 2021-09-14 | transcript 98b2ac8c-ceb6-4230-a80b-3de9250196aa | chars 5980-6100 | segment 5

Although the global economy is still challenged, we're beginning to see signs of recovery in certain areas, as economies begin to open up and air travel increases.

Jun 10, 2021 / receipt, needs a key / Greg Woods, CEO | earnings call 2021-06-10 | transcript 21fa5457-0b54-4902-9e8b-9832bac8a9ab | chars 2843-3006 | segment 2

Others, for example, trade show expenses and travel will likely increase in the future as the ability to travel returns, depending on the degree of our customers' acceptance of the transition that we've made together with them to remote or virtual interaction, as opposed to in person.

Mar 25, 2021 / receipt, needs a key / David Smith, CFO | earnings call 2021-03-25 | transcript bfda7d81-c24b-4cc8-aa71-9de5c3d6daa6 | chars 9837-10122 | segment 9

So I think what you will see is, you know, probably not in the first half very much, but, you know, the trade shows will open up again. Travel opportunities will open up again. Um, so those two spending categories have been, you know, dramatically reduced for us, you know, for obvious reasons, um, on the aerospace side, you know, it is a high margin business in some areas, some places, uh, you know, it depends on which product and which opportunities, but in general, you know, we're, uh, kind of under utilizing our resources right now with respect to the facilities.

Mar 25, 2021 / receipt, needs a key / Greg, CEO | earnings call 2021-03-25 | transcript bfda7d81-c24b-4cc8-aa71-9de5c3d6daa6 | chars 16071-16643 | segment 16

As a reminder, in the second quarter, we reduced executive compensation imposed cross-the-board freeze on all other employee compensation at 2019 levels, and reduced a host of expenses in professional and other services, travel and trade show expenses, and so forth.

Dec 7, 2020 / receipt, needs a key / David Smith, CFO | earnings call 2020-12-07 | transcript 65ca4682-a584-4068-ae2d-a5514623d76a | chars 8335-8601 | segment 8