FTA Forum 2013
The Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) is all set to celebrate its 55th anniversary at its big bash—the annual FTA Forum and INFO*FLEX exhibition. With a theme of "Right Here. Right Now.", this year's technical conference and exhibition will take place at the San Diego Convention Center in beautiful San Diego, California from April 28 to May 1.
It's shaping up to be one of the industry highlights of the year. The INFO*FLEX exhibition will be held on Monday and Tuesday afternoons from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. With a surge in demand, FTA was able to add additional booth space to accommodate the more than 200 leading suppliers and manufacturers that will be showcasing their products and technologies. And they will be plenty busy. According to Jay Kaible, director of business development and membership, printers and converters will be there in full force. "As it stands now, registrations for FTA's Annual Forum and the INFO*FLEX Exhibition are up more than 100 percent from this time last year."
Sandwiched around the INFO*FLEX exhibition, FTA will present its usual array of highly informative technical sessions. This year's conference program is chaired by Bob Mullen, Sun Chemical Corp., and Pepper Stokes, Robbie Fantastic Flexibles. "The theme of "Right Here. Right Now." was selected because it is the crux of the proceedings," says Mullen. "Everything you need to know to maximize and sustain success in today's challenging and ever-changing print environment will be discussed, right here (in San Diego) and right now (April 28-May 1)."
The technical conference will take place on Sunday afternoon, and Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings. Major themes will include: Food Safety and Emerging Trends on Sunday; Excellence in Flexography and Expanded Gamut Printing on Monday; Flexo Quality Consortium and Workflow Automation on Tuesday; and FIRST (Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications and Tolerances) on Wednesday. Several presentations will be provided each of these major themes.
The food safety session will focus on the regulations, certifications, and food safety initiatives that are fast becoming a must for the modern food packager. Dubbed "Life is Full of Options … Complying with Food Safety is Not One of Them!, the session will provide much more than a simple glimpse into food safety.
Session chairs Bruce Riddell, Spectrum Label Corporation, and Dan Doherty, Prairie State Group, have assembled an expert panel to explain how food safety affects the entire food packaging supply chain. The roster of presenters includes a consumer product company (CPC) spokesman and experts in the field of food safety certifications.
At the Expanded Gamut Printing (EGP) session, attendees will hear from three industry experts as they describe the "where, how, and why" Expanded Gamut is today, with integrated presentations covering key aspects of the technology's growth and maturation. Chaired by Brad Taylor, DuPont Packaging Graphics, and Mike McGinnis, RR Donnelley, the Expanded Gamut session will provide insights into the current market share, how it has evolved over the past few years, and if in fact, Expanded Gamut proofing has kept pace with the growth.
"The Expanded Gamut session promises an intriguing reprise of the talk given by Mark Samworth four years ago addressing the question, "Has Expanded Gamut technology tipped?," says Taylor. "We'll focus on the critical supporting technology of Expanded Gamut proofing in a separate talk, and lead off by addressing current market penetration data and standards for Expanded Gamut. This session of three integrated talks will complement the message delivered in last year's unique panel session."
Sponsors of the 2013 Forum and INFO*FLEX include: 3M; ACTEGA WIT, Anderson & Vreeland; Degraf S.p.A.; DuPont Packaging Graphics; Eastman Kodak; Flexo Wash LLC; Flint Group Flexographic Products; Harper Corporation of America; ICE USA; MacDermid Printing Solutions; Pamarco Global Graphics; Polimeros Sinteticos; Polymount US LLC; Siegwerk USA Co.; Sonicor Inc.; and Sun Chemical Corp. pP
Related story: The FTA 2013 Forum and INFO*FLEX Exhibitor List