For three days in June 2021, Virtual Engineering Days presents educational sessions on packaging for cannabis, sustainability, medical devices, smart manufacturing, and other key areas.

Lisa McTigue Pierce, Executive Editor

May 25, 2021

3 Min Read
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Photo credit: Andrey Popov – adobe.stock.com

Americans are gearing up for in-person events in the near future. But until then, virtual presentations and learning continue to be the go-to solution.

Informa Markets-Engineering, the parent company of Packaging Digest, is reprising its popular 2020 event: Virtual Engineering Week. This year it’s a shorter agenda. Virtual Engineering Days 2021 runs just three days instead of the full week: June 15-17, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

We’ve packed a lot into these days, though. From keynotes and sophisticated, algorithm-driven “matchmaking” to live product demos and exhibitor innovations, attendees will have plenty to see and do.

Below are sessions packaging professionals might be interested in. View the Full Agenda to see all the scheduled presentations by Track: Keynotes; Cannabis Packaging; Plastics, Processing & Materials; Packaging; Sustainability; 3D Printing; Smart Manufacturing & Robotics; and Career Development.

 

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

11:45 am - 12:30 pm EDT
“Think Big, Start Small, Stay in It for the Long Haul: Creating Equitable Opportunities in the Plastics Industry”
Speaker: Eve Vitale, Chief Executive, SPE Foundation

 

11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EDT
“Mitigating Risks of Massive Regulation Changes: A Practical Look at EU MDR Packaging Implications”
Speaker: Abhishek Gautam, Director, Global Packaging, Teleflex

 

12:30 to 1:00 p.m. EDT
“Anywhere Production: Overcoming Barriers to Production with Additive Manufacturing”
Speaker: Joshua Niman, Sales Engineering Lead, Formlabs

 

12:30 to 1:15 p.m. EDT
“An Outlook for the Plastics Industry: Politics, Policy & Economics”
Speakers: Perc Pineda, Chief Economist, PLASTICS, and Tony Radoszewski, President & CEO, PLASTICS

 

1:30 to 2:00 p.m. EDT
“Meet B9[X]: Custom, Agile Additive Manufacturing”
Speaker: Dani Mason, VP of Marketing & Communications, B9Creations

 

1:45 to 2:30 p.m. EDT
“Efficient Material Selection and Management in Additive Manufacturing”
Speaker: Eric Miller, Principal and Co-Owner, PADT Inc.

 

2:30 to 3:15 p.m. EDT
“Solving Production Challenges: How do you solve challenges in today’s business environment of competing priorities?”
Speaker: Michael Walker, Portfolio Development Executive, Siemens Digital Industries Software

 

2:30 to 3:15 p.m. EDT
“Getting Ahead of the ESG Game”
Speaker: Alyssa Harding, ENV SP, Director, Memberships, Sustainable Brands

 

3:15 to 4:00 p.m. EDT
“Rapid Fire with Medical Packaging Trailblazers”
Speakers: Rod Patch, Senior Director, Package Engineering & Product Labeling, Johnson & Johnson Vision; Jennifer Benolken, MDM & Regulatory Specialist,  Dupont; Thierry Wagner, Global Director, Regulatory & Standards-Healthcare, Dupont; Jordan Montgomery, Distinguished Packaging Engineer, Medtronic; Dan Burgess, Fellow - Packaging Engineer, Boston Scientific; and Geoff Pavey, Technical Fellow-Technology Manager, Oliver Healthcare Packaging.

 

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

11:00 to 11:45 a.m. EDT
“Keynote: Designing for Sustainable Manufacturing”
Speaker: Ernel Simpson, Global Vice President of Research and Development, TerraCycle

 

11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EDT
“Solutions for Reducing or Eliminating Virgin Plastics from Your Product”
Speaker: Jayant Khambekar, Senior Consultant, Jenike & Johanson

 

12:30 to 1:00 p.m. EDT
“Motor Drive Design Trends that Power High-performance Automation and Robotics Equipment”
Speaker: Prabh Gowrisankaran, VP of Engineering and Strategy, Performance Motion Devices

 

1:45 to 2:30 p.m. EDT
“Antimicrobial Packaging Extends Food Shelf Life”
Speaker: Claire Sand, Owner, Packaging Technology and Research and Gazelle Mobile Packaging

 

2:30 to 3:15 p.m. EDT
“Case Study: Producing Single-use, Plastic-free Snack Packaging”
Speaker: Steven MacMaster, Sustainability Controller, Impact Snacks

 

2:30 to 3:15 p.m. EDT
“Optimizing Plastic Materials for Additive Manufacturing Processes”
Speaker: Roderick Reber, Staff Technical Service Engineer, Arkema

 

3:15 to 4:00 p.m. EDT
“New Norms in Connecting Virtually”
Speaker: John Crombie, Founder & President, UpStart Product Development LLC

 

Thursday, June 17, 2021

11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EDT
“Packaging Cannabis Plants”
Speakers: Jack Grover, Founder, Grove Bags, and Peter Schmitt, Managing Director, Montesino

 

Noon to 1:00 p.m. EDT
“New Technology in CR Packaging for Cannabis”
Speaker: Chason Sordoni, Founder and COO, SnapSlide LLC

 

1:00 to 2:00 p.m. EDT
“Water Activity - Critical Factor in Cannabis Packaging”
Speaker: Steve Warakomski, Founder and Principal, Blackbird Polymer LLC

 

2:00 to 3:00 p.m. EDT
“Introduction to Biodegradable and Compostable Materials for Cannabis Packaging”
Speaker: Dr. Keith Wilbourn, Founder and Principal, Red Copper Consulting

About the Author(s)

Lisa McTigue Pierce

Executive Editor, Packaging Digest

Lisa McTigue Pierce is Executive Editor of Packaging Digest. She’s been a packaging media journalist since 1982 and tracks emerging trends, new technologies, and best practices across a spectrum of markets for the publication’s global community. Reach her at [email protected] or 630-272-1774.

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