Cal Poly will host packaging researchers for global conference, exchange of ideas

What do you get when you put together a venue for more than 500 researchers from approximately 30 countries to exchange results of hundreds of packaging research projects? A world-class brainstorming and learning experience about the latest advances in packaging...globally! 

What does hosting it in the "Happiest Place in America" add to this event? It provides an opportunity for all attendees to explore and enjoy the many pleasures the Central Coast of California has to offer, including world-class wineries, golfing, deep sea fishing and shopping. 

Established in 1971, the International Assn. of Packaging Research Institutes (IAPRI) is a worldwide association that promotes packaging as a global science to important target groups within international organizations and research foundations. The 78 current IAPRI member institutes represent more than 30 countries from all continents of the world. 

The Packaging Program at Cal Poly is proud to host the 18th IAPRI World Packaging Conference. This four-day conference will be hosted June 17-21, 2012, on the campus of Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. 

The global packaging market, estimated by some to reach $530 billion in 2014, is ever developing. Members of the global packaging research community have been working on research projects with various emphases towards developing packaging that can keep up with the changing gamut, and lead the way to the future of this industry. The 18th IAPRI World Packaging Conference provides a venue for these researchers and the industry to efficiently and effectively communicate and develop ideas, exchange experiences and, in many cases, reduce duplication of effort.

The pre-conference sessions will include working groups' discussions on such topics as anti-counterfeiting, product safety and security; dangerous goods; distribution packaging; and sustainable packaging. The mission of the IAPRI Research Networking Working Group is to increase "research networking" activities among the IAPRI members and to be a transverse working group inside IAPRI's Working Group Structure. Everyone is invited to join these sessions.

The research areas covered at this conference will include packaging materials and containers; packaging for food and agriculture; distribution packaging; medical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical packaging; packaging testing and standards; packaging sustainability; active and intelligent packaging; packaging for hazardous and dangerous goods; packaging machinery and systems; and packaging design, printing and graphics. 

It's anticipated that more than 200 presentations on these topics will be offered at the conference. A peer review track for publishing selected manuscripts, in what many consider to be the top scientific journal for packaging—the Journal of Packaging Technology and Science—is also available at this conference. 

The conference will also include keynote presentations from some of the leading packaging research and industry personalities.

More details on this conference are available at www.iapri2012.com.

This article was written by Dr. Jay Singh, professor and packaging program director, Orfalea College of Business, Cal Poly State University. Contact him at [email protected].

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