AWA announces M&A virtual forum

AWA Alexander Watson Associates will host the AWAVirtual Mergers & Acquisitions Executive Forum on June 5, 2026, bringing together C-level executives, private equity firms, investment bankers and industry leaders to discuss deal activity, market dynamics and strategic drivers shaping transactions across labels, packaging and flexibles.

The virtual event will feature expert presentations, case studies and executive roundtable discussions addressing deal flow and valuation trends, financing and credit conditions, sustainability and ESG as M&A drivers, and partnering with private equity to accelerate growth.

The program will include presentations on global packaging and labeling M&A trends by Tom Blaige, CEO at Blaige & Co, and digital deal sourcing by Maarten Reinders, chief commercial officer at Dealsuite.

Additional sessions will cover the current M&A environment with Jonathan White, managing director, and Stuart Sanford, director, both at Mazzone & Associates, and the role of open innovation and venture capital in smart packaging, featuring Peter Jackson, senior global manager of connected packaging at Avery Dennison, and Fredric Petit, partner at Emarald Ventures.

A label industry M&A case study will be presented by Mark Hahn, senior managing director at Graphic Arts Advisors, and Nizar Elias, CEO at Seneca Label and Packaging.

The forum will conclude with a roundtable discussion on navigating market dynamics and deal drivers, moderated by Corey M. Reardon, president and CEO at AWA Alexander Watson Associates, with panelists including Blaige, White, Hahn, Brian Flynn, managing director of industrial growth products at William Blair, and Nicholas Mockett, corporate finance at Moorgate Capital.