With the Plastics Industry Association expecting more than 65,000 attendees at NPE2018, there are plenty of activities and workshops planned for the busy week. Aside from the NPE trade show floor and the Society of Plastics Engineers' Antec, there are several educational workshops, speakers and co-located events happening at the Orange County Convention Center, including the Plastics Leadership Summit, Re|Focus Sustainability and Recycling Summit, Agricultural Plastics Recycling Conference and more.

Plastics Industry Insights

Industry experts will deliver market insight, from the economy and energy to feedstock and polymers. Bill Carteaux, president and CEO of the Washington-based Plastics Industry Association, and Nick Vafiadis, global business director of polyolefins and plastics of IHS Markit, will present the opening remarks.

Perc Pineda, chief economist for the Plastics Industry Association, will address a "Global Economy Review" at 10 a.m., while Mark Eramo, vice president of oil markets, midstream, downstream and chemical of IHS Markit, will present "Global Market Update: Energy, NGLs and Monomers." "Walmart's Policy Roadmap to Renew Manufacturing in the United States" will be given at 10:50 a.m. by Joe Quinn, the senior director of public affairs and government relations.

For "Global Plastics: Issues and Trends," polyethylene will be presented by Vafiadis of IHS Markit; polypropylene by Joel Morales, senior director of polyolefins; PET by Tison Keel, director of PET, PTA and EO derivatives; and engineering resins by Brendan Dooley, director of engineering plastics.

Plastics Industry Insights will take place Monday, May 7 from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in room W415A in the Orange County Convention Center West Building Level 4.

Bottle Zone Technical Forum

Hosted by PETplanet and the International Society of Beverage Technologists, the Bottle Zone Technical Forum examines advances in the manufacturing of bottles and containers. Topics include perform and closure manufacturing, bottle filling and inspection technologies, and downstream packaging and recycling technologies. The Bottle Zone Technical Forum will take place in booth S17081 in the south concourse of the Orange County Convention Center. For more information, visit www.npe.org/education-highlights.

Monday, May 7 schedule:

10-10:30 a.m.: Uncovering the Trends in Plastic Packaging by Ron Puvak, managing director of the Contract Packaging Association and past president of ISBT

10:45-11:15 a.m.: Eureka Plus: Modular, Energy-Saving, Resin Dehumidification System for PET by Euegene "Gene" Flockerzi, general manager of Moretto USA LLC

11:30 a.m.-12 p.m.: Unlocking Opportunities With Next-Generation Engineered PET Packages by Sean Hoy, director at Husky Injection Molding Systems

1-1:30 p.m.: Containers for Hot Filling and Pasteurizing: A Full Overview of the Challenges and ASB's Solutions

Tuesday, May 8 schedule:

10-10:30 a.m.: Understanding the Trends in Plastic Packaging by Ron Puvak, managing director of the Contract Packaging Association and past president of ISBT

10:45-11:15 a.m.: PET Process Automation: East as 1-2-3 by David Dineff, global marketing director of AGR International Inc.

11:30 a.m.-12 p.m.: Capture the Future of PET: What Will Drying Technology Look Like in Five Years? by Chris Weinrich, director of packaging and medical at Conair

12:15-12:45 p.m.: The Importance of a Fast and Cost-Effective Response in Plastic Industry by Morris De Marchi, PET packaging and tooling LCS director at SIPA North America

1-1:30 p.m.: How Multilayer Technology Is Enabling Growth in PET Packaging by Dave Morton, vice president of multilayer barrier solutions at Husky Injection Molding Systems

1:45-2:15 p.m.: Caps and Closures Trends for 2018 by Mandy Craig, senior marketing manager at Dow Chemical Co., and John Sugden, application technology leader at Dow Chemical Co.

2:30-3 p.m.: Preform and Bottle Manufacturing: A Turnkey Approach From Tech-Long by Fred Pinczuk, business development manager at Tech-Long, and Eddy Vuylsteker, director of commercial operations at Tech-Long

3:15-3:45 p.m.: ASB Technical Support Center Capabilities

Wednesday, May 9 schedule:

10-10:30 a.m.: Horizon 2019 by Richard Zhang, sales area manager at ABC USA

10:45-11:15 a.m.: Linear Blow Molding of Non-Conventional Barrier Containers by Bruce Coxhead, general manager at W. Amsler Equipment Inc.

11:30 a.m.-12 p.m.: Inherent Closure Features that Enhance Closure Performance and Appeal by Mike White, business manager of beverage closures at Husky Injection Molding Systems

12:15-12:45 p.m.: PET Preform Manufacturing in the Era of Circular Economy by Enrico Gribaudo, general manager of SIPA North America

1-1:30 p.m.: Guidelines and Constraints for Optimal ISBM Container Design

1:45-2:15 p.m.: AIPC Technology: PET Preform Quality and Utmost Constancy of Production by Giorgio Santella, vice president of service and sales at Universal Dynamics

2:30-3 p.m.: High-Efficiency Process Cooling by Lou Zavala, national sales manager of Frigel North America

3:15-3:45 p.m.: ISBT's Online Beverage Institute by Sara Shumpert, managing director of the Packaging School

Thursday, May 10 schedule:

10:45-11:15 a.m.: Improving Overall Efficiency: How Close Collaboration and Focus on the Right KPIs Can Generate Dramatic Results by John Quail, general manager at Husky Injection Molding Systems

11:30 a.m.-12 p.m.: One-Step IBM 101

12:15-12:45 p.m.: ISBT's Online Beverage Institute, Sara Shumpert, managing director of the Packaging School

2:30-3 p.m.: Switch to PET: The Best Solution for Most of Your Packaging by Lucia Comper, business development manager of Innovation Plastic Technologies, and Giovanni Renati, sales area manager of Lanfranchi North America

Expert Super Sessions

This educational section of NPE gives industry experts a chance to review the latest research and trends and discuss major issues such as Industry 4.0 and sustainability. Expert Super Sessions will be held in room W203A in the west concourse of the Orange County Convention Center, except where noted. See more information at www.npe.org/education-highlights.

Monday, May 7 schedule:

1-2 p.m.: How Intelligent Robotic Automation Can Improve Your Bottom Line by Chris Blanchette of Fanuc America Corp.

2:30-3:30: Gaining the Competitive Advantage with Industrial IoT by Oden Technologies founder and CEO Willem Sundblad

Tuesday, May 8 schedule:

9:30-10:30 a.m.: Estane TPU: High-Performance Solutions from Lubrizol Engineered Polymers for Surface Protection and Graphics by Peter Kirk of Lubrizol Engineered Polymers

10-11:30 a.m.: Taiwan Smart Machinery 4.0: "Make Tomorrow Yours," room W414B

11-12 p.m.: Inspired by Innovation: Trends and Material Solutions for the Packaging Market by Chris Kerscher of A. Schulman Inc.

1-2 p.m.: Innovative Approaches to Sustainability: A Look at Hydraulic Fluids with Evco Plastics President Dale Evans, SPE Content Strategy Director Robert Grace, and Michelle Ruiz of ExxonMobil

2:30-3:20 p.m.: Influence of 3D Printing on Safety-Critical Performance Properties by Thomas Fabian and Kenneth Vessey of UL LLC

Wednesday, May 9 schedule:

9:30-10:30: Advancing Materials, Elevating Performance with Estane TPU From Lubrizol Engineered Polymers by Kenneth Kim of Lubrizol Engineered Polymers

11 a.m.-12 p.m.: Inspired by Innovation: Trends and Material Solutions for the Building and Construction Market by Kerry Nunley and Steven Blazey of A. Schulman Inc.

1-2 p.m.: Particulate Free Plastic Welding Technologies by Paul Cathcart and Vanessa Maresch of Dukane Corp.

2:30-3:30 p.m.: Gravimetric Technology and Remote Connectivity Solutions for Dosing and Dispensing of Colorant and Additives by Peyvand Melati and Mat Najibnia of Micro Interface Design

Thursday, May 10 schedule:

9:30-10:30 a.m.: Industry 4.0: Implementing a Smart(er) Factory by Shane O'Callaghan of Insight and Peter Sloan at TSM

11 a.m.-12 p.m.: ECO-FLEX RTPV, a Recycled Material Solution for TPV Applications by Edgar Gonzalez of Synesis LLC

Agricultural Plastics Recycling Conference

Organized by Environmental Industry Conference Management LLC, the Agricultural Plastics Recycling Conference is co-located with the Re|Focus Sustainability and Recycling Conference at NPE 2018. The conference, which discusses the future of ag plastics and its impact on society and your company, will be held in room S330A in the south concourse. (Registration opens Monday, May 7, 3-6 p.m., in room S331D in the Orange County Convention Center.)

For more information about the Agricultural Plastics Recycling Conference, visit www.agplasticconference.com.

Tuesday, May 8 schedule:

8-8:30 a.m.: Continental Breakfast

8:30-10 a.m.: Opening Session: An International Perspective on Ag Plastics Recycling, moderated by Gene Jones, CEO of Southern Waste Information eXchange Inc. and executive director of Florida Agricultural Plastics Recycling Cooperative: Impacts of China's Plastic Ban by Dr. Steven Wong, chairman of Fukutomi Co. Ltd.; Agricultural Plastics Recycling in Europe: The German Example by Jan Bauer, commercial manager of RIGK GmbH; Ag Plastics Recycling in Canada by Barry Friesen, general manager of CleanFARMS

10:15-11:45: Agricultural Plastics Collection Programs, moderated by Jill Dunlop, manager of food safety and sustainability for the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association: Cross-Sector Collaboration in Agricultural Plastics Recycling Programs by Melissa Kono, assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Extension; Toro's Drip Irrigation Recycling Service in California by Bryan Woudstra, area business manager for the Toro Co.'s agricultural business; Horizontal Integration of Agricultural Waste Through Pop-Up Recycling Events by Simon Andrew, general manager of the Agrecovery Foundation

11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m.: Break for lunch

1:30-3 p.m.: Agricultural Plastics Recycling, moderated by Mark Hudson, executive director of the Ag Container Recycling Council: Creating Sustainable Solutions With Vistamaxx Performance Polymers in Plastics Recycling by Jeffrey Zhang, market developer for ExxonMobil Chemical Co. Inc.; Extended Producer Responsibility in the Agriculture Film Market by Sean Whiteley, CEO of Delta Plastics; Ag Film Washing: Challenges and Solutions by Corey O'Donnell, director of sales for the Southeast Machinery Co. Inc.

3-3:15 p.m.: Refreshment break (APRC and Re|Focus)

3:15-4:45 p.m.: Agricultural Plastics Recovery and Processing, moderated by Ted Kaiser, president of Dock 7 Materials Group LLC: Designing a System for Ag Plastics Recovery by John Farney, director of Size Reduction Sales, Cumberland; Material Handling, Conditioning and Storage Solutions by Joe Dziedzic, manager of technical sales for AEC; Waste Water Recovery and Treatment by Salem Alameri, director of sales at Matec America Inc.

5-6:30 p.m.: Networking reception (APRC, Re|Focus and CARE)

7-10 p.m.: VIP outing at TopGolf, which includes dinner, open bar and three hours of unlimited TopGolf play, for $115. Space is limited. See APRC registration desk for more details.

Wednesday, May 9 schedule:

8-8:30 a.m.: Continental breakfast

8:30-10 a.m.: Ag Film Mulch Recovery and Processing, moderated by Kevin Yue, environmental compliance engineer at Lipman Family Farms: Recover to Recycle by Steve Zook, sales manager of PBZ/CropCare; Findings From 2017 Mulch Retrieval Machine Trials by David Lowles, consultant at Waste Reduction Partners; Meeting the Dirty Mulch Film Recycling Challenge by David Lowles, consultant at Waste Reduction Partners; Agricultural Mulch Film Enhancement Project by Gene Jones, CEO of Southern Waste Information eXchange Inc. and executive director of Florida Agricultural Plastics Recycling Cooperative

10-10:30 a.m.: Refreshment break (APRC and CARE)

10:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: General Agricultural Plastics Recycling Session, moderated by Gene Jones, CEO of Southern Waste Information eXchange Inc. and executive director of Florida Agricultural Plastics Recycling Cooperative: A Different Approach to Recycling Ag Film by Hartmut Bendfeldt, president of eFACTOR3 LLC; RISe: A Novel Polymer Recycling Process by Stephen Paspek, vice president of technology at Broadview Group International LLC; Agricultural Film Recycling Solutions by Alan DiUmberto, sales manager of the recycling division for American Starlinger-Sahm Inc.

CARE Annual Conference

The Carpet America Recovery Effort, or CARE, deals with solutions for the recycling and reuse of post-consumer carpet. At the CARE annual conference, attendees can learn about advances and trends or hear other new information about the industry.

Registration is $100 for students, $550 for the Entrepreneur or Government categories, and $1,000 for the Corporate category, all of which include continental breakfasts, coffee breaks and meals. An additional ticket for the Wednesday buffet lunch runs $55. A ticket for the Wednesday night reception and dinner, which includes hors d'oeuvres, dinner and two drink tickets, is $100.

All registered attendees receive complimentary access to the NPE show floor. To learn more about CARE or find information about the conference, visit: www.carpetrecovery.org.

Tuesday, May 8 schedule:

2-6 p.m.: Registration

5-6:30 p.m.: Joint reception with CARE, APRC and Re|Focus

Wednesday, May 9 schedule:

7:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Reception

8-8:30 a.m.: Breakfast

8:30-9:30 a.m.: CARE update by Bob Peoples, executive director of CARE; California update by Jacy Bolden, director of the California Carpet Stewardship Program; Voluntary Product Stewardship update by Anthony Cline, operations director of CARE

9:30-9:45 a.m.: CARE business meeting by Joe Yarbrough, president of the Carpet and Rug Institute and vice chair of CARE

10-10:30 a.m.: Break

10:30-11:45 a.m.: Marketplace Forum by Sean Ragiel, founder and president of CarpetCycle LLC

11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Lunch

12:30-1:30 p.m.: Perc Pineda, chief economist of the Plastics Industry Association

1:30-2:45 p.m.: New Products and Markets by Mike Tinney, president of Tinney Associates, and Ralph Boe, previous chairman of the Carpet and Rug Institute

2:45-3:15 p.m.: Break

3:15-4 p.m.: New Products and Markets by Frank Endrenyi, founder of Sustainable Materials Solutions and CARE PET project leader, and Lamar Russo

4-4:45 p.m.: Plastics 101 by Dennis Hayford, CARE technical adviser and former executive director of the Polymers Center of Excellence

4:45-6:15 p.m.: Reception

6:30-8 p.m.: Awards celebration with coffee and dessert

Plastics Leadership Summit

The Plastics Leadership Summit, which will be held in the Orange County Convention Center Chapin Theater in room W320, is aimed at senior-level management such as presidents and CEOS to discuss the issues that affect the vision and success of a business, from production to profit. Information about the Plastics Leadership Summit can be found at www.plasticsindustry.org/plastics-leadership-summit.

Tuesday, May 8 schedule:

8:30-8:45 a.m.: Welcome and introduction by Perc Pineda, chief economist for the Plastics Industry Association

8:45-9:30 a.m.: Keynote: Capital Markets for the Large-Cap Business by Colin Convey, managing director, head of packaging investment banking for Goldman Sachs

9:30-10:15 a.m.: Keynote: Access to Capital for the Small and Medium Business by Sharon Miller, managing director, head of small business for Bank of America

10:15-10:30 a.m.: Coffee, tea and networking

10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.: Panel Session: Accessing Capital for Growth and Acquisition with Colin Convey, managing director, head of packaging investment banking for Goldman Sachs; John Hart, managing director for P&M Corporate Finance; Sharon Miller, managing director, head of small business for Bank of America; Samuel Smith III, managing director of Customers Commercial Finance LLC; and Craig Staub, managing principal for Odyssey Partners

12-1:30 p.m.: Networking lunch

Wednesday, May 9 schedule:

8:30-8:45 a.m.: Welcome and introduction by Scott Farmer, executive vice president and chief procurement officer at Berry Global Inc.

8:45-9:30 a.m.: Keynote: Plastics and the Food and Beverage Industry by Rene Lammers, senior vice president of global beverages R&D at PepsiCo Inc.

9:30-10:15 a.m.: Keynote: Future Trends for Plastics in Health Care by Theresa Hermel-Davidock, senior director of Abbott Laboratories

10:15-10:30 a.m.: Coffee, tea and networking

10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.: Panel Session: What Do the Industry Sectors Expect From the Plastics Industry in the Coming Years? with Alex Rubin, senior technical fellow of Boeing Research and Technology; Theresa Hermel-Davidock, senior director of Abbott Laboratories; Rene Lammers, senior vice president of global beverages R&D at PepsiCo Inc.; and Jay Olson, global manager of materials engineering and technology at John Deere Technology Innovation Center

12-1:30 p.m.: Networking lunch

Thursday, May 10 schedule:

8:30-8:45 a.m.: Welcome and introduction by Troy Nix, president of MAPP Inc.

8:45-9:30 a.m.: Keynote: Workforce Development and the Plastics Industry by Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers

9:30-10:15 a.m.: Keynote: BAAM Additive Manufacturing by Gregory Haye, general manager and materials and process development project manager for Local Motors

10:15-10:30 a.m.: Coffee, tea and networking

10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.: Panel Session: Technology Innovation and Workforce Development in Manufacturing with Steve Bieszczat, chief marketing officer of IQMS; Gregory Haye, general manager and materials and process development project manager for Local Motors; Mike Regan, director of 3D materials at HP Inc.; Peter Stansky, digitalization development manger at Siemens Industry USA; and Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers

12-1:30 p.m.: Networking lunch

3D Printing Workshop

Held in the west concourse in room W331 from 1-5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 9, the 3D Printing Workshop will address short-run production, conformal cooling, end-of-arm tooling, technology options, bridge tooling and material advancements from the plastics processing standpoint. More information can be found at www.npe.org/education-highlights.

Wednesday, May 9 schedule:

1:15-1:45 p.m.: Multijet Fusion vs. Traditional Mass Production Methods

1:45-2:15 p.m.: The Greatest Impact of Additive Manufacturing: Conformal-Cooled Inserts

2:15-2:45 p.m.: New Composite Materials Make 3D Printed Molds More Efficient and Affordable

2:45-3 p.m.: Break

3-3:30 p.m.: Specialized Materials for Functional Prototyping and Low-Volume Production

3:30-4 p.m.: Influence of 3D Printing on Safety-Critical Performance Properties

4-4:30 p.m.: 3D Printing vs. Injection Molding: New Technology Changes the Balance

4:30-5 p.m.: The Promise of 3D Printing for Shoe Manufacturing

5:30-7 p.m.: Reception at 3Nine Orlando

Seminarios Latinoamericanos, presentados en Español

This Spanish-language conference, hosted by B2B Portales and held in room W414D in the west concourse, will assess the major issues that affect the Latin American market, from vehicle lightweighting to recycling. More information can be found at www.npe.org/education-highlights.

Tuesday, May 8 schedule:

8:45 a.m.: Desafíos y oportunidades de la producción 4.0 en la industria plástica

8:45-9:30 a.m.: Industria 4.0 en el moldeo por inyección

9:30-10 a.m.: Caso de éxito: La producción del futuro en las plantas de moldeo por inyección

10-10:30 a.m.: Break

10:30-11 a.m.: La comunicación en toda la planta y los desafíos para los sistemas de control, room W224H

11-11:30 a.m.: Cómo el enfoque 4.0 está revolucionando la producción de películas

11:30 a.m.-12 p.m.: Caso de éxito: Implementación de soluciones de Industria 4.0 en la producción de película

1-1:45 p.m.: Evaluación comparativa del consumo energético específico en plantas de transformación de plástico en América Latina, room W224H

1:45-2:15 p.m.: Diseño optimizado de sistemas de enfriamiento para reducir el consumo energético, room W224H

2:15-2:45 p.m.: Caso de éxito: Ejemplo de aplicación exitosa de tecnología en la reducción de consumo energético

2:45-3:15 p.m.: Break

3:15-4 p.m.: Metodologías de procesamiento para garantizar una alta eficiencia energética

4-4:30 p.m.: Análisis de la eficiencia energética a través del moldeo virtual

4:30-5 p.m.: Caso de éxito: Ejemplo de aplicación exitosa de tecnología en la reducción de consumo energético

Re|Focus Sustainability and Recycling Summit

Plastics professionals and leaders will address challenges, best practices, case studies related to recycled and viable content in manufactured plastics at the Re|Focus Sustainability and Recycling Summit. Exhibiting companies include plastics recyclers, equipment manufacturers for plastics recycling and processing, additive manufacturers, suppliers of alternative materials, renewable energy options providers and much more.

This event will be held at the Orange County Convention Center, South Building Level 3, room S330C. Registered attendees will receive free access to the NPE show floor. More information: www.refocussummit.org.

Tuesday, May 8 schedule:

1:30-3 p.m.: Using Dell Innovation and Supply Chain to Tackle Ocean Plastic, moderated by Kim Holmes, vice president of sustainability for the Plastics Industry Association

Speaker: Oliver Campbell, director of worldwide procurement and packaging of Dell Technologies

3-3:15 p.m.: Break

3:15-4:45 p.m.: Recycling Game-Changer: Moving Beyond Mechanical Recycling, moderated by Robert Render, commercial manager of Ravago Recycling Group

Speakers: John Layman, research and development section head at Procter and Gamble and chief technologist at PureCycle Technologies; Joe Vaillancourt, CEO of Agilyx Corp.; and Nien-Hwa Linda Wang, Maxine Spencer Nichols Professor of chemical engineering at Purdue University.

5-6:30 p.m.: Networking reception

Wednesday, May 9 schedule:

1:15-2:45 p.m.: Advances in Composite Recycling by Chris Surbrook, new business development at Midland Compounding and Consulting; Brian Pillay, professor and chair of the materials science and engineering department at the University of Alabama at Birmingham; and Mark Janney, chief scientist at Carbon Conversions Inc.

2:45-3:15 p.m.: Break

3:15-4:45 p.m.: Under One Roof: Investing in On-Site Plastic Reprocessing at MRFS, moderated by James Keefe, executive vice president and group publisher for Recycling Today Media Group

Speakers: Martin Baumann, vice president of sales for Erema North America; Daniel Reshef, steward relations and sustainability manager at Urban Resource Group; David Hudson, vice president of commercial business at Avangard Innovative; and Sunil Bagaria, president of GDB International Inc.

4:45-6:15 p.m.: Networking reception

Thursday, May 10 schedule:

8-9 a.m.: Breakfast

9-10:30 a.m.: Bio-Based Bioplastic Polymers and the Future of Bottling, moderated by Patrick Krieger, assistant director of regulatory and technical affairs for the Plastics Industry Association

Speakers: Michael A. Saltzberg, global business director of biomaterials for DuPont Industrial Biosciences; Jose Augusto Viveiro, renewable chemicals LATAM and Asia-Pacific sales director and global new business development director at Braskem; and Ruth O'Neill, business development with Origin Materials

10:30-10:45 a.m.: Break

10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.: Additives for Upcycling, moderated by Mark Richardson of Oakland University and Series One LLC

Speakers: Salvatore Monte, president of Kenrich Petrochemicals Inc.; Prem Patel, strategy and business development manager of Milliken and Co.; and Timothy Dean, market developer for ExxonMobil Chemical Co.

3:30-5 p.m.: Reception

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» Publication Date: 04/05/2018

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