Industry Leaders will Shape Conference at PACK EXPO
Presentation Proposals due March 28

PMMI today announced the 17 packaging industry professionals who will serve on this year’s Conference Program Advisory Committee for the Conference at PACK EXPO being held in conjunction with PACK EXPO International 2008 (Chicago; November 9-13).

Committee members will review proposals and offer guidance to potential speakers at the 2008 Conference at PACK EXPO International (November 10-12). The conference will be held in conjunction with PACK EXPO (McCormick Place, Chicago; November 9-13).

PMMI is soliciting proposals for presentations, due Friday, March 28. The Call for Presentations is online: www.pmmi.org/a/expo.asp.

The program theme is "Change, Innovation and Sustainability," notes Ben Miyares, PMMI vice president of industry relations and director of the Conference at PACK EXPO. Miyares calls these factors "the hallmark of today’s packaging industry."

"When we develop the Conference at PACK EXPO program, we look to bring in a wide range of experience, insight and expertise, so that attendees benefit from a program that is practical, solves packaging challenges, improves competitiveness in the marketplace and reduces environmental impact," Miyares says.

He adds the Conference Program Advisory Committee, which includes representatives from 12 consumer package goods (CPG) companies, reflects a variety of professional specialties:

• Curtis Babb; Director, Packaging Innovation; Coors Brewing Co.
• Michael Bryant; Senior Packaging Research Engineer; Welch Foods Inc.
• Robert C Collins II; Director, Global Package Development; P & G Gillette
• Tom Egan; Vice President of Industry Services; PMMI
• Mary Ann Falkman; Packaging Journalist
• Judy K. Fischer; Senior Packaging Engineer Manager; Sargento Foods Inc.
• Jay Gehring; Vice President, R&D Packaging; Frito-Lay
• Jennifer Griffin; Principal Packaging Engineer; Medtronic
• Asad Hamid; VP of Global Packaging R&D; Campbell Soup Co.
• Tom Heaslip; Director, Global Oral Care Packaging; Colgate-Palmolive
• Christian Keator; Area Manager — Packaging Engineering; BIC Consumer Products USA
• Yolanda A. Malone; Director of Packaging Development; ConAgra Foods Inc.
• Rebecca L Oesterle; Manager — Global Packaging Development; Energizer Holdings Inc.
• John G Ratcliff; Director of Packaging; Nestle Purina Product Technology Center
• Sean Riley; Editor; Packaging Machinery Technology (PMT)
• James E Scott; Principal; JES Packaging
• David J. Wiemann; Senior Director of Packaging; Beam Global Spirits & Wine

Committee members will judge proposals based on criteria including overall quality, focus and content; uniqueness of topic; business value of topic; market experience and technical and/or production insight.

To submit a Conference at PACK EXPO session proposal, complete the materials online at www.pmmi.org/a/expo.asp no later than March 28. Contact PMMI Editorial/Conference Coordinator Laura Johnston via email or call 703.516.0647 with additional questions.

To learn more about PACK EXPO International 2008, visit packexpo.com or contact the PMMI Show Department: 703.243.8555 or expo@pmmi.org.