FTA welcomes 300 to 2014 Fall Conference

More than 300 flexographers turned out last week for the Flexographic Technical Association’s (FTA) 2014 Fall Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

FTA welcomes 300 to 2014 Fall Conference

The 2014 Fall Conference had the title ‘Beyond the Concept: Innovation in Action’, with co-chairs PJ Fronczkiewicz of Flint Group Flexographic Products and Bill Malm of Flexo Wash presiding over the two-day event that featured an agenda covering multiple instances of forward-leaning processes being used today.

Consisting of seven sessions, 20 speakers and nearly 60 table-top exhibitors/sponsors, the conference was intended to bring ‘transformative innovations to the forefront of every delegate’s mind’, FTA said.

The seven sessions were titled Process of Innovation, Innovation Through FIRST, Innovation & The Image Carrier – Part I, II & III, 2014 Technical Innovation Winners, Printed Electronics, Innovative Flexo Workflow Solutions and FQC Expanded Gamut 2 Conclusions.

The full roster of presenters featured: James Sax of 3M, Mike Ferrari of Ferrari Innovation Solutions, Mark R. Mazur and Ed Schieffer of DuPont Packaging Graphics, Jennye Scott of Berry Plastics Corp., Rory Marsoun and Mark Samworth of Esko, Al Bowers of RR Donnelley, Nick Brunk of Kodak, Jim Davies of Overwraps Packaging, Rich Emmerling of Flint Group Flexographic Products, David Recchia from MacDermid Printing Solutions, Jon Parkes of American Packaging Corporation, Edwin Woods of Cyber Graphics, Matt Elliott of Bemis Graphics, Dieter Neiderstadt of Asahi Kasei/Asahi Photoproducts, Gene Martin of The Robinette Co., Richard Black and Paul Lancelle of All Printing Resources, Chip Tonkin, Brad Gasque and Liam O’Hara of the Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design & Graphics at Clemson University, Mike Orcutt of Matthews Packaging Graphics and Jeff Aker from SGS International.

Sponsors and suppliers exhibiting were 3M, All Printing Resources, Anderson & Vreeland, Asahi Kasei, Beta Industries, Bobst North America, Braden Sutphin Ink, Bradley Systems, Carey Color, CGS, Daetwyler Corporation, Datalase, DCM Usimeca, DuPont Packaging Graphics, Eaglewood Technologies, EFI, eltromat America, Enercon Industries Corporation, Epson America, Erhardt + Leimer, Esko, Flexo Concepts, Flexo Wash, Flint Group Flexographic Products, Flxon, Global Vision, Glunz & Jensen, grafikAmerica, Graymills, GTI Graphics Technology, Harper Corporation of America, Interflex Laser Engravers, Just Normlicht, KBA-Flexotecnica, Kodak, Kurz Transfer Products, Luminite Products Corporation, MacDermid Printing Solutions, Mark Andy, Matik, MCS, Nilpeter USA, NSC USA, OEC Graphics, Pamarco Global Graphics, PCMC, Pitman, An Agfa Co., Precision AirConvey, Provident Group, QuadTech, Retroflex, Rossini NA, Ship & Shore Environmental, Tri-X Incorporated, Twin Cities Flexo Association, Windmöller & Hölscher, X-Rite, Xeikon and XericWeb Drying Systems.

The program concluded with a tour of 3M’s Innovation Center.