Time

Session

Location

2 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Registration Open

Zlotnik Foyer

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. 

Division Council Meeting (invitation only)

Classroom 104

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Products and Resources Team Meeting (open to all)

Classroom 104

6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Welcome Reception

Zlotnik Ballroom 4/5/6

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Speaker Breakfast (Monday Speakers Only)

Classroom 107

8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

Zlotnik Ballroom Foyer

8:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.

Zlotnik Ballroom 1/2/3

8:45 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Zlotnik Ballroom 1/2/3

9:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Coffee Break 

Zlotnik Foyer

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Session 1: Panel Discussion
2025 Sustainability Goals...Status and Gaps with Flexible Packaging: How Far Have We Come and Where Do We Go From Here?

Panel Moderator: Michael Biscoglio, The Dow Chemical Company

Panelists:

• Dan Felton, AMERIPEN
• Nate Miranda, TC Transcontinental
• Todd Fayne, PepsiCo
• Stephanie Hicks, Trex Company
• Mika Härkönen, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland

Zlotnik Ballroom 1/2/3

11:30 a.m. – Noon

Free Time

Noon – 1:30 p.m.

Newcomers Lunch - Hosted by the IFPED Division Council (all first time attendees are welcome)

Zlotnik Ballroom 4/5/6

1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Session 2: New Technology Showcase

Moderator: Jim Macnamara, Michigan State University

• The Plastics Circular Economy
  Eric Vignola, NOVA Chemicals
  
  
• Primers And Coatings To Exceed Your Expectations
  Jeff Siegel, Mica Corporation
  
  
• We’re Following our Innovation Roadmap to the Future. Won’t you Join us on the Journey
  Michelle Sauder, Dow Chemical
  
  
• The Division’s Newest Publication Project (TAPPI Products & Resources Team)
  Warren Durling outgoing team lead

Zlotnik Ballroom 1/2/3
 

2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Aluminium Foil and Extrusion Coating – Latest News About an Old Couple from the Old World

Günter Schubert, Speira GmbH

Zlotnik Ballroom 1/2/3

2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Free Time

3 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

 Tabletop Reception

Zlotnik Foyer

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Speaker Breakfast (Tuesday Speakers Only)

Classroom 107

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

Zlotnik Ballroom Foyer

Session 3: Package Engineering & Film Design
Session Chair: Warren Durling, Clorox

• Optimizing Film Bending Stiffness and Coefficient of Friction for High Speed Converting
  Dan Ward, Nova Chemicals
  
  
• HDPE Barrier Extrusion Lamination for Flexible Packaging  
  Emily Silber, LyondellBasell (presented by Scott Weber, LyondellBasell)
  
  
• Exploring novel HDPE solutions for oriented polyethylene (OPE) films
  Nilesh Savargaonkar, Exxon Mobil Chemical Company
  
  
• Expanding boundaries on bi-oriented polyethylene (BOPE): productivity and performance
  Jian Wang, The Dow Chemical Company

Session 4: Advances in Polymer Processing - I
Session Chair: Günter Schubert, Speira GmbH

• Introducing a New Extrusion Die Flow Distribution Channel for Cast Film Applications
  Sam Iuliano, Nordson EDI
  
  
• Why All Films Don’t Corona Treat the Same
  Aaron Hootkin, Enercon Industries
  
  
• Understanding the Advantages of Using Pressure Control to Minimize the Effect of Process Variations
  Kevin Slusarz, US Extruders
  
  
• Extrusion Coating & Laminating - Accurate Melt Temperature Measurement and Optimization
  Kelly Frey, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company

Coffee Break

Noon Session 5: Developments in Recycled Material Reutilization
Session Chair: Warren Durling, Clorox

• Recyclability of Polyethylene Based Packaging Structures
  Larry Effler, The Dow Chemical Company
  
  
• Myths and Truths about Nylon Recycling
  Sergi Salvà Sàez, UBE
  
  
• Enabling Circular Economy in Flexible Packaging - Incorporating High Level of PCR in Heavy Duty Sacks Films
  Fraser Waldie, NOVA Chemicals

Session 6: Advances in Polymer Processing - II
Session Chair: James Bryant, NOVA Chemicals

• Extrusion Coating Die Tooling with Edge Encapsulation
  Sam Iuliano, Nordson EDI
  
  
• Solving Common Problems in Film Extrusion
  Karen Xiao, Macro Engineering
  
  
• High Performance Extrusion Coating of Thin Aluminium Foil and Barrier Challenges Brought Along
  Günter Schubert, Speira GmbH

Noon – 2:00 p.m.

Awards Luncheon

Zlotnik Ballroom 4/5/6

12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Awards Presentation

Moderator: Kelly Frey, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company

Zlotnik Ballroom 4/5/6

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Keynote Presentation
Sustainable Flexible Packaging: Perspectives and R&D Effort from Packaging Converters
Tom Lee, Vice-President Research and Development, TC Transcontinental

Zlotnik Ballroom 4/5/6

Session 7: Specialty Films and Coatings
Session Chair: Jim Macnamara, Michigan State University

• New Developments for PET Replacement Film
  Michael Andrews, Windmöller & Hölscher
  
  
• Optimization of Ethylene Acrylic Acid and Low Density Polyethylene Blend in Tie-layer
  Yong Zheng, SK GC Americas
  
  
• Cellulosic Materials: Alternative Solutions for Sustainable Flexible Packaging
  Stephen Lariviere, FP Innovations
  (Presented by Francois Drolet, PhD - Senior Researcher)

Session 8: Advances in Polymer Processing - III
Session Chair: Fraser Waldie, NOVA Chemicals

• Recycling of packaging plastics: process technologies, challenges and new developments
  Mika Härkönen, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd
  
  
• Nanolayer Coextrusion Enhancement of Cast Film Systems
  Michael Ponting, Peak
  
  
• Cross section polishing - a prime tool to uncover defects in packaging laminates
  Günter Schubert, Speira GmbH

3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Coffee Break

Zlotnik Foyer

Session 9: Classic Papers – Timeless Technical Insights
Session Chairs: Dorene Smith, Westlake Chemicals and Scott Marks, The Dow Chemical Company

• Fundamentals of Extrusion Coating: Tidbits and Shortcuts by Ray Edwards
  Restored and Re-presented by Dorene Smith, Westlake
  
  
• Dragan Djorjevic prior paper
  Represented by Lou Piffer, Davis-Standard Solidification
  
  
• Solidification Process in Extrusion Coating by William M. Karszes
  Represented by Barry Morris, retired from both DuPont and The Dow Chemical Company

6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Evening Event at Banger Sausage House and Beer Garden (transportation provided)

7 a.m. – 8 a.m.

Speaker Breakfast (Wednesday Speakers Only)

Classroom 107

7 a.m. – 8 a.m.

Continental Breakfast

Zlotnik Ballroom Foyer

Session 10: Leading Towards a Circular Economy
Session Chair: Scott Weber, LyondellBasell

• Sustainable Packaging – Recycling/Biopolymers –
  Steve DeSpain, Reifenhauser Incorporated
  
  
• Extrusion Coating versus Adhesive Lamination – A comparison study
  Lou Piffer, Davis‐Standard
  
  
• Plastic Sustainability: Can We See the Forest for Trees?
  Pierre Sarazin, PolyExpert
  
  
• Translating Consumer Insights into Packaging Innovation
  Eric Vignola and Brant Wunderlich, NOVA Chemicals Corporation

Session 11: Biopolymers and Compostability
Session Chair: Rob Hammond, Mica Corporation

• Aqueously Degradable PET Films Containing a Latent Metal Oxide Reagent
  Natalie Duprez, Georgia Institute of Technology
  
  
• Expanding Consumer Access to Composting by Improving Sortation
  Alan McDowall, Printpack; Gary Robinson, TIPA, Emily Stolarcyk, Digimarc
  
  
• Rheology: A Tool to Determine the Processability of Biopolymers for Extrusion Coating
  Olivier Catherine, Cloeren Inc.
  
  
  

• Bio-Productivity
  Andrew Christie, SAM North America, LLC

10 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. 

Coffee Break

Zlotnik Foyer

Session 12: Emerging Resin Technologies for Flexible Packaging
Session Chair: Kelly Frey, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company

• Barrier and Permeation Properties of Nylons: How to Use it in Film Applications
  Sergi Salvà Sàez, UBE
  
  
• Novel combination of toughness and stiffness through molecular design
  Nicolas Mazzola, The Dow Chemical Company
  
  

• Addressing the “Design for Recyclability” Challenge
  Eric Hair, Milliken & Company

• Polymer Processing Aid – Extrusion Performance Enhancer
  Dan Falla, Shell Polymers

12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. 

Wrap-up Lunch (Staff and IFPED Leaders)

Classroom 104