Join the Paperboard Packaging Council in Atlanta, Georgia as they celebrate the organization’s 95th anniversary during the 2024 Fall Meeting & Leadership Conference set for September 30-October 2 at the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel & Convention Center.
More than just a conference, this fall PPC will pay tribute to nearly a century of innovation, leadership, and collaboration within the paperboard packaging industry.
This year, PPC’s three-day Fall conference is now being held at the beginning of the fall season from Monday through Wednesday. Early bird registration ends September 1.
PPC plans to pull out all the stops for this special anniversary with an exceptional lineup of expert speakers, a few special guests, and even more surprises. The top honorees of the 81st annual North American Paperboard Packaging Competition and the finalists of the Paperboard Packaging Alliance’s 2024 Student Design Challenge will also be celebrated.
While PPC has come a long way since its founding during the Great Depression, its guiding principles have remained the same: to grow, promote, and protect the industry while providing members with resources to grow and thrive.
Here’s a look at some of the sessions and speakers:
European Industry & Legislative Update: Mike Turner, Managing Director of the European Carton Makers Association will give this presentation, offering a fresh update on the legislative landscape in Europe and its influence on the European folding carton sector. He will cover the latest regulatory changes, industry trends, and key legislative developments that are driving change. Attendees will gain valuable insights into how these laws and policies are sparking innovation and pushing for more sustainable practices within the sector. As we look ahead to future legislative trends, Mike will provide crucial insights to adapt and thrive in our ever changing industry.
Mike is the Managing Director of the European Carton Makers Association (ECMA) who are the ‘voice’ of the European carton sector, representing 650+ companies with 80,000 staff, he is also Chair of the ‘Fibre Packaging Europe’ coalition and represents the Packaging Converters on the Steering Committee of fibre packaging’s ‘4evergreen Alliance’. Mike is a 30 year veteran of the European fibre packaging industry having previously worked at Graphic Packaging International, International Paper and Metsa Group.
The Global and US Economic Outlook: Jeff Rosensweig, Professor at Emory University has been with PPC for 25 years and is almost always the highest rated speaker. He understands the economics of folding cartons and he will give his specific analysis on our industry. He will look at both macro and micro trends from supply chain, employment, which industries survive and thrive, the shape of the curve, currency, and global trends – especially the US and Canadian economies.
Jeff is the Director of the John Robson Program for Business, Public Policy, and Government at Goizueta Business School of Emory University. Previously, he served for six years as the Associate Dean for Corporate Relations. An international business and finance professor, he is a frequent keynote speaker on topics related to global and U.S. economic and financial trends and forecasts.
He has written three books, including the critically-acclaimed “Winning the Global Game: A Strategy for Linking People and Profits.”
The Impact of AI on the Future of Packaging Design; Dan Ahern, Vice President, Global Innovation and Design at Graphic Packaging International and Pat Shields, Design Director Americas, Consumer Packaging, Smurfit Westrock are the speakers for this session.
Dan is responsible for the overall creative direction and the implementation of the innovation process across the globe for GPI. His perspective is that of the client, having gained tremendous experience as a design leader in the design agency space.
He has over 30-years experience in the packaging industry with extensive experience in package design, brand design, and design management.
During the course of his career, he has had the privilege of working with many of today’s leading brands including: Kellogg’s, KraftHeinz, PepsiCo, P&G, MolsonCoors, ABInBev, Microsoft, McDonald’s, Burger King and many others. The design teams that Dan has managed have won numerous design awards, including numerous PMMI Package of the Year awards, Paperboard Package of the Year Awards, IOPP Ameristar Awards, and IOPP Worldstar Awards.
Pat Shields is a leader, mentor, and industry advocate serving as Design Director Americas – Consumer Packaging, at Smurfit Westrock. In this role, he leads a talented and diverse design team that excels in realizing a customer’s brand and packaging vision. With over 30 years in the industry, and a solutions mindset, he truly lives the company’s purpose – to innovate boldly and package sustainably.
Through his professional journey he has cultivated and enjoyed a network that values robust design thinking, collaboration, innovation, and growth. As we dive headfirst into this rapidly developing technology era, these focus areas and a clear strategy will help us navigate the noise and land on the tools that will propel the industry forward.
It’s not just upcoming technology – Pat is a staunch supporter of next generation design leaders and is often involved with university outreach and student programs. He is an enthusiastic contributor to PPC’s Design & Innovation Community, a peer-to-peer network where designers at every stage of their careers are encouraged to connect, learn, and explore design and innovation within the industry.
Structural Design Trends In Retail And Panel Discussion With Top Carton Award Winners: Ron Sasine, Founder of Hudson Windsor. Ron Sasine is the Founder of Hudson Windsor, a consultancy specializing in packaging strategy, innovation, and sustainability. With a background in retail merchandising and consumer packaged goods, Ron advises packaging manufacturers, private-equity investors, and independent companies. He is also the project development lead for Crossroads Paper, the recently announced recycled containerboard mill to be located in the western United States.
Prior to founding Hudson Windsor, Ron served as Senior Director of Packaging for Walmart, where he was responsible for packaging design, execution and sourcing for the company’s largest global brands. He created a new visual look for over 7,000 individual retail items, bringing a national brand design standard to the Great Value, Spring Valley, Equate, Ol’ Roy, and Parents’ Choice brands. He created first-of-its-kind supply chain visibility for the company’s global packaging network, working with over 5,000 packaging providers that supply Walmart worldwide. He led Walmart’s sustainable packaging initiative and implementation of the sustainable packaging scorecard, building supplier accountability into purchasing decisions and achieving a 9.4 percent global reduction in the greenhouse gas impact of the company’s packaging.
Update On US Packaging Regulations And Legislation: Abigail Sztein, Executive Director, Recovered Riber, American Forest & Paper Association leads this insightful session that offers a comprehensive overview of the latest legislation and regulations affecting packaging in the United States at both state and federal levels. This session will cover critical developments shaping the future of the packaging industry. Key topics include ongoing advocacy and implications of state Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation for the paper industry, the current implementation phase of state EPR laws, and additional policies impacting fair market access for packaging in the U.S.
Abigail serves as Executive Director, Recovered Fiber for the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA). Sztein manages issues and programs that promote increased paper recycling and maintain member company access to mill-quality recovered fiber for use in manufacturing new pulp, paper and paperboard. Until March 2024, she led the state advocacy team and directly managed advocacy in the Northeast on behalf of AF&PA.
Her experience with AF&PA spans various roles in government affairs and public policy, including state and local government affairs, sustainability, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEI&B), recycling policy, and energy and water issues since 2010. Sztein is also co-president of her neighborhood citizens association and coach of her son’s preschool soccer team.
Women’s Leadership Council Meeting: Ann Bowers-Evangelista, President of Llumos, LLC, leads this session with a question. Have you ever seen these behaviors in your workplace? Or have they described your own behavior at some point in your work experience?
Procrastination
Perfectionism
Fear of failure
Imposter syndrome
Over-reliance on approval
Avoidance of leadership roles
These are all signs of worker self-doubt, which can have a serious impact on mental and emotional health as well as productivity and organizational longevity. And it isn’t always a “personal problem” – it may be rooted in systemic biases that keep workers from performing at their best. In this session, attendees will learn how to spot self-doubt in the workplace and address it to build a confident, productive, and mentally healthy workforce.
Ann is a seasoned executive coach with 22 years of experience blending psychology, business, and athletic endurance. Specializing in talent selection, team building, and sustainable leadership, Ann has worked with several notable clients such as Verizon and Johnson & Johnson. Her reflective coaching style and goal-oriented approach have consistently delivered outstanding results. Ann holds leadership roles in prestigious organizations like the American Psychological Association. Ann is also an Ironman triathlete, marathon runner, and prolific volunteer and fundraiser for the Air Force, the American Red Cross, Back on My Feet, and Vital Voices. Ann’s first book, The Endurance Leader, comes out this Fall. To register, visit paperbox.org.
