The Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC) will bring folding carton converters, suppliers and industry leaders together September 30–October 2 for its 2026 Fall Meeting at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista at Disney Springs.
The program will examine issues influencing the folding carton industry today, including economic and workforce trends, regulatory and sustainability developments, artificial intelligence, leadership and emerging opportunities for paperboard packaging.
“Fall Meeting brings our industry together to better understand the forces shaping our businesses, celebrate what is possible and position folding cartons to win in a changing market,” said Emily Leonczyk, President of PPC. “We’ll hear perspectives on the economy, industry trends, innovation, leadership and AI, while also celebrating the next generation entering our field. The value is in gaining perspective, strengthening relationships and learning from one another so we are ready for what comes next.”
PPC will also present its Volunteer Leader Award to Eric Frank of Koenig & Bauer in recognition of his longstanding service to PPC and the paperboard packaging industry. Frank has generously shared his time, expertise, and leadership for decades, playing an important role in strengthening the PPC community.
Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and entrepreneur Nick Nanton, CEO of Astonish Entertainment, will open the general session with Creativity Protects You: How to Create Opportunities When Everyone Else Sees Obstacles. Nanton will explore creativity as a business skill for navigating uncertainty, solving complex problems, and finding opportunity when traditional approaches no longer work.
Attendees will also hear perspectives on developments affecting folding cartons in North America and Europe. Mike Turner, Managing Director of the European Carton Makers Association, will discuss the transition away from plastic, advances in fiber-based barrier technologies, and changes among European brands, retailers, and converters. Neil Osment, Managing Director of NOA Limited, will examine European sustainability requirements, regulation and growth opportunities for folding cartons.
Ron Hetrick, Principal Economist at Lightcast, will provide an economic and workforce outlook. Mark Mills, President of Spectrum Packaging Corporation, will share the story of his company’s evolution into a folding carton converter and offer the perspective of an independent business operating close to its customers and market.
2026 Paperboard Packaging Competition
The fall meeting will also recognize excellence, leadership and the next generation of industry talent. PPC will announce winners of the 2026 Paperboard Packaging Competition, including Package of the Year, and finalists in the Paperboard Packaging Alliance Student Design Challenge will present their work directly to industry leaders.
In a recent blog post on its website, Lauren Zuber, PPC Director of Marketing, and Emily Leonczyk, PPC President gave a behind-the-scenes look at the judging for the competition:
This year’s judging panel, Jon Cammarata, Creative Director of FutureBrand; James Rutt, President (Retired) of Keystone Paper & Box Co.; Sandy Krasovec, Professor of Packaging Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology; Robin Matusik, Asst. Principal Package Engineer of Hasbro; Fred Foushee, Sr. Structural Designer (retired) of Smurfit Westrock; Tom Newmaster, Partner at FORCEpkg; Winnie Muehling, Marketing & Communication Director at Pro Carton; and Brad Walling, Sr. Manager, Packaging Design and Innovation at Amazon, brought perspectives spanning design, branding, converting, consumer products, retail, e-commerce, and the global paperboard industry.
And they did much more than look at boxes. They opened them, took them apart, reassembled them, examined the embossing under the light, tested the closures, studied the inserts, debated how structures would run through production, and eventually imagined how they would move through the supply chain. Sometimes they simply stopped and asked, “How did they do that?”
The Competition also offers a snapshot of how quickly the industry evolves. Technologies that once felt groundbreaking eventually become standard. Digital printing came up during judging as a perfect example. It was once novel enough to warrant its own top-award category. Today, it is another powerful tool available to converters.
As innovation advances, judges are seeing paperboard used in applications where another material or packaging format might once have been the default. They are seeing structures rethink e-commerce, presentation, portability, product protection, and unboxing. They’re seeing brands use packaging as part of the product experience rather than simply as something that surrounds the product.
In other words, innovation is no longer just about a new printing process or converting capability. It is also about what that capability makes possible.
The Paperboard Packaging Competition gives the industry a place to see what converters are capable of right now, and, just as importantly, what may become possible next.
Each year, companies put their best work in the room. Designers and manufacturers see what their peers have accomplished, brands see new possibilities, ideas spread, expectations rise, and what feels innovative today can become the new standard tomorrow.
After watching the judges spend hours opening, examining, debating, and occasionally marveling at what they found, one thing becomes clear: There is a lot more happening inside a folding carton than most people ever get to see.
For registration, the complete agenda, and Orlando travel resources, visit www.paperbox.org/fall.
