The Global Food & Beverage Packaging Summit is headed back to the Windy City where it will take place July 15-17, 2014, at the Chicago Hyatt Regency. The conference program has been enhanced this year to include two learning tracks that offer high-quality learning to those in the food and beverage sector: Strategies for Marketing & Brand Differentiation plus Technical Intelligence to Enhance Production & Engineering. Attendees will hear about in-depth case studies that show improved return-on-investment results for existing and redesigned packaging systems.

As the number of on-the-go consumers continues to rise in the food and beverage industry, now more than ever packaging professionals are charged with the task of meeting growing demands while continuing to innovate and enhance the product’s presence in the marketplace. This two-day intensive summit includes a comprehensive lineup that will help move packaging strategies forward.

Whether you are a marketing/brand manager or a production engineer, expect to walk away from this conference with all the knowledge, strategies and networking opportunities needed to protect your brand and cultivate the packaging behind tomorrow’s cutting-edge products.

This year there are more speakers than ever from the top brand owners and packaging companies, including PepsiCo, MillerCoors, Campbell Soup Co., Target, Tampico, Amcor, J.M. Smucker, Mondelez Intl., Bacardi, Avery Dennison, Landor Associates, ConAgra, Cargill, General Mills, MWV Corp., TricorBraun, Mintel, TetraPak and many more.
Key topics of discussion will include updates on leading consumer trends, flexible packaging, lightweighting, smart packaging, direct-to-customer distribution, printed electronics, sustainable and ethical sourcing, and many more.

Other major themes that industry leaders will examine are hygienic zoning principles, efficient/effective design for distribution, decoration trends and growth opportunities in global markets.
Dr. Gail Barnes, Ph.D., partner, Personify, will be chairperson for Track A on day one and day two afternoons and will also moderate a panel discussion on July 16—“Designing when the package is your only medium.” Dennis Young, instructor of packaging development technology, Michigan State University, School of Packaging, will be chairperson for Track B on day one and day two afternoons and will also moderate a panel discussion on July 17—“Materials science: What’s in your next top-performing package?”

Keynotes
Each day starts strong with thought-leading content:
Top consumer trends influencing food & beverage packaging design & development: market intelligence to drive relevant, competitive packaging
What are the leading consumer trends and behaviors that are influencing food & beverage packaging today?
Wed., July 16, 8:30-9:00 a.m.
Speaker: Denise Lefebvre, vp of global beverage packaging, Pepsico

Bringing innovation and strategy together for product development
Exploring the innovation and ideation marketplace: What are your sources for innovative ideas and how can they be broadened?
Thurs., July 17, 8:30-9:00 a.m.
Speaker: Jill McCurdy, director of packaging innovation & development, MillerCoors

Pre-conference workshop
Mastering the food & beverage supply chain
How to Drive End-to-End Performance
Tues., July 15, 1:00–5:00 p.m.
Lead by Dan Balan, president of Fastraqq Inc.

Workshop summary
Supply Chain is the biological tissue that connects suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, intermediaries and consumers. From product design to packaging development, manufacturing to customer service, or finance to strategy, virtually everyone touches a finished product/service. In a complex web of company functions and dynamic industries, problems are cross-functional and curvilinear.
The food and beverage supply chain has profound implications for the packaging professional. Packaging exerts a pervasive influence throughout the ecosystem—from idea to shelf and from consumption to disposal.

In this powerful 4-hour workshop you will learn:
• The foundations of supply chains
• The objectives, constraints, and dynamic conflicts in the ecosystem
• The 10 big pitfalls in any supply chain
• How packaging can improve efficiencies and reduce costs
• The role of sustainability in supply chains
• How to transform your supply chain from end-to-end

Balan explains, “This 4-hour seminar gives packaging professionals a well-rounded education beyond packaging technologies and design…this course shows them how to think about packaging as an integrated system that becomes a strategic asset for their company.”

For more information about how to register for the summit and pre-conference workshop, visit www.fbpackaging.com or call 310-445-8535. Make sure to mention source code CONFDM1 when registering to save up to $200 before June 20, 2014.