FTA Forum Is a Record-Breaker

Published: May 09, 2014

BOHEMIA, NY | The Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) reports that its 2014 Annual Forum, themed Breaking New Ground, did just that in Baltimore, MD, April 27–30, where attendance records were shattered.

Eleven sessions covered everything from the fundamentals to the more complex processes expounded upon in sessions such as Expanded Gamut and Managing Pressroom Efficiencies.

• Myths were debunked, demystified, and deflated in the Flexo Mythbusters session;

• Research results were unveiled during the Flexo Quality Consortium (FQC) session;

• Growth and diversified markets took center stage in the Emerging Flexo Markets session;

• A preview of what’s in store for future updates was given in the FIRST (Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications & Tolerances) session;

• An array of concurrent sessions (Flexible Packaging, Tags & Labels, and Corrugated) delved into the specific concerns, challenges, and opportunities facing those market segments.

“Everything came together extremely well for this year’s Forum,” says Mark Cisternino, FTA/FFTA president. “The program committee and members of the FTA staff really took the theme to heart in executing a number of new and exciting initiatives throughout the year-long development process. There was a real positive buzz among attendees at the conference and on the INFO*FLEX show floor…both commenting on the success of the event, as well as reflecting on the current strong business conditions in the flexo marketplace.”

At the Annual Banquet & Awards Program, honors were given to the 106 award winners of the 2014 Excellence in Flexography Awards Competitions.

Also breaking records was the accompanying INFO*FLEX Exhibition, designated a “A Gold Mine of Solutions” and featuring a record 1,800+ attendees. Printers/converters, print buyers, designers, and their supplier partners strolled the ten aisles and browsed the hundreds of solutions showcased in the 260 exhibitor booths.

The show floor also featured a Solutions Theater that FTA says drew capacity crowds at each of its eight 15-minute presentations. There, attendees absorbed best practices on topics ranging from digital printing to high-resolution imaging to inks, plates, and new press technologies.

FTA says additional records were broken for the INFO*FLEX 2015 re-sign, which now boasts a 70% occupied exhibit floor with 185 exhibit spaces already reserved for the May 4–5 event, which will accompany next year’s Forum at the Music City Convention Center in Nashville, TN.

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